‘ Official Journal of the European Communities 561 24.12.69 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 323/1 COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 8 December 1969 on control of Potato Wart Disease (69/464/EEC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Articles 43 and 100 thereof; Having regard to the proposal from the Commission; Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament?; Having regard to the Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee; Whereas potato production occupies an important place in Community agriculture; Whereas the potato yield is constantly threatened by harmful organisms; Whereas, through the protection of potato cultivation against such harmful organisms, not only should productive capacity be maintained but also agricultural productivity increased; Whereas protective measures to prevent the introduction of harmful organisms into individual Member States would have only a limited effect if such organisms were not controlled simultaneously and methodically throughout the Community and were not prevented from spreading; Whereas one of the organisms most harmful to potatoes in Synchytrium endobioticum (Schilb.) Perc., the pathogenic agent of the cryptogamic ‘Potato Wart’ disease; Whereas this disease has occurred in several Member States and some limited sources of infection exist within the Community; 1 '0J No 28, 17.2.1967, p. 454/67. Whereas there is a permanent risk to potato cultivation throughout the Community if effective measures are not taken to control this disease and prevent it from spreading; Whereas, in order to eradicate this harmful organism, minimum provisions must be adopted for the Community; whereas Member States must be able to adopt additional or stricter provisions where necessary; Whereas potato varieties which are resistant to certain races of this organism play an important role; whereas their -use, particularly in the safety zones surrounding contaminated plots, is of prime importance; whereas it is therefore in the general interest to publish periodic lists of such varieties; Whereas, for determining the presence of contamination and the resistance of varieties, it appears necessary to apply appropriate methods to which Member States raise no objection; HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: Article 1 This Directive concerns the minimum measures to be taken within the Member States to control Potato Wart Disease and to prevent this cryptogamic disease from spreading. Article 2 1. When an  occurrence of  Synchytrium endobioticum (Schilb.) Perc., the pathogenic agent of Potato Wart Disease is recorded, Member States shall demarcate the contaminated plot and a safety zone large enough to ensure the protection of surrounding areas.