Commission Decision
of 7 October 2004
amending Decision 2002/840/EC adopting the list of approved facilities in third countries for the irradiation of foods
(notified under document number C(2004) 3679)
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2004/691/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Directive 1999/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 February 1999 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States concerning foods and food ingredients treated with ionising radiation1, and in particular Article 9(2) thereof,
Whereas:
According to Directive 1999/2/EC a foodstuff treated with ionising radiation may not be imported from a third country unless it has been treated in an irradiation facility approved by the Community.
An initial list of approved facilities has been established by Commission Decision 2002/840/EC2.
The Commission received an application for approval of one irradiation facility in Turkey and one in Switzerland through their competent authorities. Commission experts inspected the irradiation facilities in order to check whether they comply with the requirements of Directive 1999/2/EC and in particular if official supervision guarantees that they comply with the requirements of Article 7 of that Directive. Competent authorities of both countries provided satisfactory responses to all the recommendations contained in the final report.
Since the accession from Hungary to the Community on 1 May 2004, it is no longer appropriate to list the irradiation facility of that Member State in the Annex to Decision 2002/840/EC. This facility will be added to the list of approved irradiation facilities in the Member States referred to in Article 7(4) of Directive 1999/2/EC.
Decision 2002/840/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.
The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: