(1)

Regulation (EC) No 3223/94 lays down, pursuant to the outcome of the Uruguay Round multilateral trade negotiations, the criteria whereby the Commission fixes the standard values for imports from third countries, in respect of the products and periods stipulated in the Annex thereto.

(2)

In compliance with the above criteria, the standard import values must be fixed at the levels set out in the Annex to this Regulation,

(1)

In accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 6(2) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 and Article 17(2) thereof, the application submitted by France to register the name ‘Banon’ was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (2).

(2)

As no objections within the meaning of Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 were received by the Commission, this name should be registered,

(1)

In accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 6(2) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006, and pursuant to Article 17(2) of the same Regulation, Poland's application to register the name ‘Bryndza Podhalańska’ was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (2).

(2)

As no objections within the meaning of Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 were received by the Commission, this name should be registered,

(1)

Article 140 of the Treaty establishing the European Community provides that the Commission shall encourage cooperation between the Member States and facilitate the coordination of their action in all social policy fields.

(2)

In accordance with the Commission Communication of 12 October 2006 entitled ‘The demographic future of Europe, from challenge to opportunity’, the Commission has decided to enlist the assistance of a group of government experts.

(3)

The group must contribute to the development of policies for adapting to demographic change.

(4)

Care will be taken to ensure complementarity and an absence of overlap with the activities of other groups and committees dealing with demographic issues, including the Employment Committee, the Social Protection Committee, the Economic Policy Committee, the Economic and Financial Committee, the Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men and the High-Level Group on Gender Mainstreaming. The Commission will inform these bodies of the activities of the expert group on demographic issues.

(5)

The group must be composed of government representatives of the Member States and of independent experts.

(6)

The expert group on demographic issues should therefore be set up and its terms of reference and structures defined,

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assist the Commission in drawing conclusions from the research results, in identifying relevant data for the demography reports and in fostering exchanges of good practice for which the Demographic Forum will provide a platform. It shall take into account the results of the numerous actions and research projects undertaken by the European institutions on these subjects,

—

enable the Member States to give their opinions on the broad responses required to meet the demographic challenge and on the specific initiatives resulting from the Communication of 12 October 2006 on the demographic future of Europe and its aftermath, in particular in the fields that are not already well covered by the existing committees and advisory groups,

—

assist the Commission in preparing the future demography reports and in assessing the EU's state of preparation for demographic change (assessment to be included in the annual progress report on the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy),

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provide the opportunity for exchanges of experience and good practice in the field of family policy, and support efforts to improve the quality of life of persons with care responsibilities,

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solicit oral and written contributions from the social partners and civil society organisations.

(1)

Commission Decision 2007/31/EC (2) lays down transitional measures as regards the dispatch from Bulgaria to other Member States of certain products of the meat and milk sectors, covered by Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin (3). Those products should be dispatched from Bulgaria only if obtained in a processing establishment listed in the Annex to that Decision.

(2)

Commission Decision 2007/31/EC (4) was amended by Decision 2007/213/EC to delete certain establishments from the list in the Annex to Decision 2007/31/EC at the request of the Bulgarian authorities.

(3)

The Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) carried out a new mission in Bulgaria from 12 to 23 March 2007 with a view to assessing the situation of the processing establishments.

(4)

Bulgaria is carrying out, with the support of the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO), an assessment of all processing establishments in those sectors. In this context, Bulgaria has requested that certain establishments be added to the list in the Annex to Decision 2007/31/EC. Bulgarian authorities have given guarantees that these establishments are now fully in compliance with Community requirements. Therefore, the list in that Annex should be updated accordingly. For the sake of clarity, it is appropriate to replace it by the Annex to this Decision.

(5)

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

(1)

Commission Decision 93/52/EEC of 21 December 1992 recording the compliance by certain Member States or regions with the requirements relating to brucellosis (B. melitensis) and according them the status of a Member State or region officially free of the disease (3) lists the Member States and regions thereof which are recognised as officially free of brucellosis (B. melitensis) in accordance with Directive 91/68/EEC.

(2)

Following a veterinary inspection mission carried out in July 2001, Romania was found to comply with the conditions provided for in Section II(1)(b) of Chapter 1 of Annex A to Directive 91/68/EEC. Therefore it was listed in Commission Decision 97/232/EC of 3 March 1997 drawing up lists of third countries from which the Member Sates authorise imports of sheep and goats (4) as a third country recognised as officially free of brucellosis (B. melitensis).

(3)

In addition, since that recognition Romania has undertaken to comply with the conditions provided for in Section II(2) of Chapter 1 of Annex A to Directive 91/68/EEC in order to maintain the officially free status granted.

(4)

Romania, as regards the whole territory, has now submitted to the Commission documentation re-confirming compliance with the conditions provided for in Section II(1)(b) of Chapter A of Annex A to Directive 91/68/EEC and demonstrating continuous conformity with the conditions of Section II(2) of Chapter 1 of Annex A to Directive 91/68/EEC as regards the maintenance of the officially free status granted.

(5)

Romania should therefore be recognised as officially free of brucellosis (B. melitensis) as regards ovine or caprine holdings.

(6)

Directive 64/432/EEC provides that Member States or parts or regions thereof may be declared officially free of tuberculosis, brucellosis and enzootic bovine leukosis as regards bovine herds subject to compliance with certain conditions set out in that Directive.

(7)

The lists of regions of Member States declared free of bovine tuberculosis, bovine brucellosis and enzootic bovine leukosis are set out in Commission Decision 2003/467/EC of 23 June 2003 establishing the official tuberculosis, brucellosis and enzootic-bovine-leukosis-free status of certain Member States and regions of Member States as regards bovine herds (5).

(8)

Slovenia has submitted to the Commission documentation demonstrating compliance with the appropriate conditions provided for in Directive 64/432/EEC as regards the whole territory in order that that Member State may be declared an officially brucellosis-free Member State.

(9)

Following evaluation of the documentation submitted by Slovenia, the whole territory of that Member State should therefore be declared officially brucellosis-free Member State as regards bovine animals.

(10)

Decisions 93/52/EEC and 2003/467/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

(11)

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

(1)

On 10 February 2004, the Council adopted Common Position 2004/137/CFSP (1) concerning the restrictive measures imposed against Liberia in order to implement UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1521 (2003). These measures concern, inter alia, a prohibition on imports of all rough diamonds from Liberia to the Community. That prohibition was last extended for a further period of six months from 23 December 2006.

(2)

On 27 April 2007, the UN Security Council adopted UNSCR 1753 (2007) terminating the measures on diamonds imposed by paragraph 6 of UNSCR 1521 (2003).

(3)

The corresponding measures imposed by Common Position 2004/137/CFSP should therefore be terminated.

(4)

Action by the Community is needed in order to implement this Common Position,