15. 6. 96 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 142/13 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1080/96 of 14 June 1996 establishing a reference method for the detection of coliforms in butter, skimmed milk powder and casein/caseinates THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 804/68 of 27 June 1968 on the common organization of the market in milk and milk products(’), as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 2931/95 (3), and in parti- cular Articles 6 (6), 7 (5) and 11 (3) thereof, Whereas Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2921/90 of 10 October 1990 on the granting of an aid for skimmed milk used for the production of casein and caseinates (%), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2547/95 (%), provides that the absence of coliforms should be detected by a method which is now considered inadequate; Whereas Commission Regulation (EC) No 454/95 of 28 February 1995 laying down detailed rules for intervention on the market in butter and cream (%), as amended by Regulation (EC) No 895/96 (), and Commission Regula- tion (EC) No 322/96 of 22 February 1996 laying down detailed rules of application for the public storage of skimmed milk powder (") provide that the reference method for the detection of coliforms shall be Interna- tional Standard FIL 73A: 1985; Whereas this method is accepted internationally for the enumeration of coliforms in milk and milk products; whereas, however, it is applicable only in a modified form for the detection of coliforms in a certain product quan- tity; Whereas a Community reference method for the detec- tion of coliforms based on the abovementioned standard should therefore be established; ¢ Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Milk and Milk Products, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 The reference method of analysis described in the Annex shall be applicable for the detection of the presence of coliforms in butter, skimmed milk powder and casein/ caseinate. Article 2 Routine methods for the detection of coliforms may be used on condition that the results obtained are compa- rable with the results obtained by the reference method described in the Annex. Routine methods must in parti- cular have a sufficient detection limit. False-negative results must not occur. If the occurrence of false-positive results cannot be excluded, any positive result has to be confirmed using the reference method. Article 3 This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities. It shall apply from 1 October 1996. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 14 June 1996. () OJ No L 148, 28. 6. 1968, p. 13. () O] No L 307, 20. 12. 1995, p. 10. () OJ No L 279, 11. 10. 1990, p. 22. () OJ No L 260, 31. 10. 1995, p. 47. % OJ No L 46, 1. 3. 1995, p. 1. (9 OJ No L 121, 21. 5. 199, p. 1. () OJ No L 45, 23. 2. 1996, p. 5. For the Commission Franz FISCHLER Member of the Commission