2003/580/EC: Commission Decision of 4 August 2003 amending Decision 2000/49/EC repealing Decision 1999/356/EC and imposing special conditions on the import of peanuts and certain products derived from peanuts originating in or consigned from Egypt (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2003) 2800)
Date: 2003-08-04
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Egypt, agro-industry, groundnut, health certificate, import, originating product

5.8.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 197/31

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 4 August 2003

amending Decision 2000/49/EC repealing Decision 1999/356/EC and imposing special conditions
on the import of peanuts and certain products derived from peanuts originating in or consigned
from Egypt

(notified under document number C(2003) 2800)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2003/580/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 93/43/EEC of 14 June 1993
on the hygiene of foodstuffs (1), and in particular Article 10(1)
thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

Commission Decision 2000/49/EC of 6 December 1999
repealing Decision 1999/356/EC and imposing special
conditions on the import of peanuts and certain
products derived from peanuts originating in or
consigned from Egypt (2) provides for a review of this
Decision.

A mission has been carried out by the European
Commission's Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) in Egypt
from 2 to 6 September 2001 to assess the facilities and
measures in place for the determination of aflatoxin
levels in peanuts intended for export into the European
Union. The mission revealed that significant steps to
improve the controls on peanuts exported to the
European Union had been made by the Egyptian autho-
rities. The improvements in relation to peanut growing
were particularly evident with an extensive education
programme. Furthermore,
the process of export and
associated analysis and certification for aflatoxin was
seen as satisfactory, with the exception of the applied
sampling procedure. Laboratory performance was found
acceptable for export procedures. It was observed that
not all the legal requirements for peanut storage were
applied.

(3) Written guarantees have been received from the Egyp-
tian authorities concerning the applied sampling proce-
dure and the reinforcement of
the controls on the
storage conditions for peanuts.

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

there is no longer need for

The findings of the mission, the written guarantees from
the Egyptian authorities and the favourable results until
October 2002 of the sampling and analysis of consign-
ments of peanuts by the importing Member States
demonstrate that
the
systematic sampling and analysis of consignments of
peanuts originating in or
consigned from Egypt.
However a significant increase in notifications of non-
complying consignments were observed from November
2002 until February 2003. This is apparently due to a
bad harvest year 2002 combined with insufficient
controls by the Egyptian authorities. These authorities
have taken additional measures to improve the situation.

It is therefore appropriate to maintain the sampling and
analysis by the competent authority of the importing
Member State at a significant level in order to protect
public health.

to ensure that

In order
the random sampling and
analysis of consignments of peanuts and products
derived from peanuts originating in or consigned from
Egypt
harmonised manner
in
throughout the Community, it is appropriate to fix an
approximate frequency for the random sampling and
analysis.

performed

are

a

Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parlia-
ment and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying
down the general principles and requirements of food
law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority
and laying down procedures in matters of food safety (3)
provides for the establishment of the Rapid Alert System
for Food and Feed (RASFF).

(1) OJ L 175, 19.7.1993, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 19, 25.1.2000, p. 46.

(3) OJ L 31, 1.2.2002, p. 1.

L 197/32

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Official Journal of the European Union

5.8.2003

(8)

(9)

results of official controls carried out

In the interests of public health, Member States should
provide the Commission with periodical reports of all
analytical
in
respect of consignments of peanuts and certain products
derived from peanuts originating in or consigned from
Egypt. Such reports should be in addition to the notifica-
tion obligation under the Rapid Alert System for Food
and Feed.

At the request of certain Member States, It is necessary
to update the list of points of entry through which the
products concerned by Decision 2000/49/EC may be
imported into the Community. For the sake of clarity,
that list should be replaced.

(10) Decision 2000/49/EC should therefore be amended

accordingly.

(11)

The Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal
Health has been consulted,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Decision 2000/49/EC is amended as follows:

1. Article 1 is amended as follows:

(a) Paragraph 5 is replaced by the following:

‘5.
The competent authorities in each Member State
shall undertake at random sampling of the consignments
of peanuts and certain products derived from peanuts
originating in or consigned from Egypt for analysis of
aflatoxin B1 and total aflatoxin.

Member States shall submit to the Commission every
three months a report of all analytical results of official
controls on consignments of peanuts and certain
products derived from peanuts originating in or
consigned from Egypt. This report shall be submitted
during the month following each quarter (*).

(*) April, July, October, January.’

(b) The following paragraphs 6 and 7 are added:

‘6.
The random sampling and analysis referred to in
paragraph 5 shall be carried out on approximately 20 %
of the consignments of products for each category of
the products referred to in paragraph 1.

Any consignment
to be subjected to sampling and
analysis, should be detained before release onto the
market from the point of entry into the Community for
a maximum of 15 working days.
the
competent authorities in the Member States shall issue
an accompanying official document establishing that the
consignment has been subjected to official sampling and
analysis and indicating the result of the analysis.

In this event,

In case a consignment is split, copies of the health
7.
certificate and accompanying documents referred to in
the paragraphs 1 and 6 and certified by the competent
authority of the Member State on whose territory the
splitting has taken place, shall accompany each part of
the split consignment.’

2. Article 2 is replaced by the following

‘Article 2

This Decision shall be kept under review in the light of
information and guarantees provided by the competent
authorities of Egypt and on the basis of the results of the
tests carried out by Member States. This review will assess
whether the special conditions, referred to in Article 1,
level of protection of public health
provide a sufficient
within the Community. The review shall also assess whether
there is a continuing need for the special conditions.’

3. Annex II is replaced by the text in the Annex to this Deci-

sion.

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 2

Done at Brussels, 4 August 2003.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

5.8.2003

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Official Journal of the European Union

L 197/33

ANNEX

‘ANNEX II

List of points of entry through which peanuts and products derived from peanuts originating in or consigned
from Egypt may be imported into the European Community

Member State

Point of entry

België — Belgique

Antwerpen, Zeebrugge, Brussel/Bruxelles, Aalst

Danmark

All Danish harbours and airports

Deutschland

Ελλάς

España

France

Ireland

Italia

HZA Lörrach — ZA Weil-am-Rhein-Autobahn, HZA Stuttgart — ZA Flughafen, HZA
München — ZA München — Flughafen, HZA Hof- Schirnding-Landstraße, HZA Weiden —
ZA Furth im Wald-Schafberg, HZA Weiden — ZA Waidhaus-Autobahn, Bezirksamt Reinick-
endorf von Berlin, Abteilung Finanzen, Wirtschaft und Kultur, Veterinär- und Lebensmittel-
aufsichtsamt, Grenzkontrollstelle, HZA Frankfurt (Oder) — ZA Autobahn, HZA Cottbus —
ZA Forst-Autobahn, HZA Bremen — ZA Neustädter Hafen, HZA Bremen — ZA Bremer-
haven, HZA Hamburg-Hafen — ZA Waltershof, HZA Hamburg-Stadt, HZA Itzehoe — ZA
Hamburg-Flughafen, HZA Frankfurt-am-Main-Flughafen, HZA Braunschweig-Abferti-
gungsstelle, HZA Hannover-Abfertigungsstelle, HZA Oldenburg — ZA Stade, HZA Dresden
— ZA Dresden-Friedrichstadt, HZA Pirna — ZA Altenberg, HZA Löbau — Zollamt Ludwigs-
dorf-Autobahn, HZA Koblenz — ZA Hahn-Flughafen, HZA Oldenburg — ZA Wilhelm-
shaven, HZA Bielefeld — ZA Eckendorfer Straße Bielefeld, HZA Erfurt — ZA Eisenach, HZA
Potsdam — ZA Ludwigsfelde, HZA Potsdam — ZA Berlin-Flughafen Schönefeld, HZA Augs-
burg — ZA Memmingen, HZA Ulm — ZA Ulm (Donautal), HZA Karlsruhe — ZA Karls-
ruhe, HZA Berlin — ZA Dreilinden, HZA Gießen — ZA Gießen, HZA Gießen — ZA
Marburg, HZA Singen — ZA Bahnhof, HZA Lörrach — ZA Weil-am-Rhein-Schusterinsel,
HZA Hamburg-Stadt — ZA Oberelbe, HZA Hamburg-Stadt — ZA Oberelbe — Abferti-
gungsstelle Billbrook, HZA Hamburg-Stadt — ZA Oberelbe — Abfertigungsstelle Großmarkt,
HZA Potsdam — ZA Berlin — Flughafen Schönefeld, HZA Düsseldorf — ZA Düsseldorf
Nord

Athina, Pireas, Elefsis, Aerodromio ton Athinon, Thessaloniki, Volos, Patra, Iraklion tis Kritis,
Aerodromio tis Kritis, Euzoni, Idomeni, Ormenio, Kipi, Kakavia, Niki, Promahonas, Pithio,
Igoumenitsa, Kristalopigi

Algeciras (Puerto), Alicante (Aeropuerto, Puerto), Almeria (Aeropuerto, Puerto), Asturias
(Aeropuerto), Barcelona (Aeropuerto, Puerto, Ferrocarril), Bilbao (Aeropuerto, Puerto), Cadiz
(Puerto), Cartagena (Puerto), Castellon (Puerto), Ceuta (Puerto), Gijón (Puerto), Huelva
(Puerto), Irun (Carretera), La Coruña (Puerto), La Junquera (Carretera), Las Palmas de Gran
Canaria (Aeropuerto, Puerto), Madrid (Aeropuerto, Ferrocarril), Malaga (Aeropuerto, Puerto),
Marin (Puerto), Melilla (Puerto), Murcia (Ferrocarril), Palma de Mallorca (Aeropuerto, Puerto),
Pasajes (Puerto), San Sebastián (Aeropuerto), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Puerto), Santander
(Aeropuerto, Puerto), Santiago de Compostela (Aeropuerto), Sevilla (Aeropuerto, Puerto),
Tarragona (Puerto), Tenerife Norte (Aeropuerto), Tenerife Sur (Aeropuerto), Valencia (Aero-
puerto, Puerto), Vigo (Aeropuerto, Puerto), Villagarcia (Puerto), Vitoria (Aeropuerto), Zara-
goza (Aeropuerto)

Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône), Le Havre (Seine-Maritime), Rungis MIN (Val-de-Marne), Lyon
Chassieu CRD (Rhône), Strasbourg CRD (Bas-Rhin), Lille CRD (Nord), Saint-Nazaire-Montoir
CRD (Loire-Atlantique), Agen (Lot-et-Garonne), port de la Pointe des Galets à la Réunion

Dublin — Port and Airport, Cork — Port and Airport, Shannon — Airport

Ufficio Sanità Marittima ed Aerea di Ancona
Ufficio Sanità Marittima ed Aerea di Bari
Ufficio Sanità Marittima ed Aerea di Genova
Ufficio Sanità Marittima di Livorno
Ufficio Sanità Marittima ed Aerea di Napoli
Ufficio Sanità Marittima di Ravenna
Ufficio Sanità Marittima di Salerno
Ufficio Sanità Marittima ed Aerea di Trieste
Dogana di Fernetti-Interporto Monrupino (Trieste)
Ufficio di Sanità Marittima di La Spezia
Ufficio di Sanità Marittima e Aerea di Venezia
Ufficio di Sanità Marittima e Aerea di Reggio Calabria

L 197/34

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Official Journal of the European Union

5.8.2003

Member State

Point of entry

Luxembourg

Centre douanier, Croix de Gasperich, Luxembourg

Nederland

Österreich

All harbours and airports and all border stations

HZA Feldkirch, HZA Graz, Nickelsdorf, Spielfeld, HZA Wien, ZA Wels, ZA Kledering, ZA
Flughafen Wien, HZA Salzburg, ZA Klingenbach/Zweigstelle Sopron, ZA Karawankentunnel,
ZA Villach

Portugal

Lisboa, Leixo˜ es

Suomi-Finland

All Finnish customs offices

Sverige

Göteborg, Ystad, Stockholm, Helsingborg, Karlskrona, Karlsham, Landvetter, Arlanda

United Kingdom

Belfast, Channel Tunnel Terminal, Dover, Felixstowe, Gatwick Airport, Goole Grangemouth,
Harwich, Heathrow Airport, Heysham, Hull, Immingham, Ipswich, King's Lynn, Leith, Liver-
pool, London (including Tilbury, Thamesport and Sheerness), Manchester Airport, Manche-
ster Container Port, Manchester
(including Ellesmere Port), Medway, Middlesborough,
Newhaven, Poole, Shoreham, Southampton, Stansted Airport’