Article 15U.K.
[F11. In accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 18(2), derogations may be provided for:
from Article 4(1) and (2) with regard to Annex III, Part A and Part B, without prejudice to the provisions of Article 4(5), and from Article 5(1) and (2) and the third indent of Article 13(1)(i) with regard to requirements referred to in Annex IV, Part A, Section I and Annex IV, Part B,
from Article 13(1)(ii) in the case of wood, if equivalent safeguards are ensured by means of alternative documentation or marking,]
provided that it is established that the risk of spreading harmful organisms is obviated by one or more of the following factors:
the origin of the plants or plant products,
appropriate treatment,
special precautions for the use of the plants or plant products.
The risk shall be assessed on the basis of available scientific and technical information; where such information is insufficient, it shall be supplemented by additional enquiries or, where appropriate, by investigations carried out under the authority of the Commission and in accordance with the relevant provisions of Article 21 in the country of origin of the plants, plant products or other objects concerned.
Each authorisation shall apply individually to all or part of the territory of the Community under conditions which take into account the risk of spreading harmful organisms by the product in question in protected zones or in certain regions taking into account the differences in agricultural and ecological conditions. In such cases, the Member States concerned shall be expressly exempted from certain obligations derived from the above provisions in the decisions providing for the authorisations.
The risk shall be assessed on the basis of available scientific and technical information. Where such information is insufficient, it shall be supplemented by additional enquiries or, where appropriate, by investigations carried out by the Commission in the country of origin of the plants, plant products or other objects concerned.
[F12. In accordance with the procedures referred to in the first subparagraph of paragraph 1, phytosanitary measures adopted by a third country for export into the Community shall be recognised as equivalent to the phytosanitary measures laid down in this Directive, in particular to those specified in Annex IV, if that third country objectively demonstrates to the Community that its measures achieve the Community's appropriate level of phytosanitary protection and if this is confirmed by the conclusions resulting from findings made on the occasion of reasonable access of the experts referred to in Article 21 for inspection, testing and other relevant procedures in the relevant third country.
Upon request by a third country, the Commission will enter into consultations with the aim of achieving bilateral or multilateral agreements on recognition of the equivalence of specified phytosanitary measures.
3. Decisions providing for derogations pursuant to the first subparagraph of paragraph 1 or recognition of equivalence pursuant to paragraph 2, shall require that compliance with the conditions laid down therein has been officially established in writing by the exporting country for each individual case of use, and shall set out the details of the official statement confirming compliance.
4. Decisions referred to in paragraph 3 shall specify whether or in what manner Member States shall inform the other Member States and the Commission of each individual case of use or groups of cases of use.]