Article 4U.K.Authorisation of aquaculture production businesses and processing establishments
1.Member States shall ensure that each aquaculture production business is duly authorised by the competent authority in accordance with Article 5.
Where appropriate, such authorisation may cover several aquaculture production businesses for molluscs in a mollusc farming area.
However, dispatch centres, purification centres or similar businesses located inside a mollusc farming area shall have an individual authorisation.
2.Member States shall ensure that each processing establishment slaughtering aquaculture animals for disease control purposes in accordance with Article 33 of Chapter V is duly authorised by the competent authority in accordance with Article 5.
3.Member States shall ensure that each aquaculture production business and authorised processing establishment has a unique authorisation number.
4.By way of derogation from the authorisation requirement in paragraph 1, Member States may require only the registration by the competent authority of the following:
(a)installations other than aquaculture production businesses, where aquatic animals are kept without the intention of being placed on the market;
(b)put and take fisheries;
(c)aquaculture production businesses which place aquaculture animals on the market solely for human consumption in accordance with of Article 1(3)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 853/2004.
In those cases, the provisions of this Directive shall apply mutatis mutandis, taking into account the nature, characteristics and situations of the installation, put and take fishery or business concerned and the risk of spreading aquatic animal diseases to other populations of aquatic animals as a result of its operation.
5.In the case of non-compliance with the provisions of this Directive, the competent authority shall act in accordance with Article 54 of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004.