Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 91/493/EEC of 22 July 1991 laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on the market of fishery products^f1, and in particular Article 11 (1) thereof,

Whereas:

In Commission Decision 96/609/EC^f2, the ‘Ministère de l’agriculture et des ressources animales — Direction générale des ressources animales (MARA-DGRA)’ is identified as the competent authority in the Ivory Coast for verifying and certifying compliance of fishery and aquaculture products with Directive 91/493/EEC.

Following a restructuring of the Ivorian administration, the competent authority has changed to the ‘Ministère de la production animale et des ressources halieutiques — Direction des services vétérinaires et de la qualité (MIPARH-DSVQ)’.

That new authority is capable of effectively verifying the application of the rules in force.

The MIPARH-DSVQ has provided official assurances on compliance with the standards for health controls and monitoring of fishery and aquaculture products as set out in Directive 91/493/EEC and on the fulfilment of hygienic requirements equivalent to those laid down in that Directive.

Decision 96/609/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

It is appropriate for this Decision to be applied 45 days from the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union thereby providing for the necessary transitional period.

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

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: