Commission Directive 2006/14/EC of  6 February 2006  amending Annex IV to Council Directive 2000/29/EC on protective measures against the introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the Community

7.2.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 34/24
COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 2006/14/EC
of 6 February 2006
amending Annex IV to Council Directive 2000/29/EC on protective measures against the introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the Community
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
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 and against their spread within the Community (1), and in particular point (d) of the second paragraph of Article 14 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) The FAO International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) No 15 on ‘Guidelines for regulating wood packaging material in international trade’ was adopted in March 2002 by the Fourth Interim Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (ICPM). The relevant provisions of Directive 2000/29/EC were brought in line with those Guidelines by Commission Directive 2004/102/EC of 5 October 2004 amending Annexes II, III, IV and V to Council Directive 2000/29/EC on protective measures against the introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the Community (2).
(2) In addition to the measures approved under ISPM 15, Directive 2004/102/EC includes a requirement that imported wood packaging material be made from debarked round wood. ISPM No 15 made this an option subject to technical justification. The application of that requirement was postponed until 1 March 2006 by Council Directive 2005/15/EC of 28 February 2005 amending Annex IV to Directive 2000/29/EC on protective measures against the introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the Community (3).
(3) The Community has requested that ISPM No 15 be reviewed at international level to include a requirement addressing the Community’s concern about the presence of bark on such wood packaging material in international trade.
(4) While the procedure for the review of ISPM No 15 is under way and pending the results of that review, the application of the Community requirement that wood packaging material imported from third countries be made from debarked round wood should be postponed temporarily.
(5) Directive 2000/29/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.
(6) The measures provided for in this Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plant Health,