Commission Decision of 3 June 2005 laying down the animal and public health conditions and model certificates for imports of meat products for human consumption from third countries and repealing Decisions 97/41/EC, 97/221/EC and 97/222/EC (notified under document number C(2005) 1616) (Text with EEA relevance) (2005/432/EC) (repealed)

Article 1 U.K. Subject matter and scope

1. This Decision lays down animal and public health rules for the importation into the Community of consignments of certain meat products, including the lists of third countries and parts of third countries from which the importation of such products shall be authorised, the model public and animal health certificates and rules on treatments required for those products.

2. This Decision shall apply without prejudice to Decision 2004/432/EC.

Article 2 U.K. Definition of meat products

For the purposes of this Decision, the definition of meat products as laid down in Article 2(a) of Directive 77/99/EEC shall apply.

Article 3 U.K. Conditions concerning species and animals

Member States shall ensure that consignments of meat products imported into the Community are derived from meat or meat products from the following species or animals:

(a)

domestic poultry of the following species: domestic fowl, turkeys, guinea fowl, geese and ducks;

(b)

domestic animals of the following species: bovine animals, including Bubalus bubalis, Bison bison, swine, sheep, goats and solipeds;

(c)

farmed game and domestic rabbits as defined in Article 2(3) of Council Directive 91/495/EEC(1);

(d)

wild game as defined in Article 2(1)(a) of Council Directive 92/45/EEC(2).

Article 4 U.K. Animal health conditions concerning the origin and treatment of the meat products

Subject to compliance with the conditions concerning the origin and treatment of the meat products, as set out in Annex I, Member States shall authorise the importation of meat products originating in the following third countries or parts of third countries:

(a)

the third countries listed in Part 2 of Annex II, or parts of third countries set out in Part 1 of that Annex;

(b)

the third countries listed in Parts 2 and 3 of Annex II or parts of third countries set out in Part 1 of that Annex.

Article 5 U.K. Public health conditions concerning the fresh meat used in the production of the meat products to be imported into the Community

Member States shall authorise import of meat products obtained from fresh meat that complies with the Community public health requirements for the importation of such meat into the Community.

Article 6 U.K. Animal and public health certificates

Consignments of meat products shall comply with the requirements of the model public and animal health certificate set out in Annex III.

That certificate shall accompany the consignment of meat products and be duly completed and signed by the official veterinarian of the third country of dispatch.

Article 7 U.K. Consignments of meat products in transit or storage in the Community

Member States shall ensure that consignments of meat products, introduced into the Community and which are destined for a third country either by transit immediately or after storage in accordance with Article 12(4) or 13 of Directive 97/78/EC, and not intended for importation into the Community, shall comply with the following requirements:

(a)

they shall come from the territory of a third country or a part thereof listed in Annex II and shall have undergone the minimum treatment for the import of meat products of the species concerned foreseen therein;

(b)

they shall meet the specific animal health conditions for the species concerned set out in the model animal and public health certificate drawn up under Annex III;

(c)

they shall be accompanied by an animal health certificate established in accordance with the model set out in Annex IV, signed by an official veterinarian of the competent veterinary services of the third country concerned;

(d)

they shall be certified as acceptable for transit or storage (as appropriate) on the common veterinary entry document by the official veterinarian of the border inspection post of introduction into the Community.

Article 8 U.K. Derogation for certain destinations in Russia

1. By way of derogation from Article 7, Member States shall authorise the transit by road or by rail through the Community, between designated Community border inspection posts listed in Annex to Decision 2001/881/EC, of consignments of meat products coming from and destined to Russia directly or via another third country provided that they comply with the following requirements:

(a) the consignment shall be sealed with a serially numbered seal by the official veterinarian of the competent authority at the border inspection post of introduction to the Community;

(b) the documents accompanying the consignment and referred to in Article 7 of Directive 97/78/EC shall be stamped ‘ONLY FOR TRANSIT TO RUSSIA VIA THE EC’ on each page by the official veterinarian of the competent authority of the border inspection post of introduction to the Community;

(c) the procedural requirements provided for in Article 11 of Directive 97/78/EC shall be complied with;

(d) the consignment shall be certified as acceptable for transit on the common veterinary entry document by the official veterinarian of the competent authority of the border inspection post of introduction to the Community.

2. Member States shall not authorise the unloading or storage, as defined in Article 12(4) or Article 13 of Directive 97/78/EC, in the Community of such consignments.

3. Member States shall ensure that the competent authority makes regular audits to ensure that the number of consignments and the quantities of products leaving the Community matches the number and quantities entering.

Article 9 U.K. Transitional provisions

Member States shall authorise the importation into the Community of consignments of meat products certified in accordance with the model veterinary certificates laid down in Decisions 97/41/EEC or 97/221/EEC for a period of six months from 17 June 2005.

Article 10 U.K. Repeals

Decisions 97/41/EC, 97/221/EC and 97/222/EC are repealed.

Article 11 U.K. Date of application

This Decision shall apply from 17 June 2005.

Article 12 U.K. Addresses

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 3 June 2005.

For the Commission

Markos Kyprianou

Member of the Commission