Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/887

of 2 June 2016

amending Annex II to Decision 2007/777/EC as regards the list of third countries or parts thereof from which the introduction into the Union of meat products and treated stomachs, bladders and intestines is authorised

(notified under document C(2016) 3215)

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Directive 2002/99/EC of 16 December 2002 laying down the animal health rules governing the production, processing, distribution and introduction of products of animal origin for human consumption1, and in particular the introductory phrase of Article 8, the first subparagraph of point 1 of Article 8, point (4) of Article 8 and Article 9(4)(c) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

Commission Decision 2007/777/EC2 lays down, inter alia, the conditions for the introduction into the Union of consignments of certain meat products and of treated stomachs, bladders and intestines which have undergone one of the treatments laid down in Part 4 of Annex II thereto (‘the commodities’), including a list of third countries or parts thereof from which the introduction into the Union of the commodities is authorised.

(2)

Where third countries are regionalised for the purpose of being listed in Decision 2007/777/EC the regionalised parts of their territory are listed in Part 1 of Annex II thereto.

(3)

Part 2 of Annex II to Decision 2007/777/EC sets out the list of third countries or parts thereof which are authorised for the introduction into the Union of the commodities, provided that they have undergone a relevant treatment referred to in that Part of Annex II. Those treatments are aimed at eliminating certain animal health risks linked to the specific commodities. Part 4 of that Annex sets out a non-specific treatment ‘A’ and specific treatments ‘B’ to ‘F’ listed in descending order of severity of the animal health risk linked to the specific commodity.

(4)

Argentina and Brazil have requested to be listed in Part 2 of Annex II to Decision 2007/777/EC as authorised for the introduction of commodities of domestic bovine animals from all parts of their territory that are already authorised for introduction into the Union of fresh meat of the same species of animals as described in Part 1 of Annex II to Commission Regulation (EU) No 206/20103.

(5)

As the commodities to be introduced into the Union must undergo a treatment set out in Part 4 of Annex II to Decision 2007/777/EC, the description of the regionalised territories of Argentina and Brazil for the commodities referred to as AR-1, AR-2 and BR-2 in Part 1 of Annex II to Decision 2007/777/EC, should be amended in order to be aligned with the regionalisation applied to Argentina and Brazil for the introduction into the Union of fresh meat of domestic bovine animals as described in Part 1 of Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 206/2010.

(6)

In addition, Brazil has requested a new area of Brazil to be authorised for the introduction into the Union of commodities which have been obtained from domestic bovine animals and subjected to the specific treatment ‘B’ set out in Part 4 of Annex II to Decision 2007/777/EC. Considering that that area is part of the territory of Brazil which is recognised as free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)4 without vaccination by the World Organisation for Animal Health (the OIE) and the application of the specific treatment ‘B’ to the commodities concerned, that area should be authorised for the introduction of the commodities into the Union.

(7)

Therefore that part of the territory of Brazil should be listed in Part 1 of Annex II to Decision 2007/777/EC as BR-4. Consignments of commodities obtained from domestic bovine animals from the part of Brazil described as BR-4, should be authorised for introduction into the Union, subject to the specific treatment ‘B’ as set out in Part 4 of that Annex and therefore BR-4 should be listed in Part 2 of that Annex.

(8)

Parts 1 and 2 of Annex II to Decision 2007/777/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

(9)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: