THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Directive 2000/29/EC of 8 May 2000 on protective measures against the introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the Community(1), and in particular Article 13a(5)(c) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Under Directive 2000/29/EC, all consignments of plants, plant products or other objects listed in Part B of Annex V thereof should in principle be subjected to identity and plant health checks before being permitted to enter the Community.
(2) In order to allow plant health checks to be carried out at a reduced frequency, it is necessary to provide for detailed conditions for the evidence, as referred to in the second subparagraph of Article 13a(2) of Directive 2000/29/EC that the plants, plant products or other objects listed in Part B of Annex V thereto, which are introduced into the Community, meet the conditions sets out in that Directive.
(3) Since plants intended for planting and plants, plant products or other objects which are subject to measures adopted in accordance with Article 16(3) of Directive 2000/29/EC present a high risk of introduction of organisms harmful to plants or plant products, the reduction should not apply to them.
(4) Specific conditions are set out for plants, plant products or other objects which are subject to authorisation of import into the Community under derogation according to the provisions of Article 15(1) of Directive 2000/29/EC. Therefore, the said plants, plant products or other objects should not be subjected to plant health checks at a reduced frequency.
(5) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plant Health,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
OJ L 169, 10.7.2000, p. 1. Directive as last amended by Commission Directive 2004/70/EC (OJ L 127, 29.4.2004, p. 97).