Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 lays down rules to ensure that proper and effective measures are taken to detect and control Salmonella and other zoonotic agents at all relevant stages of production, processing and distribution, particularly at the level of primary production, in order to reduce their prevalence and the risk they pose to public health.

Pursuant to Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003, with effect from 72 months after the date of entry into force of that Regulation, eggs may only be used for direct human consumption as table eggs if they originate from a commercial flock of laying hens subject to a national control programme and not under official restriction.

Commission Decision 2006/696/EC of 28 August 2006 laying down a list of third countries from which poultry, hatching eggs, day-old chicks, meat of poultry, ratites and wild game-birds, eggs and egg products and specified pathogen-free eggs may be imported into and transit through the Community and the applicable veterinary certification conditions, and amending Decisions 93/342/EEC, 2000/585/EC and 2003/812/EC3 lays down veterinary certification conditions for imports and transit through the Community of eggs and egg products.

A high prevalence of Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium was detected in flocks of laying hens in Member States during a study carried out in accordance with Commission Decision 2004/665/EC of 22 September 2004 concerning a baseline study on the prevalence of Salmonella in laying flocks of Gallus gallus4.

According to the Report of the European Food Safety Authority on Trends and Sources of Zoonoses, Zoonotic agents and Antimicrobial Resistance and Foodborne Outbreaks in the European Union in 20055 eggs and egg products are the most important source of known foodborne outbreaks of salmonellosis in humans. In addition, according to that report, Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium were responsible for 88 % of the outbreaks where the serovar was demonstrated.

In view of the high prevalence of Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium in certain Member States, its public health impact and the reluctance of food business operators to trade table eggs from infected flocks, the date on which restrictions on the consumption of table eggs are to apply, should be brought forward but should still allow food business operators sufficient time to comply with the new requirements without causing any disturbance to markets.

However, where a flock of laying hens has been indicated as the source of infection in a food borne outbreak as a result of the epidemiological investigation of food-borne outbreaks in accordance with Directive 2003/99/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 17 November 2003 on the monitoring of zoonoses and zoonotic agents, amending Council Decision 90/424/EEC and repealing Council Directive 92/117/EEC6, the restrictions on the use of table eggs set out in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 should apply without delay.

Taking account of the public health risk of eggs infected with Salmonella, rules should be laid down on the marking of eggs to guarantee that eggs from flocks which are subject to restrictions within the framework of a Salmonella control programme provided for in Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003, are marked in a way which easily distinguishes them from table eggs before being placed on the market.

In order to exclude false-positive initial results, the competent authority should be allowed to lift the restrictions laid down in Paragraph 2 of Part D to Annex II of that Regulation if the Salmonella infection is not confirmed in the flocks of laying hens using a strict protocol.

Third countries, from which Member States are authorised to import eggs, should provide guarantees, equivalent to the requirements within the Community and the model certificate for eggs in Decision 2006/696/EC should be amended accordingly.

Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety7, in particular Article 12 thereof, lays down rules concerning food and feed exported or re-exported from the Community for placing on the market in a third country. Those provisions apply to table eggs. Accordingly, it is not necessary to lay down specific provisions with regard to the export of such eggs in this Regulation.

To avoid any disturbance of trade, the use of certificates issued in accordance with the current model certificates set out in Decision 2006/696/EC should be allowed for a period of 60 days following the date of application of this Regulation.

Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 should therefore by amended accordingly.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal health,