20.12.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities L 337/9 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2491/2001 of 19 December 2001 amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 of 24 June 1991 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and food- stuffs (), as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 436/2001 (3, and in particular Article 13, second indent thereof, Whereas: (1) Organic production of agricultural products has devel- oped significantly in recent years. In many cases organic production is not anymore limited to local productions and local trade but, on the contrary, involves very often several operators and operations, such as import, trans- port, storage and packaging. (2)  Annex III to Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 lays down minimum inspection requirements and precautionary measures under the inspection scheme referred to in Articles 8 and 9 of that Regulation. (3)  Annex IIl already comprises provisions for the main operators and different stages involved in the organic production of agricultural products. However, in order to ensure the traceability of organic agricultural products throughout the different stages of the trade chain, and finally the compliance of these products with the provi- sions laid down in Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 in the light of recent developments, it is necessary to adapt the provisions set out in Annex IIL (4) It is necessary that Member States complete the meas- ures set out in Annex IIl to ensure that consumers are given guarantees that the products have been produced in accordance with Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91. (5)  Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 should therefore be amended accordingly. (6)  The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee referred to in Article 14 of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 Annex III to Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 is replaced by the text in the Annex to this Regulation. Article 2 This Regulation shall enter into force on the 60th day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 19 December 2001. () O] L 198, 22.7.1991, p. 1. () O] L 63, 3.3.2001, p. 16. For the Commission Franz FISCHLER Member of the Commission