2005/840/EC: Commission Decision of  25 November 2005  amending Decision 2004/4/EC authorising Member States temporarily to take emergency measures against the dissemination of  Pseudomonas solanacearum  (Smith) Smith as regards Egypt  (notified under document number C(2005) 4525)
Date: 2005-11-25
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Egypt, health control, originating product, plant disease, plant health legislation, potato

29.11.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 312/63

COMMISSION DECISION

of 25 November 2005

amending Decision 2004/4/EC authorising Member States temporarily to take emergency measures
against the dissemination of Pseudomonas solanacearum (Smith) Smith as regards Egypt
(notified under document number C(2005) 4525)

(2005/840/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(5)

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Having regard to Council Directive 2000/29/EC of 8 May 2000
on protective measures against
the introduction into the
Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products
their spread within the Community (1), and in
and against
particular Article 16(3) thereof,

Whereas:

In the light of the information provided by Egypt, the
Commission has established that
there is no risk of
spreading Pseudomonas solanacearum (Smith) Smith with
tubers of Solanum
the entry into the Community of
tuberosum L.
from pest-free areas of Egypt, provided
that certain conditions are satisfied.

The entry into the Community of tubers of Solanum
tuberosum L. originating in pest-free areas of Egypt
should therefore be permitted for
the 2005/2006
import season subject to specified conditions.

Decision 2004/4/EC should therefore be
accordingly.

amended

The measures provided for
accordance with
Committee on Plant Health,

the

in this Decision are in
Standing
the

of

opinion

(6)

(7)

(8)

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Under Commission Decision 2004/4/EC (2),
tubers of
Solanum tuberosum L. originating in Egypt must not in
principle be introduced into the Community. However,
for the 2004/2005 import season, the entry into the
Community of such tubers is permitted from ‘pest-free
areas’ and subject to specific conditions.

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

During the 2004/2005 import season, a number of
interceptions of Pseudomonas solanacearum (Smith) Smith
were recorded resulting in a prohibition on all exports of
Egyptian potatoes to the Community as of 6 April 2005.

Article 1

Decision 2004/4/EC is amended as follows:

1. Article 2 is amended as follows:

Egypt has submitted a report into the causes of these
interceptions. The main finding is that stricter measures
need to be taken as
inspectors,
exporters and packing stations failing to follow their
instructions regarding the export of potatoes destined
for
the Community. Certain measures have already
been taken in Egypt.

regards producers,

(a)

in paragraph 1, ‘2004/2005’ is replaced by ‘2005/2006’;

(b) in paragraph 2, ‘2004/2005’ is replaced by ‘2005/2006’;

It
is appropriate to lay down at Community level
requirements to ensure the effectiveness of inspections
and controls carried out in Egypt on potatoes at the
packing station and the port of dispatch prior
to
export to the Community.

2.

in Article 3, ‘2004/2005’ is replaced by ‘2005/2006’;

3.

in Article 4,
2006’;

‘30 August 2005’

is replaced by ‘30 August

(1) OJ L 169, 10.7.2000, p. 1. Directive as

last amended by

Commission Directive 2005/16/EC (OJ L 57, 3.3.2005, p. 19).
(2) OJ L 2, 6.1.2004, p. 50. Decision as amended by Decision

4.

2004/836/EC (OJ L 360, 7.12.2004, p. 30).

in Article 7,
September 2006’;

‘30 September 2005’

is

replaced by ‘30

L 312/64

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

29.11.2005

5. the Annex is amended as follows:

(a)

in
point
‘2005/2006’;

1(b)(iii),

‘2004/2005’

is

replaced

by

from each pest-free area in a consignment drawn from
at least ten bags per pest-free area;’

(e) in point 1(b)(xii), ‘1 January 2005’ is replaced by ‘1 January

2006’;

(b) in point 1(b)(iii), second indent,
replaced by ‘1 January 2006’;

‘1 January 2005’

is

(f) in point 5, second subparagraph, ‘2004/2005’ is replaced by

‘2005/2006’.

(c)

in point 1(b)(iii), the following third indent is added:

Article 2

‘— officially monitored from the time of their arrival at
into bags

they are put
the packing station until
sealed in accordance with point 1(b)(x).’;

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 25 November 2005.

(d) in point 1(b), point (v) is replaced by:

‘(v) immediately prior to export to the Community, officially
inspected at the port of dispatch by cutting 400 tubers

For the Commission

Markos KYPRIANOU
Member of the Commission