22. 1. 91 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 16/31 COMMISSION DECISION of 19 December 1990 authorizing certain Member States to provide for exceptions from certain provisions of Directive 77/93/EEC in respect of potatoes for human consumption originating in Turkey (Only the German, French and Dutch texts are authentic) (91/28/EEC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, Having regard to Council Directive 77/93/EEC of 21 December 1976 on protective measures against the intro- duction into the Member States of organisms harmful to plants or plant products ('), as last amended by Commis- sion Directive 91/27/EEC (3), and in particular Article 14 (3) thereof, Having regard to the requests made by Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, Whereas under the provisions of Directive 77/93/EEC, potato tubers originating in Turkey may in principle not be introduced into the Community because of the risk of introducing exotic potato diseases unknown in the Community ; Whereas, however, Article 14 (3) of the said Directive permits exceptions from that rule, provided that it is esta- blished that there is no risk of spreading harmful orga- nisms ; Whereas the early growing in Turkey of potatoes for human consumption from seed potatoes supplied by Member States has become an established practice ; Whereas by Decisions 89/244/EEC (®) and 90/162/EEC (¥, the Commission authorized such derogations subject to certain technical conditions in respect of potatoes for human consumption originating in Turkey; Whereas information supplied by Turkey and collected in that country during a mission carried out in 1990, has shown that there are good reasons to believe that, in Turkey, potatoes can be grown under adequate health conditions and that, at present, there are no sources for the introduction of exotic potato diseases, in particular in certain parts of the provinces of Adana and Izmir; whereas Turkey as moreover implemented adequate health and quality standards in the potato production of these provinces; whereas, taking into account that the potatoes have derived from seed potatoes supplied by the Community, exotic potato diseases unknown in the Community are not likely to occur; (") OJ No L 26, 31. 1. 1977, p. 20. () See page 29 of this Official Journal. () OJ No L 99, 12. 4. 1989, p. 26. () OJ No L 91, 6. 4. 1990, p. 30. Whereas it can therefore be established, on the basis of the information available at present, that there is no risk of harmful organisms spreading, provided that certain special technical conditions are complied with ; whereas the Commission will ensure that the Turkish authorities make available all technical information which is neces- sary to monitor the functioning of the protective measures required under these technical conditions; whereas the potatoes are introduced at a time when they cannot influence the health status of potatoes produced in the Community ; Whereas the requesting Member States should therefore be authorized to provide for derogations in respect of potatoes for human consumption originating in Turkey, under the aforementioned special technical conditions, for the forthcoming early potato season; whereas this system will be reconsidered, on the basis of an assessment of the technical information to be provided by the Turkish authorities and of the results of monitoring to be carried out on potatoes introduced into the Community pursuant to this Decision ; Whereas the measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plant Health, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION : Article 1 1. Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, Luxem- bourg and the Netherlands are hereby authorized to provide, under the conditions laid down in paragraph 2, for exceptions from Article 4 (1) of Directive 77/93/EEC, with regard to the prohibitions referred to in Part A (9a) of Annex III thereto for potatoes for human consumption originating in Turkey, with a view to marketing them in their respective territories or between them. 2. The following specific conditions shall be satisfied : (a) the potatoes shall be potatoes for human consump- " tion; (b) they shall be -immature potatoes, ie. ‘unsuberized’ potatoes with loose skin; (c) they shall have been grown either in the province of Adana, south of the line Kraisali-Duzici or in the province of Izmir, in the region of Odemis ; the pota- toes shall have been grown on farms growing potatoes whose origin shall only have been either Member States or Turkey and the farms should be the subject of supervision by the Ministry of Agriculture ;