Commission Regulation (EC) No 2173/2003 of 12 December 2003 amending Regulation (EC) No 1799/2001 laying down the marketing standard for citrus fruit
Date: 2003-12-12
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: citrus fruit, marketing standard

L 326/10

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

13.12.2003

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2173/2003

of 12 December 2003

amending Regulation (EC) No 1799/2001 laying down the marketing standard for citrus fruit

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), and in particular Article 2(2) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1799/2001 (2),
lays
down, among others, provisions concerning maturity of
oranges.

The Working Party on Standardisation of Perishable
Produce and Quality Development of the United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) decided to
recommend, within UN/ECE standard FFV-14 concerning
marketing and commercial quality control of citrus fruit,
new provisions concerning maturity of oranges for fruit
showing more than one fifth of the total surface of green
colour and that are produced in climatic areas such that
fruit can be mature even when still of green colour.

UN/ECE standard FFV-14 does not include any provision
with regard to degreening procedures authorised by
Member States, procedures that are covered by the
provisions of Council Directive 91/414/EEC of 15 July

the placing of plant-protection
1991 concerning
products on the market (3).
In addition, no rule for
uniformity in size is laid down for mandarins of a size
over size 1. It is therefore necessary to amend the table
laying down the maximum difference in diameter
between the largest and the smallest fruit in the package.

Regulation (EC) No 1799/2001 shall be amended
accordingly.

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

(4)

(5)

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1799/2001 is amended
according to the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

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

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

Done at Brussels, 12 December 2003.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 297, 21.11.1996, p. 1; Regulation as last amended by
Commission Regulation (EC) No 47/2003 (OJ L 7, 11.1.2003, p.
64).

(2) OJ L 244, 14.9.2001, p. 12; Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 46/2003 (OJ L 7, 11.1.2003, p. 61).

(3) OJ L 230, 19.8.1991, p. 1; Directive as last amended by Regulation

(EC) No 806/2003 (OJ L 122, 16.5.2003, p. 1).

13.12.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 326/11

The Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1799/2001 is amended as follows:

1. Title 1 (Provisions concerning quality) is amended as follows:

ANNEX

(a) in item A (Minimum requirements), the fourth subparagraph is replaced by the following text:

‘Citrus fruit meeting the ripeness requirements of this Annex may be “degreened”. This treatment is permitted
only if the other natural organoleptic characteristics are not modified.’;

(b) in item B (Maturity requirements), item (iii) (Oranges) is replaced by the following text:

‘(iii) Oranges

Colouring must be typical of the variety. Fruits with light green colour are allowed, provided it does not exceed
one fifth of the total surface of the fruit. Fruits must show the following minimum juice content:

— blood oranges:

— navels group:

— other varieties:

30 %

33 %

35 %

However, oranges produced in areas with high air temperatures and high relative humidity conditions during the
developing period can be of a green colour exceeding one fifth of the total surface area, provided they satisfy the
following minimum juice content:

— varieties Mosambi, Sathgudi and Pacitan:

— other varieties:

33 %

45 %’

2.

in title III (Provisions concerning sizing), item C (Uniformity), item (i), the lines of the table concerning mandarins are
replaced by the following lines:

‘Mandarins

1-XXX-4

5-6

7-10

9

8

7’