Article 1
The entry into the territory of the Community of tubers of Solanum tuberosum L. which originate in Egypt, other than those already prohibited under the provisions laid down in Annex III, part A, point 10 to Directive 2000/29/EC, shall be prohibited.
Article 2
1.
By way of derogation from Article 1, for the import season F12006/2007 the entry into the territory of the Community of tubers of Solanum tuberosum L. which originate in Egypt shall be permitted from the ‘pest-free areas’ referred to in paragraph 2, provided that the measures applicable to tubers grown in these areas and laid down in the Annex to this Decision, are complied with.
2.
The Commission shall establish whether ‘pest-free areas’ have been approved in Egypt for the F1import season referred to in paragraph 1 in accordance with the ‘FAO International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures Part 4: Pest Surveillance — Requirements for the Establishment of Pest-Free Areas’, in particular point 2.3 thereof, and shall compile a ‘list of approved pest-free areas’, including identification details of the fields located in the above ‘approved pest-free areas’. The Commission shall convey this list to the Committee and to the Member States.
Article 3
The provisions of Article 2 shall no longer apply as soon as the Commission has notified to the Member States that the sixth interception of Pseudomonas solanacearum (Smith) Smith has been confirmed in accordance with points 2 or 3 of the Annex to this Decision, in lots of potatoes introduced into the Community pursuant to this Decision during the F1import season referred to in Article 2(1), and that it has been found that interceptions indicate that the method for the identification of ‘pest-free areas’ in Egypt or the procedures for official monitoring in Egypt have not been sufficient to prevent the risk of introduction of Pseudomonas solanacearum (Smith) Smith into the Community.
Article 4
The importing Member States shall provide the Commission and the other Member States, before F131 August 2007, with information on the amounts imported pursuant to this Decision and with a detailed technical report on the official examination referred to in point 2 of the Annex; copies of each plant health certificate shall be transmitted to the Commission. In cases of notification of a suspect or confirmed finding as referred to in point 4 of the Annex copies of the plant health certificates and their attached documents shall be transmitted with the said notification.
Article 5
The Member States shall adjust the measures which they haveadopted with a view to protecting themselves against the introduction and spread of Pseudomonas solanacearum (Smith) Smith in such a manner that the measures comply with Articles 1, 2 and 3.
Article 6
Decision 96/301/EC is repealed.
Article 7
This Decision shall be reviewed by F130 September 2007 at the latest.
Article 8
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.