Commission Regulation (EC) No 1615/2001 of 7 August 2001 laying down the marketing standard for melons and amending Regulation (EC) No 1093/97
Modified by
  • Commission Regulation (EC) No 46/2003of 10 January 2003amending the marketing standards for fresh fruit and vegetables as regards mixes of different types of fresh fruit and vegetables in the same sales packageCommission Regulation (EC) No 6/2005of 4 January 2005correcting Regulations (EC) No 46/2003 and (EC) No 47/2003 as regards mixes of different types of fresh fruit and vegetables in the same sales package, 32003R004632005R0006, January 11, 2003
  • Commission Regulation (EC) No 6/2005of 4 January 2005correcting Regulations (EC) No 46/2003 and (EC) No 47/2003 as regards mixes of different types of fresh fruit and vegetables in the same sales package, 32005R0006, January 5, 2005
  • Commission Regulation (EC) No 907/2004of 29 April 2004amending the marketing standards applicable for fresh fruit and vegetables with regards to presentation and labelling, 32004R0907, April 30, 2004
  • Commission Regulation (EC) No 1016/2006of 4 July 2006amending Regulation (EC) No 1615/2001 laying down the marketing standard for melons, 32006R1016, July 5, 2006
  • Commission Regulation (EC) No 1221/2008of 5 December 2008amending Regulation (EC) No 1580/2007 laying down implementing rules of Council Regulations (EC) No 2200/96, (EC) No 2201/96 and (EC) No 1182/2007 in the fruit and vegetable sector as regards marketing standards, 32008R1221, December 13, 2008
Commission Regulation (EC) No 1615/2001of 7 August 2001laying down the marketing standard for melons and amending Regulation (EC) No 1093/97 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 vegetablesOJ L 297, 21.11.1996, p. 1., as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 911/2001OJ L 129, 11.5.2001, p. 3., and in particular Article 2(2) and Article 3(3) thereof,Whereas:(1)Melons are among the products listed in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 for which standards must be adopted. Commission Regulation (EC) No 1093/97of 16 June 1997 laying down marketing standards applicable to melons and watermelonsOJ L 158, 17.6.1997, p. 21., as amended by Regulation (EC) No 850/2000OJ L 103, 27.4.2000, p. 21., has been amended and can no longer ensure legal clarity.(2)In the interest of clarity, the rules on melons should be separated from those on other products under Regulation (EC) No 1093/97. The rules in question should therefore be recast and Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 1093/97 should be deleted. To that end, and in the interest of preserving transparency on the world market, account should be taken of the standard for melons recommended by the Working Party on Standardisation of Perishable Produce and Quality Development of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE). This standard has recently been amended to differentiate between the minimum maturity criteria for Charentais melons and those for other types of melon.(3)Application of these standards should remove products of unsatisfactory quality from the market, bring production into line with consumer requirements and facilitate trade based on fair competition, thereby helping to improve profitability.(4)The standards are applicable at all marketing stages. Long-distance transport, storage over a certain period and the various processes the products undergo may cause some degree of deterioration owing to the biological development of the products or their perishable nature. Account should be taken of such deterioration when applying the standard at the marketing stages following dispatch.(5)Article 3(3)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 provides for the possibility of derogation from the standards in force for fruit and vegetables produced in a given region which are sold by the retail trade of the region for well-established traditional local consumption. Certain varieties of melon produced in Spain and Portugal are traditionally sold in the region of production loose, i.e. after being loaded directly into the means of transport or a compartment of the means of transport. This marketing practice was the subject of Commission Regulations (EC) No 1332/97OJ L 183, 11.7.1997, p. 6. and (EC) No 1438/97OJ L 196, 24.7.1997, p. 64. derogating, for Portugal and Spain respectively, from the marketing standards applicable to melons. For clarification and simplification, these derogations should be integrated into this Regulation and Regulations (EC) No 1332/97 and (EC) No 1438/97 should be repealed.(6)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 1The marketing standard for melons, falling within CN code 08071900, shall be as set out in the Annex.The standard shall apply at all marketing stages under the conditions laid down in Regulation (EC) No 2200/96.However, at stages following dispatch, products may show in relation to the requirements of the standard a slight lack of freshness and turgidity, as well as slight deterioration due to their development and their perishable nature.
Article 2Notwithstanding the provisions of this Regulation, the following melons may be sold loose in the region of production in that Member State by the retail trade:(a)melons produced in Portugal other than the Charentais, Ogen and Galia types,(b)melons with an elongated shape produced in Spain.The document or, where appropriate, the notice referred to in Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 accompanying each consignment must bear, in addition to the other information required, the following indication: "For sale by the retail trade in … (region of production) only".
Article 3Regulation (EC) No 1093/97 is amended as follows:1.In the title, the words "melons and" are deleted.2.Article 1(1) is replaced by the following:"1.The marketing standard for watermelons, falling within CNcode 08071100, shall be as set out in the Annex."3.Annex I is deleted.4.In Annex II, the title is replaced by the following title: "Annex".
Article 4Regulations (EC) No 1332/97 and (EC) No 1438/97 are repealed.References to the repealed regulations shall be understood as references to this Regulation.
Article 5This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.It shall apply from 1 January 2002.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.ANNEXSTANDARD FOR MELONSI.DEFINITION OF PRODUCEThis standard applies to melons of varieties (cultivars) grown from Cucumis melo L. to be supplied fresh to the consumer, melons for industrial processing being excluded.II.PROVISIONS CONCERNING QUALITYThe purpose of the standard is to define the quality requirements for melons, after preparation and packaging.A.Minimum requirementsIn all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the tolerances allowed, the melons must be:intactHowever, a small healed scar caused by automatic measurement of the refractometric index is not regarded as a defect.,sound; produce affected by rotting or deterioration such as to make it unfit for consumption is excluded,clean, practically free from any visible foreign matter,fresh in appearance,practically free from pests,practically free from damage caused by pests,firm,free of abnormal external moisture,free of any foreign smell and/or taste.The melons must be sufficiently developed and display satisfactory ripenessThe refractometric index of the pulp measured at the middle point of the fruit flesh at the equatorial section must be greater than or equal to 10o Brix for Charentais melons and 8o Brix for other melons..The development and condition of the melons must be such as to enable them:to withstand transport and handling, andto arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination.B.ClassificationMelons are classified in two classes defined below:(i)Class IMelons in this class must be of good quality. They must be characteristic of the variety or commercial type.The following slight defects, however, may be allowed provided these do not affect the general appearance of the produce, the quality, the keeping quality and presentation in the package:a slight defect in shape,a slight defect in colouring (a pale colouring of the rind at the point where the fruit touched the ground while growing is not regarded as a defect),slight skin blemishes due to rubbing or handling,slight healed cracks around the peduncle of less than 2 cm in length that do not reach the pulp.Fruits harvested with their peduncle attached shall present a length of peduncle of less than 2 cm.(ii)Class IIThis class includes melons which do not qualify for inclusion in Class I, but satisfy the minimum requirements specified above.The following defects may be allowed provided the melons retain their essential characteristics as regards the quality, the keeping quality and presentation:defects in shape,defects in colouring (a pale colouring of the rind at the point where the fruit touched the ground while growing is not regarded as a defect),slight bruising,slight cracks or deep scratches that do not affect the pulp of the fruit and are dry,skin blemishes due to rubbing or handling.III.PROVISIONS CONCERNING SIZINGSize is determined by the weight of one unit or by the diameter of the equatorial section.The minimum sizes are as follows:
Sizing by weight:
— Charentais, Ogen and Galia type melons:250 g
— Other melons:300 g
Sizing by diameter:
— Charentais, Ogen and Galia type melons:7,5 cm
— Other melons:8,0 cm
When the size is expressed by weight, the largest melon may not weigh over 50 % (30 % for the Charentais type melons) more than the smallest.When the size is expressed by diameter, the diameter of the largest melon may not be over 20 % (10 % more for the Charentais type melons) more than the diameter of the smallest.Sizing is compulsory for both classes.IV.PROVISIONS CONCERNING TOLERANCETolerances in respect of quality and size shall be allowed in each package for produce not satisfying the requirements of the class indicated.A.Quality tolerances(i)Class I10 % by number or weight of melons not satisfying the requirements of the class, but meeting those of Class II or, exceptionally, coming within the tolerances of that class.(ii)Class II10 % by number or weight of melons satisfying neither the requirements of the class, nor the minimum requirements, with the exception of produce affected by rotting or any other deterioration rendering it unfit for consumption.B.Size tolerancesFor all classes: 10 % by number or weight of melons whose size is greater or less than that specified.V.PROVISIONS CONCERNING PRESENTATIONA.UniformityThe contents of each package must be uniform and contain only melons of the same origin, variety or commercial type, quality and size, and which have reached appreciably the same degree of development and ripeness and are of appreciably the same colour.The visible part of the contents of the package must be representative of the entire contents.Notwithstanding the preceding provisions in this point, products covered by this Regulation may be mixed, in sales packages of a net weight of three kilograms or less, with different types of fresh fruit and vegetables on the conditions laid down by Commission Regulation (EC) No 48/2003OJ L 7, 11.1.2003, p. 65..B.PackagingMelons must be packed in such a way as to protect the produce properly.The materials used inside the package must be new, clean and of a quality such as to avoid causing any external or internal damage to the produce. The use of materials, particularly paper or stamps, bearing trade specifications is allowed provided the printing or labelling has been done with non-toxic ink or glue.Packages must be free from all foreign matter.Stickers individually affixed on product shall be such as, when removed, neither to leave visible traces of glue, nor to lead to skin defects.VI.PROVISIONS CONCERNING MARKINGEach package must bear the following particulars in letters grouped on the same side, legibly and indelibly marked, and visible from the outside.A.IdentificationThe name and the address of the packer and/or the dispatcherThis mention may be replaced:for all packages with the exception of pre-packages, by the officially issued or accepted code mark representing the packer and/or the dispatcher, indicated in close connection with the reference "Packer and/or Dispatcher" (or equivalent abbreviations);for pre-packages only, by the name and the address of a seller established within the Community indicated in close connection with the mention "Packed for:" or an equivalent mention. In this case, the labelling shall also include a code representing the packer and/or the dispatcher. The seller shall give all information deemed necessary by the inspection body as to the meaning of this code.B.Nature of produce"Melons" if the contents are not visible from the outside.Name of the commercial typeThe main commercial types are set out in the publication of the OECD Scheme for the Application of International Standards for Fruit and Vegetables entitled "Commercial types of melons/Les types commerciaux de melons, OECD, 2006" available at http://www.oecdbookshop.org.Name of the variety (optional).C.Origin of produceCountry of origin and, optionally, district where grown or national, regional or local place name.D.Commercial specificationsClass.Size expressed in minimum and maximum weight or minimum and maximum diameter.Number of units (optional).Minimum sugar content, measured by refractometer and expressed in degrees Brix (optional).E.Official control mark (optional)Packages need not to bear the particulars mentioned in the first subparagraph, when they contain sales packages, clearly visible from the outside, and all bearing these particulars. These packages shall be free from any indications such as could mislead. When these packages are palletised, the particulars shall be given on a notice placed in an obvious position on at least two sides of the pallet.