(1)

Commission Decision 2008/433/EC of 10 June 2008 imposing special conditions governing the import of sunflower oil originating in or consigned from Ukraine due to contamination risks by mineral oil (2) has been adopted to protect public health following the findings in April 2008 of high levels of mineral paraffin in sunflower oil from Ukraine.

(2)

The Ukrainian authorities have informed the Commission services of the establishment of an appropriate control system designed to ensure that all consignments of sunflower oil to be exported to the Community are certified as not containing levels of mineral oil making the sunflower oil unfit for human consumption.

(3)

The details of this control and certification system have been assessed by the Commission services and the Member States and discussed during the meeting of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health held on 20 June 2008. It was concluded that this control and certification system could be accepted.

(4)

The Food and Veterinary Office of the European Commission carried out an inspection mission in Ukraine from 16 to 24 September 2008 in order to assess the control systems in place to prevent the contamination with mineral oil of sunflower oil intended for export to the Community (3). The inspection team concluded that the Ukrainian authorities have implemented the new official control system to prevent the presence of mineral oil in sunflower oil destined for the Community and that the control system provided sufficient guarantees for that purpose. However, these findings showed that the investigation carried out by the Ukrainian authorities had not revealed the source of the contamination due to the lack of official sampling and subsequent follow-up.

(5)

Given the level of risk and in accordance with Article 1(4) of Decision 2008/433/EC, Member States have controlled all consignments of sunflower oil originating from Ukraine in order to verify that these consignments do not contain an unacceptable level of mineral oil and that the information in the required certificate is accurate. The results of those controls demonstrate the accuracy and reliability of the control and certification system put in place by the Ukrainian authorities. All analytical results have confirmed the correctness of mineral oil levels declared in the certificate.

(6)

It is appropriate to provide that the sampling of consignments of sunflower oil for the presence of mineral oil has to be performed in accordance with the provisions on sampling laid down in Commission Regulation (EC) No 333/2007 of 28 March 2007 laying down the methods of sampling and analysis for the official control of the levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, inorganic tin, 3-MCPD and benzo(a)pyrene in foodstuffs (4) and the international standard ISO 5555:2003 on sampling of animal and vegetable fats and oils.

(7)

Consequently, it is appropriate to review the current measures. Given that the amendments are substantial, the provisions have a direct application and are binding in their entirety, Decision 2008/433/EC should be replaced by this Regulation, which could be reviewed at a later stage on the basis of the results of the controls carried out by the Member States.

(8)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,