26.6.2014 Official Journal of the European Union L 186/49 COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 704/2014 of 25 June 2014 amending Regulation (EU) No 211/2013 on certification requirements for import into the Union of sprouts and seeds intended for the production of sprouts (Text with EEA relevance) THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules ('), and in particular Article 48(1) thereof, Whereas: (1)  Commission Regulation (EU) No 211/2013 (%) lays down certification requirements for sprouts or seeds intended for the production of sprouts imported into the Union. (2)  During recent audits conducted by the Commission Inspection Services (Food and Veterinary Office) in third countries, certain deficiencies were observed. These deficiencies relate to the competent authorities’ capability to certify that the seeds intended for the production of sprouts are produced in compliance with Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council (), in particular with the general hygiene provisions for primary production and associated operations set out in Part A of Annex I thereto. (3)  In order to maintain the highest level of consumer protection while third countries take the necessary corrective actions to establish a robust certification system, it is appropriate to allow, as an alternative in the country of origin, the certification requirement on the general hygiene provisions for primary production to be replaced by a microbiological test for seeds intended for the production of sprouts before export to the Union takes place. For that reason, the model certificate in the Annex to Regulation (EU) No 211/2013 also needs to be amended. (4)  This measure should be limited in time until third countries have provided the necessary guarantees that the defi- ciencies have been corrected. (5)  The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health and neither the European Parliament nor the Council has opposed them, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 Regulation (EU) No 211/2013 is amended as follows: (1) Article 3 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 3 Certification requirement 1. Consignments of sprouts or seeds intended for the production of sprouts imported into the Union and origin- ating in or dispatched from third countries shall be accompanied by a certificate in accordance with the model set out in the Annex, attesting that the sprouts or seeds were produced under conditions which comply with the general hygiene provisions for primary production and associated operations set out in Part A of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 and the sprouts were produced under conditions which comply with the traceability requirements laid down in Implementing Regulation (EU) No 208/2013 (*), have been produced in establishments approved in accord- ance with the requirements laid down in Article 2 of Commission Regulation (EU) No 210/2013 (**) and respect the microbiological criteria laid down in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005. () OJL165,30.4.2004,p. 1. (*) Commission Regulation (EU) No 211/2013 of 11 March 2013 on certification requirements for imports into the Union of sprouts and seeds intended for the production of sprouts (O] L 68, 12.3.2013, p. 26). () Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs (O] L 139, 30.4.2004, p. 1).