21/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - During the Agriculture Council on 20 February the European Commission refused the French request for a special safeguard clause on earlier restriction on third country apple imports. The Commission pointed out that it had already adopted on 1 February a regulation setting up a third country apple import certificate system (EUROPE 9123). The Commission also indicated that international rules limited import restriction regulation but did say that it would take measures in 2007 if problems persisted.