27. 2. 92 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 52/29 COMMISSION REGULATION (EEC) No 454/92 of 26 February 1992 laying down quality standards for asparagus THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1035/72 of 18 May 1972 on the common organization of the market in fruit and vegetables ('), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1623/91 (3, and in particular Article 2 (3) thereof, Whereas Council Regulation No 183/64/EEC (°), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1677/88 (*), lays down in Annex II/1 common quality standards for asparagus ; whereas Commission Regulation (EEC) No 921/71() amended these standards by adding an additional quality class; whereas Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1764/90 () extends the applicability of this additional quality class to asparagus until 30 June 1991; Whereas a change has occurred in the production and marketing of those products, particularly as regards the requirements of consumer and wholesale markets; - whereas the common quality standards should therefore be changed to take those new requirements into account ; whereas the present market situation does not require definition of the additional quality class; Whereas the standards are applicable at all stages of marketing ; whereas transportation over a long distance, storage for a certain length of time or the various handling operations to which the products are subject may bring about certain changes due to the biological development of those products or their tendency to perish ; whereas, therefore, account should be taken of such changes when applying the standards at the stages of States. marketing following dispatch ; whereas, in view of the fact that products in the ‘Extra’ class have to undergo particu- larly careful grading and packaging, only deterioration of the freshness and turgidity of those products should be taken into account; Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Fruit and Vegetables, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION : ~ Article 1 The quality standards for asparagus falling within CN code 0709 20 00 shall be as set out in the Annex hereto. These standards shall apply at all marketing stages, under the conditions laid down in Regulation (EEC) No 1035/72. However, at stages following dispatch, products may show, in relation to the standards prescribed : — a slight deterioration in freshness and turgidity, — for products of classes other than ‘Extra’ class, slight alterations due to their development and their tendency to perish. Article 2 Regulation No 183/64/EEC is hereby repealed. Article 3 This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 March 1992. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member Done at Brussels, 26 February 1992. () OJ No L 118, 20. 5. 1972, p. 1. () OJ No L 150, 15. 6. 1991, p. 8. () OJ No 192, 25. 11. 1964, p. 3217/64. () OJ No L 150, 16. 6. 1988, p. 21. () OJ No L 100, 5. 5. 1971, p. 9. () OJ No L 162, 28. 6. 1990, p. 30. For the Commission Ray MAC SHARRY Member of the Commission