20. 1. 98 Official Journal of the European Communities L 14/29 COMMISSION DECISION of 14 January 1998 authorising the Member States to provide for derogations from certain provisions of Council Directive 77/93/EEC in respect of potatoes, other than potatoes intended for planting, originating in New Zealand (98/81/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Directive 77/93/EEC of 21 December 1976 on protective measures against the intro- duction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the Community ('), as last amended by Directive 97/14/EC (*), and in particular Article 14(1) thereof, Having regard to the request made by the United Kingdom, Whereas, pursuant to the provisions of Directive 77/93/EEC, potatoes, other than potatoes intended for planting originating in New Zealand may in principle not be introduced into the Community because of the risk of introducing potato diseases unknown in the Community; Whereas, information supplied by New Zealand has shown that there are good reasons to believe that potatoes can be grown under adequate health conditions in New Zealand and that, at present, there are no sources for the introduction of exotic potato diseases; whereas moreover, New Zealand has implemented adequate health and quality standards in its potato production; Whereas, in relation to the requirements laid down in point 25.2 of Annex IV, part A, section I to Directive 77/93/EEC and on the basis of information provided by New Zealand, and of international scientific technical literature, it is apparent that New Zealand is known to be free from Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. sepedonicus; Whereas the United Kingdom has stated that the im- portation of potatoes, other than potatoes intended for planting originating in New Zealand, would be restricted to a limited period; Whereas the Commission will ensure that New Zealand makes available all technical information necessary to assess the phytosanitary status of the production of pota- toes in New Zealand; () OJ L 26, 31. 1. 1977, p. 20. () OJ L 87, 2. 4. 1997, p. 17. Whereas the measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plant Health, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1 1.  The Member States are hereby authorised to provide, under the conditions laid down in paragraph 2, for excep- tions from Article 4(1) of Directive 77/93/EEC, with regard to the prohibitions referred to in Part A, point 12 of Annex III thereto for potatoes, other than potatoes intended for planting originating in New Zealand. 2. In addition to the requirements laid down in Annexes I and II to Directive 77/93/EEC in relation to potatoes the following specific conditions shall be satis- fied: (a) the potatoes shall be other than potatoes intended for planting; (b) they shall have been grown in New Zealand directly from seed potatoes certified in the New Zealand seed potato certification scheme or from seed potatoes certified in one of the Member States and imported into New Zealand exclusively from the Member States, or from seed potatoes certified in any other country for which the entry into the Community of potatoes intended for planting is permitted pursuant to Directive 77/93/EEC; (c) they shall have been treated for the suppression of their faculty of germination except for early potatoes; (d) they shall have been grown in areas known to be free from  Synchytrium  endobioticum  (Schilbersky) Percival, and no symptoms of Synchytrium endobio- ticum (Schilbersky) Percival shall have been observed either at the place of production or in its immediate vicinity since the beginning of an adequate period;