31977L0648

14. 10 . 77 Official Journal pf the European Communities No L 261 /21

II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 11 October 1977 amending Directive 66/403/EEC on the marketing of seed potatoes

77/648 / EEC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE : COMMUNITIES, Article 1 Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Articles 43 and 100 thereof, In Article 15 (2) (a) of Directive 66/403/EEC the date of 31 December 1976 shall be replaced by that of 30 Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, June 1978 .

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parlia­ Article 2 ment ('), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Member States shall bring into force the laws, regula­ Social Committee (2), tions and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive with effect from 1 January Whereas it results from Article 15 of Council Direc­ 1977 . tive 66/403/EEC of 14 June 1966 on the marketing of seed potatoes (3), as last amended by Directive They shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof. 76/307/EEC (4), that after 1 July 1975 Member States Article J may no longer establish under their own responsi­ bility the equivalence of inspections and checks This Directive is addressed to the Member States . carried out in third countries ; whereas, however, the work intended to enable such equivalence to be deter­ mined at Community level has not yet been completed ; Done at Luxembourg, 11 October 1977.

Whereas, therefore, in order to prevent the Member For the Council States' traditional trade patterns being disturbed, the Member States should be granted the possibility of The President extending the validity of decisions on equivalence already taken by them , A. HUMBLET

(') OJ No C 183, 1 . 8 . 1977, p. 64. (2) OJ No C 180, 28 . 7. 1977, p. 29. (3) OJ No 125, 11 . 7. 1966, p. 2320/66. (4) OJ No L 72, 18 . 3 . 1976, p. 16.