No L 35/20 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 2. 84 COMMISSION DECISION of 27 January 1984 authorizing the United Kingdom temporarily to take additional measures to protect itself against the introduction of ‘Puccinia horiana’ (Only the English text is authentic) (84/58/EEC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, Having regard to Council Directive 77/93/EEC of 21 December 1976 on protective measures against the introduction into the Member States of organisms harmful to plants or plant products (*), as last amended by Directive 81/7/EEC (3, and in particular Article 15 (2) thereof, Having regard to the communications from the United Kingdom of 29 December 1983, Whereas, pursuant to Directive 77/93/EEC, plants of chrysanthemum may be introduced into a Member State only if they are free from chrysanthemum white rust ; whereas for plants of chrysanthemum other than seeds and cut flowers, the consignor Member States must take certain measures to ensure that those plants are not contaminated by that harmful organism ; Whereas, nevertheless, when a Member State considers that there is an imminent danger of the introduction or spread into its territory of harmful organisms, it may temporarily take any additional measures neces- sary to protect itself against the danger; Whereas the United Kingdom gave notice on 29 December 1983 that ‘The Chrysanthemum (Tempo- rary Prohibition on Landing) (Great Britain) Order 1983" and ‘The Chrysanthemum (Temporary Prohibi- tion on Landing) Order (Northern Ireland) 1983 had been adopted on 29 December 1983, of which the texts were published as Statutory Instrument 1983 No 1953 and as Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland 1983 No 425, and which laid down a prohibition of the landing from 31 December 1983 until 31 March 1984 of pot plants or cut flowers of florists’ chrysanthemum grown in, or consigned from, the Netherlands; Whereas the United Kingdom defended this measure on the ground that there were occasional findings of chrysanthemum white rust on cut flowers of chrysan- () OJ No L 26, 31. 1. 1977, p. 20. () O] No L 14, 16. 1. 1981, p. 23. themum introduced from the Netherlands, most recently on 22 December 1983, and that this demon- strated that the Dutch controls did not prevent infec- tion reaching the United Kingdom ; Whereas it appears that cut flowers of chrysanthemum can be an important means of spreading chrysan- themum white rust; whereas therefore Directive 77/93/EEC should be amended in order to provide for adequate protection in that respect; Whereas for the time-being and without any action in respect of chrysanthemum cut flowers and other chry- santhemum products marketed through the same commercial arrangements, such as chrysanthemum pot plants, there is an imminent danger of the introduc- tion through such materials, of chrysanthemum white rust, in the case of large scale sales of plants origina- ting in infected nurseries, in particular to nurseries mingling imported plants with home-grown products as is the case in the United Kingdom ; whereas tempo- rary measures should therefore be taken which take into account both the legitimate interest of the United Kingdom to be protected against the introduction of the organism in question from the main supplier Member State, i.e. the Netherlands, and also the prin- ciple of free marketing; Whereas the United Kingdom should therefore be authorized temporarily to require when chrysan- themum cut flowers or pot plants originating in the Netherlands are imported into the United Kingdom, certain safeguards additional to those afforded under the Community provisions, pending strengthening of the Community safeguards on chrysanthemum white rust by means of an amendment to Directive 77/93/EEC; Whereas, however, an absolute ban on the introduc- tion of specific material is excessive if the consignor Member State is able to provide the necessary addi- tional safeguards; Whereas the measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plant Health,