(1)

Article 7 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1148/2001 of 12 June 2001 on checks on conformity to the marketing standards applicable to fresh fruit and vegetables (2), lays down the conditions for the approval of checking operations, performed by certain third countries which so request, prior to import into the Community.

(2)

The Senegalese authorities sent the Commission a request for the approval of checking operations performed under the responsibility of the Directorate for Plant Protection of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water. The request states that the aforementioned Directorate has the necessary staff, equipment and facilities to carry out checks, that it uses methods equivalent to those referred to in Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 1148/2001 and that the fresh fruit and vegetables exported from Senegal to the Community must meet the Community marketing standards.

(3)

The information sent by the Member States to the Commission shows that, in the period 2001 to 2005, the incidence of non-conformity with marketing standards among imports from Senegal of fresh fruit and vegetables was very low.

(4)

Checks on conformity carried out by Senegal should therefore be approved with effect from the date of implementation of the administrative cooperation procedure provided for in Article 7(8) of Regulation (EC) No 1148/2001.

(5)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables,