18.2.2004 Official Journal of the European Union L 47/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) REGULATION (EC) No 273/2004 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 February 2004 on drug precursors (Text with EEA relevance) THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com- munity, and in particular Article 95 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (!), Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (), Whereas: (1) The United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, adopted in Vienna on 19 December 1988, hereinafter referred to as the ‘United Nations Convention’, was concluded by the Community by Council Decision 90/611/EEC (. (2)  The requirements of Article 12 of the United Nations Convention in respect of trade in drug precursors (i.c. substances frequently used in the illicit manufacture of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances) have been implemented, as far as trade between the Community and third countries is concerned, by Council Regulation (EEC) No 3677/90 of 13 December 1990 laying down measures to be taken to discourage the diversion of certain substances to the illicit manufacture of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances (). (3)  Article 12 of the United Nations Convention envisages adoption of appropriate measures to monitor the manu- facture and distribution of precursors. This requires the adoption of measures relating to the trade in precursors among Member States. Such measures were introduced () O] C 20 , 28.1.2003, p. 160. () O] C 95, 23.4.2003, p. 6. (*) Opinion of the European Parliament of 11 March 2003 (not yet published in the Official Journal), Council common position of 29 September 2003 (O] C 277 E, 18.11.2003, p. 31) and position of the European Parliament of 16 December 2003 (not yet published in the Official Journal). () OJ L 326, 24.11.1990, p. 56. () O] L 357, 20.12.1990, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 12322002 (OJ L 180, 10.7.2002, p- 5). by Council Directive 92/109/EEC of 14 December 1992 on the manufacture and the placing on the market of certain substances used in the illicit manufacture of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances (°). To better ensure that harmonised rules are applied at the same time in all Member States, a regulation is considered to be more adequate than the current Directive. (4 In the context of the enlargement of the European Union, it is important to replace Directive 92/109/EEC by a regulation, as each modification of that Directive and its Annexes would trigger national implementation measures in 25 Member States. (5) By decisions taken at its 35th session in 1992, the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs included additional substances in the tables of the Annex to the United Nations Convention. Corresponding provisions should be laid down in this Regulation in order to detect possible cases of illicit diversion of drug precursors in the Community and to ensure that common monitoring rules are applied in the Community market. (6)  The provisions of Article 12 of the United Nations Convention are based on a system of monitoring trade in the substances in question. Most trade in these substances is entirely lawful. The documentation of consignments and labelling of these substances should be sufficiently explicit. It is furthermore important, whilst providing competent authorities with the neces- sary means of action, to develop, within the spirit of the United Nations Convention, mechanisms based on close cooperation with the operators concerned and on the development of intelligence gathering. (7)  The measures applicable to sassafras oil are currently interpreted in different ways in the Community, since in some Member States it is regarded as a mixture containing Safrole and is therefore controlled, while other Member States regard it as a natural product not subject to controls. Inserting a reference to natural products in the definition of ‘scheduled substances’ will resolve this discrepancy and therefore allow controls to be applied to sassafras oil; only natural products from which scheduled substances can be extracted easily should be covered by the definition. () O] L 370 19.12.1992, p. 76. Directive as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 18822003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (O] L 284, 31.10.2003, p. 1).