(1) By way of derogation from Article 4a(1)(a), ovine and caprine animals for slaughter may be subject to trade after they have been continuously resident on the holding of origin for at least 21 days.
(2) By way of derogation from Article 4a(1)(b), and without prejudice to paragraph 1 and Article 4b(2), ovine and caprine animals for slaughter may be consigned from a holding of origin into which ovine or caprine animals have been introduced during the 21 days prior to dispatch, if they are transported directly to a slaughterhouse in another Member State for immediate slaughter without passing through an assembly centre or staging point established in accordance with Directive 91/628/EEC.
(3) By way of derogation from Article 4b(3) and (4), and without prejudice to the provisions in Article 4b(2), ovine and caprine animals for slaughter may, after leaving the holding of origin, pass through one additional assembly centre under the following alternative conditions:
(a) the animals, before passing through the approved assembly centre referred to in Article 4b(4) which is situated in the Member State of origin, comply with the following conditions:
after leaving the holding of origin the animals pass through one single assembly centre under official veterinary supervision, which permits at the same time only animals of at least the same health status,
without prejudice to Community legislation on identification of sheep and goats, at the latest at that assembly centre the animals are individually identified so as to enable in each case the tracing of the holding of origin and
from the assembly centre the animals are, accompanied by an official veterinary document, transported to the approved assembly centre referred to in Article 4b(4) to be certified and consigned directly to a slaughterhouse in the Member State of destination;
or
(b) the animals may after dispatch from the Member State of origin transit through one approved assembly centre before being consigned to the slaughterhouse in the Member State of destination under the following conditions:
either the approved assembly centre is situated in the Member State of destination from where the animals must be removed under the responsibility of the official veterinarian directly to a slaughterhouse to be slaughtered within five days of arrival at the approved assembly centre, or
the approved assembly centre is situated in one Member State of transit from where the animals are consigned directly to the slaughterhouse in the Member State of destination indicated in the animal health certificate issued in accordance with Article 9(6).]