Council Decision (EU) 2017/2104 of 6 November 2017 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe — Working Party on Agricultural Quality Standards (UNECE-WP.7) concerning proposals on quality standards for fruit and vegetables
Data as of 2026-07-04 · Compiled from an official source version. Later amendments or repeals may not be reflected; the official text prevails. · Read the official text ↗
The position to be taken on behalf of the Union in the annual meetings of the UNECE-WP.7, when the latter is called on to establish new UNECE quality standards for fruit and vegetables or to amend existing UNECE quality standards for fruit and vegetables, is set out in Annex I.
The year-to-year specification of the Union position to be taken in the annual meetings of the UNECE-WP.7 shall be established in accordance with Annex II.
This Decision and its Annexes shall be assessed and, where appropriate, revised by the Council upon a proposal from the Commission, at the latest for the annual meeting of the UNECE-WP.7 in 2020.
The position referred to in Article 1 shall be expressed by the Member States which participate in UNECE-WP.7, acting jointly in the interest of the Union.
The Member States which participate in the UNECE-WP.7, acting jointly in the interest of the Union and in consultation with the Commission, may agree to minor changes to the proposals on quality standards for fruit and vegetables in the UNECE-WP.7 that do not alter the substance of those proposals.
This Decision is addressed to the Member States. This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its adoption.
ANNEX I THE UNION POSITION IN THE ANNUAL MEETINGS OF THE UNECE-WP.7 The Member States which participate in the UNECE-WP.7, acting jointly in the interest of the Union, shall approve the proposals prepared by the Specialised Section on Standardisation of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables and by the Specialised Section on Standardisation of Dry and Dried Produce for establishing new UNECE quality standards for fruit and vegetables or amending the existing UNECE quality standards for fruit and vegetables, provided that: (a) the new quality standards for fruit and vegetables or the amendments to the existing quality standards for fruit and vegetables are in the interests of the Union and serve the objectives pursued by the Union within the framework of its agriculture policy; and (b) the new quality standards for fruit and vegetables or the amendments to the existing quality standards for fruit and vegetables are not contrary to Union law and, in particular, are not contrary to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, without prejudice to the Commission's right to adapt the Union's rules by delegated act, in particular as regards the marketing standards for fruit and vegetables, referred to in Article 75 of that Regulation.
ANNEX II YEAR-TO-YEAR SPECIFICATION OF THE UNION POSITION TO BE TAKEN AT THE ANNUAL MEETINGS OF THE UNECE-WP.7 1. Before each annual meeting of the UNECE-WP.7, the Commission shall transmit to the Council or its preparatory bodies a written preparatory document setting out the particulars of the proposed specification of the Union position for discussion and approval of the position to be expressed on the Union's behalf. That document shall be transmitted sufficiently in advance of the UNECE-WP.7 meeting it concerns. 2. When preparing the written document referred to in paragraph 1 of this Annex, the Commission shall assess whether the proposed quality standards comply with the conditions set out in Annex I, including whether they raise any particular concerns for the Union. 3. Where, following the Commission's assessement referred to in paragraph 2, the discussions within the Council or its preparatory bodies conclude that a proposal of the Specialised Section on Standardisation of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables or of the Specialised Section on Standardisation of Dry and Dried Produce presents a particular concern for the Union which has not been discussed in one of the Specialised Sections on Standardisation, the Member States which participate in the UNECE-WP.7, acting jointly in the interest of the Union, shall request that the decision on that proposal be postponed until that concern has been duly discussed in the Specialised Section on Standardisation. 4. Where a proposal by the Specialised Section on Standardisation of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables or by the Specialised Section on Standardisation of Dry and Dried Produce is likely to be affected by new scientific or technical information that emerged after the discussion within the Council or within its preparatory bodies but before or during the meeting of UNECE-WP.7, the Member States which participate in the UNECE-WP.7, acting jointly in the interest of the Union, shall request that the decision on that proposal in the UNECE-WP.7 be postponed until that proposal has been discussed in the Specialised Sections on Standardisation on the basis of that new scientific or technical information. 5. If a number of Member States equivalent to a blocking minority established by the second paragraph of point (a) of Article 238(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union oppose a proposal for a new UNECE quality standard for fruit and vegetables or oppose an amendment to existing UNECE quality standards for fruit and vegetables, the Member States which participate in the UNECE-WP.7, shall request that the decision on that proposed standard be postponed and that discussions be continued in the Specialised Section on Standardisation of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables or in the Specialised Section on Standardisation of Dry and Dried Produce or in a UNECE working group established for that purpose. 6. Further meetings within the Council or its preparatory bodies may be convened, if necessary and including on the spot, in order to take account of any new developments that may occur between the discussion within the Council or its preparatory bodies and until or during the meeting of UNECE-WP.7, other than those developments referred to in Article 5 of this Decision. 7. If, in the course of those meetings, including on-the-spot meetings, and with regard to paragraph 3, 4 and 6 of this Annex, it is impossible to reach an agreement on the proposed specification of the Union position, the matter shall be referred to the Council or its preparatory bodies.
Source: EUR-Lex (Publications Office of the EU), © European Union, reuse permitted under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.