Commission Regulation (EC) No 2144/2003 of 8 December 2003 amending Regulation (EEC) No 94/92 laying down detailed rules for implementing the arrangements for imports from third countries provided for in Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2003-12-08
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: agricultural product, foodstuff, import policy, organic farming

9.12.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 322/3

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2144/2003

of 8 December 2003

amending Regulation (EEC) No 94/92 laying down detailed rules for implementing the arrange-
ments for imports from third countries provided for in Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 of 24
June 1991 on organic production of agricultural products and
indications referring thereto on agricultural products and food-
stuffs (1), as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No
1452/2003 (2), and in particular Article 11(1) thereof,

Whereas:

The list of
third countries from which certain agri-
cultural products obtained by the organic production
method must originate in order to be marketed within
the Community, provided for in Article 11(1) of Regu-
is set out in the Annex to
lation (EEC) No 2092/91,
Commission Regulation (EEC) No 94/92 (3), as
last
amended by Regulation (EC) No 545/2003 (4). That list
was drawn up in accordance with Article 11(2) of Regu-
lation (EEC) No 2092/91.

The Argentine authorities have asked the Commission to
include a new inspection and certification body in
accordance with Regulation (EEC) No 94/92. The Argen-
tine authorities have provided the Commission with all
the necessary guarantees and information to satisfy it
that the new inspection and certification body meets the
criteria laid down in Article 11(2) of Regulation (EEC)
No 2092/91.

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

The examination of this information and consequent
discussion with the Hungarian authorities has led to the
conclusion that
the rules governing production and
inspection of livestock and livestock products are equiva-
lent to those laid down in Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91.

Switzerland has requested the Commission to amend the
terms of its inclusion in accordance with the Agreement
between the European Community and the Swiss
Confederation on trade in agricultural products (5),
in
particular with its Annex 9 on organically produced
agricultural products and foodstuffs.

submitted the information required
Switzerland has
pursuant to Article 2(5) of Regulation (EEC) No 94/92.
The examination of the information submitted has led to
the conclusion that the requirements are equivalent to
those resulting from the Community legislation.

The New Zealand authorities have submitted the more
precise name of the certificate issuing body.

Regulation (EEC) No 94/92 should therefore be amended
accordingly.

(10)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in
accordance with the opinion of
the Committee
mentioned in Article 14 of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/
91,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

The Australian authorities have informed the Commis-
sion that one inspection body has
restructured its
activity and has changed its name.

Article 1

The Annex to Regulation (EEC) No 94/92 is amended as set
out in the Annex to this Regulation.

to extend the product
Hungary introduced a request
included in the list provided for in Article
categories,
11(1) of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91,
in order to
include livestock and livestock products. It submitted the
information required pursuant to Article 2(2) of Regu-
lation (EEC) No 94/92.

(1) OJ L 198, 22.7.1991, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 206, 15.8.2003, p. 17.
(3) OJ L 11, 17.1.1992, p. 14.
(4) OJ L 81, 28.3.2003, p. 10.

Article 2

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

(5) OJ L 114, 30.4.2002, p. 132.

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

L 322/4

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

9.12.2003

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

Done at Brussels, 8 December 2003.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

ANNEX

The Annex to Regulation (EEC) No 94/92 is amended as follows:

1.

2.

in point 3 of the text referring to Argentina, the indent ‘— Food Safety SA’ is added;

in point 3 of the text referring to Australia, the third indent ‘— Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA)’ is deleted and
the indent ‘— Australian Certified Organic Inc.’ is added;

3.

in the text referring to Hungary, point 1 is replaced by the following:

‘1. Product categories:

(a) unprocessed agricultural crop products, livestock and unprocessed livestock products within the meaning of

Article 1(1)(a) of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91;

(b) processed agricultural crop and livestock products intended for human consumption within the meaning of

Article 1(1)(b) of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91.’;

4.

in point 2 of the text referring to Switzerland, the following is added after the third indent:

‘— or from a third country whose production rules and inspection system have been recognised by Switzerland as

being equivalent to those established under Swiss legislation.’;

5.

in the text referring to New Zealand, point 4 is replaced by the following:

‘Certificate issuing body: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) — New Zealand Food Safety Authority
(NZFSA).’