# COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 387/2005

of 8 March 2005

amending (EC) Regulation No 831/97 laying down marketing standards applicable to avocados

## Preamble

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 of 28 October 1996 on the common organisation of the market in fruit and vegetables [^1] , and in particular Article 2(2) thereof,

Whereas:

**(1)** The Working Party on Standardisation of Perishable Produce and Quality Development of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) has recently amended standard FFV-42 concerning the marketing and commercial quality control of avocados. For the sake of clarity and international transparency, account should be taken of such amendments in Commission Regulation (EC) No 831/97 [^2] .

**(2)** Maturity and development of avocados can be assessed by their dry matter contents. In order to exclude fruit unable to ripen, a requirement as to the minimum dry matter content should be introduced.

**(3)** Trade in small-sized Hass avocados is growing and meets the demand of certain consumers. It is therefore necessary to decrease the minimum size for avocados of this variety.

**(4)** Regulation (EC) No 831/97 should therefore be amended accordingly.

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

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

## **Article 1**

The Annex to Regulation (EC) No 831/97 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.

## **Article 2**

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the *Official Journal of the European Union* .

It shall apply from 1 May 2005.

## Final provisions

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 8 March 2005. *For the Commission* Mariann FISCHER BOEL *Member of the Commission*

[^1] [OJ L 297, 21.11.1996, p. 1](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_1996_297_R_TOC) . Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 47/2003 ( [OJ L 7, 11.1.2003, p. 64](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_2003_007_R_TOC) ).

[^2] [OJ L 119, 8.5.1997, p. 13](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_1997_119_R_TOC) . Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 907/2004 ( [OJ L 163, 30.4.2004, p. 50](http://publications.europa.eu/resource/oj/JOL_2004_163_R_TOC) ).

The Annex to Regulation (EC) No 831/97 is amended as follows:

| 1. | (a): in point A (Minimum requirements), the second subparagraph is replaced by the following: ‘Avocados must be firm and carefully picked.’ | (a) | in point A (Minimum requirements), the second subparagraph is replaced by the following:<br>‘Avocados must be firm and carefully picked.’ | (b) | —: 21 % for the variety Hass, | — | 21 % for the variety Hass, | — | 20 % for the varieties Fuerte, Pinkerton, Reed and Edranol, | — | 19 % for the other varieties except for Antillean varieties that may show a lower dry matter content. |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| (a) | in point A (Minimum requirements), the second subparagraph is replaced by the following:<br>‘Avocados must be firm and carefully picked.’ |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| (b) | —: 21 % for the variety Hass, | — | 21 % for the variety Hass, | — | 20 % for the varieties Fuerte, Pinkerton, Reed and Edranol, | — | 19 % for the other varieties except for Antillean varieties that may show a lower dry matter content. |  |  |  |  |
| — | 21 % for the variety Hass, |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| — | 20 % for the varieties Fuerte, Pinkerton, Reed and Edranol, |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| — | 19 % for the other varieties except for Antillean varieties that may show a lower dry matter content. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

| 2. | (a): in the table of the first subparagraph, the following line is added: ‘80 to 125 (Hass variety only) S [^1] ’ — ‘80 to 125 (Hass variety only) — S [^1] ’<br>‘80 to 125 (Hass variety only): S [^1] ’ |
| --- | --- |

[^1] The difference between the smallest and largest fruit within a package should not exceed 25 g.

[^1]: The difference between the smallest and largest fruit within a package should not exceed 25 g.
[^2]: . Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 907/2004 ().