22/07/2004 (Agence Europe) - Monday's "Agriculture" Council approved a revised version of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), to reinforce its role in the adoption of international standards. The Council also decided that the Union, as such, will be part of the IPPC, alongside its 25 Member States. "These two organisations recognise the IPPC's growing importance in the world trade system", said the European Commission. The WTO grants its members the right to impose restrictions on imports, if the protection of their agriculture against plant diseases or parasites calls for such measures.