Amendments to EU Plant Health Directive 2000/29 EC
The Agriculture Council adopted on 2002-11-28 amendments to Directive 2000/29/EC, which deals with protective measures against the introduction and spread of organisms harmful to plants or plant products in the European Union. The overall aim of the EU plant health legislation is to ensure protection against pests that affect plants or plant products. The benefits of the amended Directive include:
- strengthening of import clearance procedures for plants and plant products
- improved conditions for co-operation between customs authorities and official phytosanitary bodies in Member States
- better information for importers
- establishment of a harmonized system of fees
- adjustments of the EU Plant Health regime to the conditions of the internal market, responding to risks resulting from increased trade.
The amended Directive came into force on 2002-12-30, the day of its publication in the Official Journal , and requires Member States to adopt and publish the provisions necessary to comply with it before 1st January 2005.
The Commission will now focus on preparing various implementing measures such as co-operation between the official phytosanitary bodies in the Member States and the Customs authorities, model forms of documents to be used in that co-operation, and the means of transmission of these documents. Such measures must be taken to maintain the identity of the consignments and to safeguard against spread of pests during transport until completion of the required phytosanitary and customs formalities.
Sources
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Council Directive 2002/89/EC of 28 November 2002 amending Directive 2000/29/EC on protective measures against the introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the Community Official Journal L 355 , 30/12/2002 P. 0045 – 0060
EU Press Release of 2002-11-28. EU Plant Health Regime improved to reduce risk of importing harmful organisms.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/ph_ps/harm/index_en.htm
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