20.11.1999 Official Journal of the European Communities L 299/33 COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 3 November 1999 authorising 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 South Africa (notified under document number C(1999) 3542) (1999/750/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 introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the Community ('), as last amended by Commission Directive 1999/53/EC (3), and in particular Article 14(1) thereof, Having regard to the request made by the United Kingdom, (1) ~ Whereas, under the provisions of Directive 77/93/EEC, potatoes, other than potatoes intended for planting, originating in South Africa may in principle not be introduced into the Community because of the risk of introducing exotic potato diseases which would present a plant health risk to the Community; (2)  Whereas by Decisions 93/159/EEC (}), 95/95/EC () and 96/112/EC () the Commission authorised certain Member States to provide for derogations in respect of potatoes for human consumption originating in South Africa, under specified conditions in the 1993, 1995 and 1996 seasons respectively, and by Decision 98/ 688/EC (°) in respect of potatoes other than potatoes intended for planting originating in South Africa in the 1999 season; (3)  Whereas there were no confirmed findings of diseases and pests on samples drawn from potatoes imported pursuant to Decisions 93/159/EEC, 96/112/EC and 98| 668/EC and whereas due to technical reasons there were no imports made under Decision 95/95/EC; J L 26, 31.1.1977, p. 20. J L 142, 5.6.1999, p. 29. J L 67, 19.3.1993, p. 24. J L 79, 44.1995, p. 19. J L 27, 3.2.1996, p. 26. J L 324, 2.12.1998, p. 37. (4)  Whereas it is expected that South Africa makes available all technical information necessary to assess in the future, the phytosanitary status of potato production in South Africa, in particular details on the regular monitoring of seed and ware potatoes imported into, and marketed within South Africa by means of exam- ination and testing of representative samples by scientif- ically recognized methods for Clavibacter michiganensis (Smith) Davis et al. ssp. sepedonicus (Spieckermann et Kotthoff) Davis et al., Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) Smith and potato spindle tuber viroid, as well as the results of the said examination and testing; (5)  Whereas the circumstances justifying the authorisation still obtain; (6)  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 authorised to provide, under the conditions laid down in paragraph 2, for exceptions 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, origin- ating in South Africa. 2. In addition to the requirements laid down in Annexes I, II and IV to Directive 77/93EEC in relation to potatoes other than potatoes intended for planting, the following specific conditions shall be satisfied: (a) the potatoes shall be potatoes other than potatoes intended for planting;