No L 245/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 20. 9. .94 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2257/94 of 16 September 1994 laying down quality standards for bananas (Text with EEA relevance) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 404/93 of 13 February 1993 on the common organization of the market in bananas ('), as amended by Commission Regu- lation (EC) No 3518/93 (3, and in particular Article 4 thereof, Whereas Regulation (EEC) No 404/93 makes provision for laying down common quality standards for bananas intended for consumption fresh, not including plantains ; ~ whereas the purpose of these standards is to ensure that the market is supplied with products of uniform and satis- factory quality, in particular in the case of bananas harvested in the Community, for which efforts to improve quality should be made; Whereas, given the wide range of varieties marketed in the Community and of marketing practices, minimum standards should be set for unripened green bananas, without prejudice to the later introduction of standards applicable at a different marketing stage; whereas the characteristics of fig bananas and the way in which they are marketed are such that they should not be covered by the Community standards ; Whereas the banana-producing Member States already apply national standards within their territory at different stages in the marketing of bananas; whereas it seems appropriate, in view of the objectives pursued, to allow these existing rules to continue to apply to their own production but only at stages subsequent to unripened green bananas, provided those rules are not in conflict with the Community standards and do not impede the free circulation of bananas in the Community ; Whereas account should be taken of the fact that, because climatic factors make production conditions difficult in the Community regions of Madeira, the Azores, the Algarve, Crete and Lakonia, bananas there do not develop to the minimum length laid down ; whereas in these cases such bananas may still be marketed, but only in Class II ; Whereas the Management Committee for Bananas has not delivered an opinion within the time limit set by its chairman, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION : Article 1 The quality standards applicable to bananas falling within CN code ex 0803, excluding plantains, fig bananas and bananas intended for processing, are laid down in Annex I hereto. These standards shall apply to bananas originating in third countries at the stage of release for free circulation, to bananas originating in the Community at the stage of first landing at a Community port, and to bananas deli- vered fresh to the consumer in the producing region at the stage of leaving the packing shed. Article 2 The standards laid down in Article 1 shall not affect the application, at later stages of marketing, of national rules - which : — do not impede the free circulation of bananas origina- ting in third countries or other regions of the Community and complying with the standards laid down in this Regulation, and — are not incompatible with the standards laid down in this Regulation. : Article 3 This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 January 1995. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 16 September 1994. () OJ No L 47, 25. 2. 1993, p. 1. () OF No L 320, 22. 12. 1993, p. 15. For the Commission René STEICHEN Member of the Commission