No L 67/24 Official Journal of the European Communities 19. 3. 93 (Acts whose publication is not obligatboz) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 16 February 1993 authonzmg Germany and the United Kingdom to provnde for exceptions from certain provisions of Council Directive 77/93/EEC in respect of potatoes for human consumption originating in South Africa (Only the German and English texts are authentic) (93/159/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 introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the Community ("), as last amended by Directive 92/103/EEC (3, and in particular Article 14 (3) thereof, Having regard to the request made by Germany and the United Kingdom, Whereas under the provisions of Directive 77/93/EEC, potato tubers for human consumption originating in South Africa may in principle not be introduced into the Community because of the risk of introducing exotic " potato diseases unknown in the Community ; Whereas information supplied by South Africa and collected in that country during a mission carried out in 1991 has shown that there is a good reason to believe that, in South Africa, potatoes can be grown under adequate health conditions and that, at present, there are no sources for the introduction of exotic potato diseases ; whereas South Africa has moreover implemented ") OJ No L 26, 31. 1. 1977, p. 20. %) OJ No L 363, 11. 12. 1992, p. 1. adequate health and quality standards in the potato production ; 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 South African autho- rities make available all technical information which is necessary 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 potato products 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 South Africa, under the aforementioned special technical condi- tions, for the forthcoming potato season; whereas this system will be reconsidered, on the basis of an assessment of the technical information to be provided by the South African authorities and of the results of monitoring to be carried out on potatoes introduced into the Community pursuant to this Decision ; Whereas the provisions laid down in the annexes to Directive 77/93/EEC have been subjected to a review taking into account a pest risk assessment to adapt the relevant provisions to the Single Market concept; Whereas the pest risk assessment has been the basis for an amendment and revision of the relevant prows:ons of the said Directive ;