Commission Regulation (EC) No 956/2006 of  28 June 2006  amending Regulation (EEC) No 94/92, as regards the list of third countries from which certain agricultural products obtained by organic production must originate to be marketed within the Community   (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2006-06-28
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Australia, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Switzerland, agricultural product, foodstuff, import policy, organic farming

29.6.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 175/41

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 956/2006

of 28 June 2006

amending Regulation (EEC) No 94/92, as regards the list of third countries from which certain
agricultural products obtained by organic production must originate to be marketed within
the Community

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(5)

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

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), and in particular Article 11(1)(a) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

The list of third countries from which certain agricultural
products obtained by the organic production method
must originate in order
to be marketed within the
Community, provided for in Article 11(1) of Regulation
(EEC) No 2092/91 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the list’), is
set out in the Annex to Commission Regulation (EEC)
No 94/92 of 14 January 1992 laying down detailed rules
for implementing the arrangements for imports from
third countries provided for in Regulation (EEC) No
2092/91 on organic production of agricultural products
and indications referring thereto on agricultural products
and foodstuffs (2).

Certain agricultural products imported from India are
currently marketed in the Community pursuant to the
derogation provided for in Article 11(6) of Regulation
(EEC) No 2092/91.

India submitted a request
included in the
It
required pursuant
No 94/92.

to the Commission to be
list.
information
submitted the
to Article 2(2) of Regulation (EEC)

The examination of
this information and consequent
discussion with the Indian authorities have led to the
conclusion that
in that country the rules governing
production and inspection of agricultural products are
equivalent
to those laid down in Regulation (EEC)
No 2092/91.

(1) OJ L 198, 22.7.1991, p. 1. Regulation as

last amended by
Commission Regulation (EC) No 780/2006 (OJ L 137, 25.5.2006,
p. 9).

(2) OJ L 11, 17.1.1992, p. 14. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 746/2004 (OJ L 122, 26.4.2004, p. 10).

The Commission has carried out an on-the-spot-check of
the rules of production and the inspection measures
actually applied in India, as provided for
in Article
11(5) of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91.

The duration of inclusion of Costa Rica and New Zealand
in the list expires on 30 June 2006. In order to avoid
trade disruption, there is a need to prolong the inclusion
of these countries in the list for a further period.

Australia has
inspection body has
corrected the name of another inspection body.

informed the Commission that one
and has

changed its name

Switzerland has requested the Commission to amend the
terms of its inclusion in the list in accordance with the
Agreement between the European Community and the
Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products (3),
approved by Decision 2002/309/EC of the Council and
of the Commission (4), and in particular with Annex 9 of
that Agreement 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 Community legislation.

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10) New Zealand has informed the Commission that one

inspection body has changed its name.

(11)

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

(12)

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

(3) OJ L 114, 30.4.2002, p. 132.
(4) OJ L 114, 30.4.2002, p. 1.

L 175/42

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

29.6.2006

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

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

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

Article 2

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

Done at Brussels, 28 June 2006.

For the Commission

Mariann FISCHER BOEL
Member of the Commission

29.6.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 175/43

ANNEX

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

1. In the text relating to Australia, point 3 is replaced by the following:

‘3. Inspection bodies:

— Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) (Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry)

— Bio-dynamic Research Institute (BDRI)

— Organic Growers of Australia Inc. (OGA)

— Organic Food Chain Pty Ltd (OFC)

— National Association of Sustainable Agriculture, Australia (NASAA)

— Australian Certified Organic Pty. Ltd.’

2. In the text relating to Costa Rica, point 5 is replaced by the following:

‘5. Duration of the inclusion: 30.6.2011.’

3. After the text relating to Costa Rica, the following text is inserted:

‘INDIA

1. Product categories:

(a) unprocessed crop products within the meaning of Article 1(1)(a) of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91;

(b) foodstuffs composed essentially of one or more ingredients of plant origin within the meaning of Article 1(1)(b)

of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91.

2. Origin: products of category 1(a) and organically grown ingredients in products of category 1(b) that have been

grown in India.

3. Inspection bodies:

— BVQI (India) Pvt. Ltd

— Ecocert SA (India Branch Office)

— IMO Control Private Limited

— Indian Organic Certification Agency (Indocert)

— International Resources for Fairer Trade

— Lacon Quality Certification Pvt. Ltd

— Natural Organic Certification Association

— OneCert Asia Agri Certification private Limited

— SGS India Pvt. Ltd.

— Skal International (India)

— Uttaranchal State Organic Certification Agency (USOCA).

4. Certificate issuing bodies: as at 3

5. Duration of the inclusion: 30.6.2009.’

L 175/44

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

29.6.2006

4. The text relating to Switzerland is amended as follows:

(a) Point 1 is replaced by the following:

‘1. Product categories:

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

1(1)(a) of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91, with the exception of:

— products, produced during the conversion period, as referred to in Article 5(5) of that Regulation;

(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, with the exception of:

— products, as referred to in Article 5(5) of that Regulation, containing an ingredient of agricultural origin

produced during the conversion period.’

(b) Point 3 is replaced by the following:

‘3. Inspection bodies:

— Institut für Marktökologie (IMO)

— bio.inspecta AG

— Schweizerische Vereinigung für Qualitäts- und Management-Systeme (SQS)

— Bio Test Agro (BTA).’

5. The text relating to New Zealand is amended as follows:

(a) Point 3 is replaced by the following:

‘3. Inspection bodies:

— AgriQuality

— BIO-GRO New Zealand.’

(b) Point 5 is replaced by the following:

‘5. Duration of the inclusion: 30.6.2011.’