2006/750/EC: Commission Decision of 31 October 2006 amending Decision 2005/359/EC as regards the ports of unloading of oak ( Quercus L.) logs with bark attached, originating in the United States (notified under document number C(2006) 5142)

1.11.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 302/49
COMMISSION DECISION
of 31 October 2006
amending Decision 2005/359/EC as regards the ports of unloading of oak (Quercus L.) logs with bark attached, originating in the United States
(notified under document number C(2006) 5142)
(2006/750/EC)
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 Article 15(1) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Under Directive 2000/29/EC, oak (Quercus L.) logs with bark attached, originating in the United States, may, in principle, not be introduced into the Community because of the risk of introducing Ceratocystis fagacearum (Bretz) Hunt, the cause of oak wilt.
(2) Commission Decision 2005/359/EC of 29 April 2005 providing for a derogation from certain provisions of Council Directive 2000/29/EC as regards oak (Quercus L.) logs with bark attached, originating in the United States of America (2) permits the import of such logs, originating in the United States under certain conditions.
(3) Article 3(1) of Decision 2005/359/EC provides for unloading only in the ports listed in Annex II to that Decision. It is appropriate to add the ports of Riga and Koper to the list of ports in Annex II, as requested by Latvia and Slovenia respectively, and to delete the port of Lauterborg as requested by France, following consultation with the other Member States as provided for in Article 3(2) of the above Decision.
(4) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plant Health,