Commission Regulation (EC) No 606/2003 of 2 April 2003 approving operations to check conformity with the marketing standards applicable to fresh fruit and vegetables carried out in Israel prior to import into the Community
Date: 2003-04-02
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Israel, fresh fruit, fresh vegetable, import, marketing standard, quality label

3.4.2003

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Official Journal of the European Union

L 86/15

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 606/2003

of 2 April 2003

approving operations to check conformity with the marketing standards applicable to fresh fruit
and vegetables carried out in Israel prior to import into the Community

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 of 28
October 1996 on the common organisation of the market in
fruit and vegetables (1), as last amended by Commission Regula-
tion (EC) No 47/2003 (2), and in particular Article 10 thereof,

(5)

(6)

Checks on conformity carried out by Israel should there-
fore be approved with effect from the date of implemen-
the administrative cooperation procedure
tation of
provided for in Article 7(8) of Regulation (EC) No 1148/
2001.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in
accordance with the opinion of
the Management
Committee for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Article 7 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1148/2001
of 12 June 2001 on checks on conformity to the
marketing standards applicable to fresh fruit and vegeta-
bles (3), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 408/
2003 (4), lays down the conditions for the approval of
checking operations performed by certain third countries
which so request prior to import into the Community.

sent

the Israeli authorities

the
On 30 July 2001,
Commission a request
for the approval of checking
operations performed by the fresh produce quality
control service under the responsibility of
the Plant
Protection and Inspection Service (PPIS) of the Israeli
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. This
states that the PPIS has the necessary staff, equipment
and facilities to carry out checks, that it uses methods
equivalent to those referred to in Article 9 of Regulation
(EC) No 1148/2001 and that the fresh fruit and vegeta-
bles exported from Israel to the Community meet the
Community marketing standards.

The information sent by the Member States to the
Commission shows that, in the period 1997 to 2000,
the incidence of non-conformity with marketing stan-
dards among imports of fresh fruit and vegetables from
Israel was relatively low.

the Israeli

Representatives of
inspection bodies have
regularly participated in international efforts to agree
marketing standards for fruit and vegetables within the
Working Party on standardisation of perishable produce
and quality development of
the United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Moreover,
Israel participates in the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) scheme for the
application of international standards for fruit and vege-
tables. Lastly,
inspection
bodies have also taken part in various seminars and
training activities organised by different Member States.

for many years the Israeli

(1) OJ L 297, 21.11.1996, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 7, 11.1.2003, p. 64.
(3) OJ L 156, 13.6.2001, p. 9.
(4) OJ L 62, 6.3.2003, p. 8.

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Checks on conformity to the marketing standards applicable to
fresh fruit and vegetables carried out by Israel prior to import
into the Community are hereby approved in accordance with
Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 1148/2001.

Article 2

Details of the official authority and inspection body in Israel, as
referred to in the second subparagraph of Article 7(2) of Regu-
lation (EC) No 1148/2001, are given in Annex I to this Regula-
tion.

Article 3

The certificates referred to in the second subparagraph of
Article 7(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1148/2001, issued following
the checks referred to in Article 1 of this Regulation, must be
drawn up on forms in conformity with the model given in
Annex II to this Regulation.

Article 4

This Regulation shall enter
into force on the 20th day
following its publication in the Official Journal of the European
Union.

It shall apply from the date of publication in the C series of the
Official Journal of the European Union of the notice referred to in
Article 7(8) of Regulation (EC) No 1148/2001, relating to the
cooperation between the
establishment of
Community and Israel.

administrative

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Official Journal of the European Union

3.4.2003

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 2 April 2003.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

Official authority referred to in Article 7(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1148/2001:

ANNEX I

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
PPIS (Plant Protection and Inspection Service)
PO box 78
Bet-Dagan 50250
Israel
Tel. (972-3) 968 15 00
Fax (972-3) 368 15 07
E-mail:

Inspection body referred to in Article 7(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1148/2001:

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
PPIS (Plant Protection and Inspection Service)
Fresh produce quality control service
PO box 78
Bet-Dagan 50250
Israel
Tel. (972-3) 968 15 20
Fax (972-3) 368 15 07
E-mail:

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Official Journal of the European Union

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ANNEX II

Model certificate referred to in Article 7(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1148/2001