Commission Regulation (EC) No 1661/1999 of 27 July 1999 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EEC) No 737/90 on the conditions governing imports of agricultural products originating in third countries following the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power-station
29. 7. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities L 197/17 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1661/1999 of 27 July 1999 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EEC) No 737/90 on the conditions governing imports of agricultural products originating in third countries following the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power-station THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, (8) Whereas there is a need to update these provisions and them by specific conditions for the to supplement import of certain products; as appears from the consid- erations herein set out; Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 737/90 of 22 March 1990 on the conditions governing imports of agri- cultural products originating in third countries following the as accident amended by Regulation (EC) No 686/95 (2), and in particular Article 6 thereof, the Chernobyl nuclear power-station (1), at (1) Whereas the fallout of radiocaesium from the accident at the Chernobyl power station on 26 April 1986 has third countries; whereas affected a wide range of repeated cases of non-compliance with the maximum permitted levels of radioactive contamination have been recorded in consignments of certain types of mush- rooms imported from a number of third countries; (2) Whereas similar fallout has affected certain parts of the the European territories of some Member States of Union; (3) Whereas forest and wooded areas generally are the natural habitat of uncultivated mushrooms (the products listed in Annex I) and such ecosystems tend to retain radiocaesium in a cyclic exchange between soil and vegetation; (4) Whereas, as a result, continual radiocaesium contamina- tion of uncultivated mushrooms has, in the period since the abovementioned accident, hardly declined and may well have increased in the case of certain species; (5) Whereas the Commission has carried out in 1986 and subsequently updated an assessment of possible risks on human health from contaminated foodstuffs with radio- active caesium; whereas that assessment of possible risks is still valid today, the physical radioactive period of the substance in question, and, in the maximum permitted level conforms in addition, essence to the level recommended by the Codex Alimen- tarius Commission; taking into account (6) Whereas, in accordance with Article 4 of Regulation (EEC) No 737/90, the Member States must carry out checks on products originating in third countries; (7) Whereas the detailed rules for the application of that Regulation are to be found in Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1983/88 (3); (1) OJ L 82, 29. 3. 1990, p. 1. (2) OJ L 71, 31. 3. 1995, p. 15. (3) OJ L 174, 6. 7. 1988, p. 32. (9) Whereas Council Directive 92/59/EEC of 29 June 1992 on general product safety (4) has set up a system for the rapid exchange of information; (10) Whereas the measures in situ in the territories of the Member States of the European Union flow from the legal obligations of those States pursuant to Articles 35 and 36 of the Euratom Treaty, the Community measures already referred to and national measures and controls which, taken together, are, in terms of equivalence of result, equal to those enacted in this Regulation; whereas the Commission is taking all the necessary measures to ensure that the Member States comply effectively with their legal obligations in this respect; (11) Whereas even if the provisions for sampling and analysis of various agricultural products merit future considera- tion, the immediate requirement is to strengthen those provisions with respect to mushrooms; (12) Whereas in order to allow more efficient controls, it is, as a consequence, necessary to identify a restricted number of customs offices where certain products may be declared for free circulation in the European Union; (13) Whereas the lists of customs offices and of third coun- tries can be reviewed as appropriate, taking into account inter compliance with the maximum permitted levels and other information allowing the Commission to judge whether there is a need to main- tain a third country on the list contained in Annex IV; future alia (14) Whereas for the same reason it is appropriate that export certificates, as referred to in Article 4 of Regula- tion (EEC) No 737/90, be provided for each consign- ment of such products; (15) Whereas it is appropriate that the competent authorities of the Member States be authorised, at their sole discre- tion, to levy charges for sampling and analysis and for destruction of the product or its return provided that the principle of proportionality is observed in exercising the option of destruction or return and provided also that, in any event, the charges so levied do not exceed the costs incurred; (4) OJ L 228, 11. 8. 1992, p. 24. L 197/18 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 29. 7. 1999 (16) Whereas the provisions enacted below conform to the international obligations of the European Community, in particular those resulting from the agreements estab- lishing the World Trade Organisation, taking into account the right of the Community to adopt and apply measures that are necessary to achieve the level of san- itary protection chosen in the territory of its Member States; ficates referred to in Article 3 accompanying each consign- ment. Each consignment exceeding 10 kg of fresh product or the equivalent thereof shall be subject to systematic sampling and analysis, taking appropriate account of the information contained in the export certificate. These prod- ucts may only be declared for free circulation in the Member State of destination in a restricted number of customs offices listed in Annex III. (17) Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the ad hoc committee referred to in Article 7 of Regulation (EEC) No 737/90, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 1. Checks on the radiocaesium content referred to in Article 3 of Regulation (EEC) No 737/90 of products referred to in Article 1 of the same Regulation, to ensure that the maximum permitted levels laid down by the said Regulation are observed shall be carried out by the Member States in which the prod- ucts are released for free circulation and at the latest at that time. Checks shall be carried out by sampling in accordance 2. with the following minimum standards: (a) Without prejudice to paragraph 3(b), the choice of the Member State as to the intensity of controls to be carried out shall be made taking account in particular of the degree of contamination of the country of origin, the characteris- tics of the products in question, the results of the previous checks and the export certificates referred to in Article 3. (b) Without prejudice to the further measures provided for in Articles 5 and 6 of Regulation (EEC) No 737/90, where a product originating in a third country is recorded as exceeding the maximum permitted levels, checks shall be intensified for all products of the same type originating in the third country in question. Checks on specific products shall be carried out 3. accordance with the following rules: in (a) For animals for slaughter, the checks shall be carried out without prejudice to the customs rules laid down in Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 (1) and Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 (2) and to animal health requirements. Clearance of release for free circulation shall be subject to the presentation of a certificate issued by the competent authorities responsible for controls to the effect that the meat in question has undergone the system of checks and that the those checks have shown that maximum permitted levels have not been exceeded. (b) For products listed in Annex I, originating in third coun- tries listed in Annex IV, documentary checks shall be performed on the basis of the duly completed export certi- (1) OJ L 302, 13. 10. 1992, p. 1. (2) OJ L 253, 11. 10. 1993, p. 1. 4. Where failure to comply with the maximum permitted levels is observed in respect of a given product, the competent authorities of the Member State may require the imported product to be destroyed or returned to the country of origin. In the latter case, written evidence that the product has left the territory of the European Community will be forwarded to the customs authority which refused the release for free circulation. For the products referred to in Article 1(1), 5. the competent authorities may, at their sole discretion, levy charges on the importer for the sampling and analysis of products for compliance with Regulation (EEC) No 737/90. For consign- ments which exceed the maximum permitted levels, the competent authorities may also recover from their intended importer costs associated with either the destruction of the consignment or its return to the country of origin. Article 2 1. Each Member State shall by analogy apply Article 8 of Directive No 92/59/EEC to notify the Commission without delay of recorded cases of non-compliance with the provisions on maximum permitted levels, set out in Regulation (EEC) No 737/90, stating the country of origin, the description and degree of contamination of the goods, the means of transport, the exporter and the decision taken in respect of the lots in question. 2. Member States shall bodies assigned to implement checks. inform the Commission of the 3. The Commission shall inform the Member States without delay of recorded cases of non-compliance with the maximum permitted levels through the Community Rapid Alert System laid down in Directive No 92/59/EEC. Article 3 1. The Member States shall ensure that the export certi- ficates issued by the competent authorities of third countries listed in Annex IV shall attest that the products that they accompany comply with the maximum permitted levels laid down in Article 3 of Regulation (EEC) No 737/90. The export certificates shall be compiled using a form printed on white paper in accordance with the specimen in Annex II. 2. The Commission shall communicate to the Member States the details received concerning the authorities authorised in the third countries in question to issue export certificates. 29. 7. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities L 197/19 This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities. Article 4 Regulation (EEC) No 1983/88 is repealed. Article 5 This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 27 July 1999. For the Commission Ritt BJERREGAARD Member of the Commission L 197/20 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 29. 7. 1999 ANNEX I LIST OF PRODUCTS FOR WHICH THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 1(3)(b) SHALL BE FULFILLED CN Codes ex 0709 51 Mushrooms, fresh or chilled, other than cultivated mushrooms ex 0710 80 69 Mushrooms (uncooked or cooked by steaming or boiling in water), frozen, other than cultivated mushrooms ex 0711 90 60 Mushrooms provisionally preserved (for example, by sulphur dioxide gas, in brine, in sulphur water or in other preservative solutions), but unsuitable in that state for immediate consumption, other than cultivated mushrooms ex 0712 30 00 Dried mushrooms, whole, cut, sliced, broken or in powder, but not further prepared, other than cultivated mushrooms ex 2001 90 50 Mushrooms, prepared or preserved by vinegar or acetic acid, other than cultivated mushrooms ex 2003 10 80 Mushrooms, prepared or preserved otherwise than by vinegar or acetic acid, other than cultivated mushrooms 29. 7. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities L 197/21 EXPORT CERTIFICATE FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS (ONE CERTIFICATE PER SPECIES) This certificate must be lodged in triplicate with the entry for free circulation and be kept by the customs ANNEX II Statement by the exporter 1. Exporter (name, full address, country) 5. Country of origin 6. Country of destination 2. Consignee (name, full address, country) 7. Invoice(s) number(s) 3. Identity of means of transport 8. Number and kind of packages 9. Marks and batch numbers 4. Description of products 10. Gross mass (kg) 11. Net mass (kg) 12. I, undersigned, responsible for these exports, certify the above information Date Place Name (in block letters) Signature (2) Certification by the laboratory 13. Number of analysed samples from the above products: 15. Identity of the laboratory (name, full address, country) 14. Recorded radioactivity levels for each sample (Bq/kg) 16. Accredited by (name and address of the body) (specify the batch No for each sample): Report No. Date. This report must be presented immediately on the demand of the control authorities 17. Date, name (in block letters) signature and stamp of the labor- atory (2) Certification by the competent authority 18. I, undersigned, certify that the accumulated radioactivity level in terms of caesium 134 and 137 for the products described above does not exceed: 370 Bq/kg for milk and milk products and for foodstuffs intended for the special feeding of infants, and 600 bq/kg for all other products listed in the current Commission Regulation relating to Council Regulation (EEC) No 737/90 (1) Place Date Name (in block letters) Signature (2) Stamp–cachet (2) (1) Delete as appropriate (2) Signatures and stamps must be in a different colour from that of the text. L 197/22 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 29. 7. 1999 ANNEX III LIST OF CUSTOMS OFFICES IN WHICH PRODUCTS LISTED IN ANNEX I MAY BE DECLARED FOR FREE CIRCULATION IN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY Member State Customs offices BELGIQUE/BELGIÜ Anvers D. E. — voie maritime Bierset — (Grâce-Hollogne) D. E. — voies aériennes et/ou terrestre Bruxelles D. E. — voie aérienne Zaventem D. — voie aérienne DANMARK Every port and airport in Denmark DEUTSCHLAND Baden-Württemberg Bayern Berlin HZA Lörrach — ZA Weil am Rhein-Autobahn HZA Stuttgart — ZA Flughafen HZA München-Flughafen HZA Hof — ZA Schirnding-Landstraße HZA Weiden — ZA Furth im Wald-Schafberg HZA Weiden — ZA Waldhaus-Autobahn HZA Berlin-Packhof — ZA Marzahn, Abfertigungsstelle Grossmarkthallen HZA Berlin-Packhof — ZA Tegel-Flughafen Brandenburg HZA Frankfurt (Oder) — ZA Autobahn HZA Cottbus — ZA Forst-Autobahn Bremen Hamburg HZA - Bremen ZA Neustädter Hafen HZA Bremerhaven — ZA Container-Terminal HZA Bremerhaven — ZA Rotersand HZA Hamburg-Freihafen — Abfertigungsstelle HZA Hamburg-Freihafen — ZA Ericus-Abfertigungsstelle Südbahnhof Hamburg-Harburg — ZA Köhkleetdamm HZA Hamburg-Hamburg — St. Annen-ZA Altona HZA Hamburg-Hamburg — St. Annen-ZA Oberelbe HZA Hamburg-Waltershof — Abfertigungsstelle HZA Hamburg-Waltershof — ZA Flughafen Hessen HZA Frankfurt am Main-Flughafen Meklenburg-Vorpom- mern HZA Neubrandenburg — ZA Pomellen — Grenzkontrollstelle Pomellen HZA Schwerin — ZA Rostock-Seehafen — Grenzkontrollstelle Rostock- Seehafen HZA Stralsund — ZA Mukran Grenzkontrollstelle Rügen/Mukran, Im Flughafen Niedersachsen HZA Lüneburg — Abfertigungsstelle HZA Göttingen — Abfertigungsstelle HZA Hannover — Abfertigungsstelle Nordrhein-Westfalen HZA Dortmund — ZA Ost Rheinland-Pfalz HZA Trier — ZA Idar-Oberstein, Grenzkontrollstelle Flughafen Hahn, Gebäude 401 Sachsen HZA Dresden — ZA Friedrichstadt, Grenzkontrollstelle Dresden/Friedrichstadt (für Eisenbahntransport) HZA Pirna — ZA Zinnwald, Grenzkontrollstelle Zinnwald (für Stra- ßentransport) HZA Löbau — ZA Ludwigsdorf-Autobahn, Grenzkontrollstelle Ludwigsdorf (für Straßentransport) Schleswig-Holstein HZA Kiel — ZA Wik, Grenzkontrollstelle Kiel Ostuferhafen HZA Lübeck — ZA Travemünde Grenzkontrollstelle EKKADA Ahgm-m, Peqaiá, Jqatijo- Aeqokilíma Ahgm-m, Hes/möjgr, Aeqokilíma Löjqar, B kou, Patq-m, Gqajkeöou, Aeqokilíma Gqajkeöou Jqôtgr, Jabákar, Iyammömym, Maupköou 29. 7. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities L 197/23 Member State Customs offices ESPAÑA FRANCE Algeciras (Puerto), Alicante (Aeropuerto, Puerto), Almería (Aeropuerto, Puerto), Barcelona (Aeropuerto, Puerto), Bilbao (Aeropuerto, Puerto), Cádiz (Puerto), Cartagena (Puerto), Gijón (Aeropuerto, Puerto), Huelva (Puerto), La Coruña-Santiago de Compostela (Aeropuerto, Puerto), Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Aeropuerto, Puerto), Madrid-Barajas (Aeropuerto), Málaga (Aero- puerto, Puerto), Palma de Mallorca (Aeropuerto), Pasajes-Irún (Aeropuerto, Puerto), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Aeropuerto, Puerto), Santander (Aeropuerto, Puerto), Sevilla (Aeropuerto, Puerto), Tarragona (Puerto), Valencia (Aeropuerto, Puerto), Vigo-Villagareia (Aeropuerto), Marín (Puerto), Vitoria (Aeropuerto), Zaragoza (Aeropuerto) Dunkerque (transport maritime) Lille (transport aérien et terrestre) Marseille (transport aérien, terrestre et maritime) Roissy (transport aérien et terrestre) St Louis/Bâle (transport aérien et terrestre) Strasbourg (transport terrestre) IRELAND All customs offices ITALIA Ufficio di Sanit marittima ed aerea di Trieste Ufficio di Sanit aerea di Torino-Caselle Ufficio di Sanit aerea di Roma — Fiumicino Ufficio di Sanit marittima ed aerea di Venezia Ufficio di Sanit marittima ed aerea di Genova Ufficio di Sanit marittima di Livorno Ufficio di Sanit marittima ed aerea di Ancona Ufficio di Sanit marittima ed aerea di Brindisi Ufficio di Sanit aerea di Varese — Malpensa Ufficio di Sanit aerea di di Bologna — Panicale Ufficio di Sanit marittima ed aerea di Bari Posto d’Ispezione frontaliera di Chiasso LUXEMBOURG Bureau des Douanes et Accises Centre Douanier — Luxembourg Bureau des Douanes et Accises Luxembourg-Aéroport — Niederanven NEDERLAND All customs offices ÖSTERREICH Drasenhofen (Repulik Tschechien) Berg (Slowakische Republik) Nickelsdorf (Republik Ungarn) Heiligenkreuz (Republik Ungarn) Spielfeld (Republik Slownien) Tisis (Schweiz) Wien Flughafen Schwechat PORTUGAL Airports of Lisabon, Porto and faro Ports of Lisbon an LeixÒes. SUOMI-FINLAND Helsinki, Vaalimaa, Niirala, Vartius, Raja-Jooseppi, Utsjoki, Kilpisjärvi SVERIGE Arlanda, Göteborg, Landvetter, Helsingborg, Karlskrona, Stockholm, Ystad, Wallhamn, Varberg UNITED KINGDOM Belfast International Airport, Port of Belfast, Port of Dover, Port of Falmouth, Port of Felix- stowe, Gatwick Airport, Port of Hull, Port of Larne, Port of London, Port of Southampton L 197/24 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 29. 7. 1999 ANNEX IV LIST OF THIRD COUNTRIES REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 3 Albania Belarus Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Czech Republic Estonia Hungary Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Moldova Norway Poland Romania Russia Slovak Republic Slovenia Switzerland Turkey Ukraine Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Federal Republic of Yugoslavia