Commission Decision

of 25 April 2000

amending Decision 97/20/EC establishing the list of third countries fulfilling the equivalence conditions for the production and placing on the market of bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates and marine gastropods

(notified under document number C(2000) 1052)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2000/332/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 91/492/EEC of 15 July 1991 laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on the market of live bivalve molluscs(1), as last amended by Directive 97/79/EC(2) and in particular Article 9(3)(b) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Commission Decision 97/20/EC of 17 December 1996(3), as last amended by Decision 98/571/EC(4), establishes the list of third countries from which imports of bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates and marine gastropods in whatever form are authorised for human consumption.

(2) Commission Decision 2000/333/EC(5) lays down special conditions for the import of bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates and marine gastropods originating in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, therefore Decision 97/20/EC should be amended to include the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in part I of the list.

(3) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Veterinary Committee,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The Annex to Decision 97/20/EC is replaced by the Annex to this Decision.

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 25 April 2000.

For the Commission

David Byrne

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 268, 24.9.1991, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 24, 30.1.1998, p. 31.

(3) OJ L 6, 10.1.1997, p. 46.

(4) OJ L 277, 14.10.1998, p. 42.

(5) See page 42 of this Official Journal.

ANNEX

List of third countries from which imports of bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates and marine gastropods in whatever form for human consumption are authorised

I. Third countries which have been the subject of a specific decision based on Council Directive 91/492/EEC

AU Australia

CL Chile

MA Morocco

PE Peru

VN Socialist Republic of Vietnam

KR South Korea

TN Tunisia

TR Turkey

II. Third countries, which may be the subject of a provisional decision, based on Council Decision 95/408/EC

CA Canada

FO Faeroe Islands

GL Greenland

NZ New Zealand

TH Thailand (only for products sterilised or heat-treated under the conditions laid down in Commission Decision 93/25/EEC)

US United States of America