THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Directive 2000/29/EC of 8 May 2000 on protective measures against the introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the Community, and in particular the fourth sentence of Article 16(3) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/715 lays down measures in respect of fruits of Citrus L., Fortunella Swingle, Poncirus Raf., and their hybrids, other than fruits of Citrus aurantium L. and Citrus latifolia Tanaka (‘the specified fruits’), originating in Argentina, Brazil, South Africa and Uruguay to prevent the introduction into and the spread within the Union of Phyllosticta citricarpa (‘the specified organism’).
(2)
The increase in the number of import interceptions in the last three years shows that the measures provided for by Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/715 remain necessary for the protection of the Union territory from the specified organism.
(3)
Furthermore, a significant number of interceptions of the specified organism has been notified in 2018 by Member States, as a result of their import inspections of the specified fruits originating in Brazil. The requirements for the introduction into the Union of those fruits originating in Brazil should therefore be strengthened.
(4)
To ensure the specified fruits originating in Brazil are free from the specified organism, they should be subject to the same import inspection requirements as the fruits originating in Argentina, South Africa and Uruguay.
(5)
As the specified fruits originating in Brazil will have to be subjected to treatments against the specified organism, the requirement for detailed information on the pre- and post-harvest treatments should also become applicable to those fruits for traceability purposes.
(6)
Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/715 should therefore be amended accordingly.
(7)
The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: