21. 11. 9% Official Journal of the European Communities No L 297/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 2200/96 of 28 October 1996 on the common organization of the market in fruit and vegetables THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Articles 42 and 43 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 (%), (1) Whereas at the present time various changes are placing the fruit and vegetable sector in a new situation to which producers must adjust; whereas, accordingly, a reorientation of the basic rules of the market organization for the sector is warranted; whereas, in view of the numerous changes made to that market organization since it was first adopted, a new regulation should, for reasons of clarity, be adopted; (2) Whereas it is desirable to insert in that new regulation the main provisions of Council Regulation (EEC) No 3285/83 of 14 November 1983 laying down general rules for the extension of certain rules issued by producers’ organizations in the fruit and vegetables sector(*), of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1319/85 of 23 May 1985 on the reinforcement of supervision of the application of Community rules on fruit and vegetables(®), of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2240/88 of 19 July 1988 fixing, for peaches, lemons and oranges, the rules for applying Article 16b of Regulation (EEC) No 1035/72 on the common organization of the ") O] No C 52, 21. 2. 1996, p. 1. 2) O] No C 96, 1. 4. 1996, p. 269. ) O] No C 82, 19. 3. 1996, p. 21. ) OJ No L. 325,22, 11. 1983, p. 8. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (FEC) No 220/92 (O] No L 24, 1. 2. 1992, p. 7). () O] No L 137, 27. 5. 1985, p. 39. Regulation as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 404/93 (O] No L 47, 25. 2. 1993, p- 1. market in fruit and vegetables(®), of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1121/89 of 27 April 1989 on the introduction of an intervention threshold for apples and cauliflowers("), and of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1198/90 of 7 May 1990 establishing a Community register of citrus cultivation (*); whereas these Regulations should therefore be repealed; (3) Whereas classification using common obligatory standards for fruit and vegetables both marketed within the Community and exported to third countries provides a reference framework that encourages fair trading and market transparency and also ecliminates products of unsatisfactory quality from the market; whereas compliance with these standards thus also helps to improve the profitability of production; (4) Whereas it would be desirable, for reasons of simplicity, to adopt standards for fruit and vegetables having a relatively large impact on the market which take account of the standards adopted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE); whereas it is necessary to set the terms on which these international standards can be adjusted to the specific requirements of the Community; (5) Whereas standardization cannot be fully effective unless it is applied, subject to exemption, at all marketing stages and on departure from the production region; whereas exemption may, nevertheless, be provided for in the case of certain operations which either are very marginal and specific or take place at the start of the distribution chain, or in the case of products intended for processing; whereas account should also be taken of the possibility of shortages and of exceptionally plentiful supply; whereas in order to guarantee the (*) O] No L 198, 26. 7. 1988, p. 9. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1327/95 (O] No L 128, 13. 6. 1995, p. 8). () O] No L. 118, 29. 4. 1989, p. 21. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1327/95 (O] No L 128, 13. 6. 1995, p- 8). (*) OJ No L 119, 11. 5. 1990, p. 59.