No L 276/14 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 10. 96 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 16 October 1996 authorizing 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 the Republic of Senegal (96/618/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 96/14/EC (), and in particular Article 14 (1) thereof, Having regard to the request made by France, Whereas, under the provisions of Directive 77/93/EEC, potatoes, other than potatoes intended for planting origin- ating in the Republic of Senegal may not in principle be introduced into the Community because of the risk of introducing potato diseases unknown in the Community; Whereas, information supplied by the Republic of Senegal and collected during an official visit by Commis- sion officials carried out in that country in 1996, has shown that there are good reasons to believe that in the Republic of Senegal, potatoes can be grown under adequate health conditions and that, at present, there are no sources for the introduction of exotic potato diseases; whereas the Republic of Senegal has moreover imple- mented adequate health and quality standards in its potato production; Whereas France has stated that the importation of pota- toes, other than potatoes intended for planting originating () O] No L 26, 31. 1. 1977, p. 20. ) OJ No L 68, 19. 3. 1996, p. 24. in the Republic of Senegal, would be restricted to a limited quantity and for a limited period; Whereas the Commission will ensure that the Republic of Senegal makes available all technical information neces- sary to assess the phytosanitary status of the production of potatoes in Senegal; 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 authorized 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 the Republic of Senegal. 2. The following specific conditions shall be satisfied: (a) the potatoes shall be other than potatoes intended for planting; (b) they shall have been grown in the Republic of Senegal directly from seed potatoes certified in one of the Member States and imported into the Republic of Senegal exclusively from the Member States;