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 radiation(1), and in particular Article 9(2) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) 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.

(2) An initial list of approved facilities has been established by Commission Decision 2002/840/EC(2).

(3) 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.

(4) 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.

(5) Decision 2002/840/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

(6) 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:

Article 1

The Annex to Decision 2002/840/EC is replaced by the Annex to this Decision.

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 7 October 2004 .

For the Commission

David Byrne

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 66, 13.3.1999, p. 16. Directive as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1882/2003 (OJ L 284, 31.10.2003, p. 1).

(2) OJ L 287, 25.10.2002, p. 40.

ANNEX

List of irradiation facilities in third countries approved by the Community

Reference No: EU-AIF 01-2002

HEPRO Cape (Pty) Ltd

6 Ferrule Avenue

Montague Gardens

Milnerton 7441

Western Cape

Republic of South Africa

Tel. (27-21) 551 24 40

Fax (27-21) 551 17 66

Reference No: EU-AIF 02-2002

GAMMASTER South Africa (Pty) Ltd

PO Box 3219

5 Waterpas Street

Isando Extension 3

Kempton Park 1620

Johannesburg

Republic of South Africa

Tel. (27-11) 974 88 51

Fax (27-11) 974 89 86

Reference No: EU-AIF 03-2002

GAMWAVE (Pty) Ltd

PO Box 26406

Isipingo Beach

Durban 4115

Kwazulu-Natal

Republic of South Africa

Tel. (27-31) 902 88 90

Fax (27-31) 912 17 04

Reference No: EU-AIF 05-2004

GAMMA-PAK AS

Yünsa Yolu N: 4 OSB

Cerkezköy/TEKIRDAG

TR-59500

Turkey

Tel. (90-282) 726 57 90

Fax (90-282) 726 51 78

Reference No: EU-AIF 06-2004

STUDER AGG WERK HARD

Hogenweidstrasse 2

Däniken

CH-4658

Switzerland

Tel. (41-062) 288 90 60

Fax (41-062) 288 90 70