Commission Regulation (EC) No 831/97 of 7 May 1997 laying down marketing standards applicable to avocados

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 831/97 of 7 May 1997 laying down marketing standards applicable to avocados
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 organization of the market in fruit and vegetables (1), and in particular Article 2 (2) thereof,
Whereas Regulation (EC) No 2200/96, in Annex I, lists the products for which standards must be adopted; whereas, of the products listed in that Annex, no Community standards have yet been laid down for, inter alia, avocados; whereas it is therefore necessary to lay down marketing standards for those products; whereas, to that end, for the sake of transparency on the world market, account should be taken of the standards recommended for those products by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe;
Whereas application of those standards should have the effect of keeping products of unsatisfactory quality off the market, directing production to meet consumers' requirements and facilitating trade under fair competitive conditions, thereby helping to improve the profitability of production;
Whereas those standards are applicable to all marketing stages; whereas transport over large distances, storage for more than a certain duration and the amount of handling to which products are subject can result in some degree of deterioration owing to the biological development of the product or its perishable nature; whereas such deterioration should be taken into account in the application of the standards to the marketing stages following consignment; whereas, since products of the 'Extra` class must be particularly carefully selected and packed, allowance should only be made for some loss of freshness and turgidity;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables,