The Products of Animal Origin (Third Country Imports) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 2003

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Products of Animal Origin (Third Country Imports) (Scotland) Regulations 2002 (S.S.I. 2002/445 as amended by S.S.I 2002/565 and S.S.I 2003/165) (“the principal Regulations”) which implement Council Directive 97/78/EC laying down the principles governing the organisation of veterinary checks on products entering the Community from third countries (O.J. No. L 24, 30.1.98, p.9).

Regulation 2(4) inserts a new regulation 12A into the principal Regulations which provides that the Scottish Ministers, the Commissioners of Customs and Excise, any local authority and the Food Standards Agency may exchange information amongst themselves and share information with the enforcement agencies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Regulation 2(6) (to be read with the amendment at regulation 2(3)) substitutes a new regulation for regulation 16 of the principal Regulations. The new regulation 16 provides that the prohibition on the introduction into Scotland of products of animal origin (except at border inspection posts) shall be enforced at points of entry by the Commissioners instead of the local authority.

Regulation 2(7) amends regulation 28 of the principal Regulations to provide that the Commissioners may charge the costs of redispatching or destroying a product or consignment to the person on whom a notification of seizure has been served.

Consequential amendments to the principal Regulations are made by regulations 2(3) and (8), and regulation 2(5) corrects an error in the principal Regulations.

A regulatory impact assessment has been prepared and placed in the Scottish Executive Library, Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh EH11 3XD. Copies may be obtained from the Animal Health and Welfare Branch of the Scottish Executive, Environment and Rural Affairs Department, 47 Robb’s Loan, Edinburgh EH 14 1TY.