Commission Decision 2007/777/EC of 29 November 2007 laying down the animal and public health conditions and model certificates for imports of certain meat products and treated stomachs, bladders and intestines for human consumption from third countries and repealing Decision 2005/432/EC3 lays down rules on imports into the Union and the transit and storage in the Union of consignments of meat products, as defined in point 7.1 of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin4. That Decision also lays down lists of third countries and parts thereof from which such imports and transit and storage are to be authorised and the model public and animal health certificates and the treatments required for those products.

Part 2 of Annex II to Decision 2007/777/EC lays down a list of third countries or parts thereof from which imports into the Union of meat products and treated stomachs, bladders and intestines which are subject to different treatments, referred to in Part 4 of that Annex, are authorised.

Decision 2007/777/EC provides that Member States are to ensure that consignments of the commodities covered by it, introduced into the Union and which are destined for a third country either by transit immediately or following storage and not intended for importation into the Union come from the territory of a third country or a part thereof listed in Annex II thereto and have undergone the minimum treatment for the import of such commodities provided for therein.

Commission Regulation (EC) No 798/2008 of 8 August 2008 laying down a list of third countries, territories, zones or compartments from which poultry and poultry products may be imported into and transit through the Community and the veterinary certification requirements5 provides that certain commodities are only to be imported into and transit through the Union from the third countries, territories, zones or compartments listed in the table in Part 1 of Annex I thereto. It also lays down the veterinary certification requirements for such commodities.

Russia has asked the Commission to authorise transit through the Union of poultry meat and poultry meat products which have been subjected to a non-specific treatment, pursuant to Part 4 of Annex II to Decision 2007/777/EC.

An inspection carried out by the Food and Veterinary Office in Russia demonstrated that the competent veterinary authority of that third country provides appropriate guarantees as regards compliance with Union rules required for transit through the Union of those commodities.

It is therefore appropriate to include Russia in the column for meat products from poultry and farmed feathered game (except ratites) in the table set out in Part 2 of Annex II to Decision 2007/777/EC for transit through the Union of such products which have undergone a non-specific treatment as set out in Part 4 of that Annex.

In addition, it is also necessary to include Russia in the list of third countries set out in Part 1 of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 798/2008 for transit through the Union of poultry meat.

Decision 2007/777/EC and Regulation (EC) No 798/2008 should therefore be 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,