Directive 97/78/EC provides that veterinary checks on products from third countries introduced into the Union are to be carried out by Member States in accordance with that Directive and with Regulation (EC) No 882/2004.

Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 lays down general rules for the performance of official controls to verify compliance with rules aiming, in particular, at preventing, eliminating or reducing to acceptable levels risks to humans and animals, either directly or through the environment.

Directive 2002/99/EC lays down the general animal health rules governing all stages of the production, processing and distribution within the Union and the introduction from third countries of products of animal origin and products obtained intended for human consumption.

Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 lays down specific rules on the hygiene of food of animal origin for food business operators. Article 6(4) of that Regulation provides that food business operators importing food containing both products of plant origin and processed products of animal origin (composite products) are to ensure that the processed products of animal origin contained in such food satisfy certain public health requirements laid down therein. In addition, Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 provides that food business operators must be able to demonstrate that they have done so, for example through appropriate documentation or certification.

Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 applies from 1 January 2006. However, the application of a number of measures laid down therein with immediate effect from that date would have presented practical difficulties in certain cases.

In addition, Regulation (EC) No 1162/2009 provides that imports of composite products are to comply with the harmonised Union rules, where applicable, and with the national rules implemented by the Member States in other cases.

Regulation (EC) No 1162/2009 applies until 31 December 2013.

In addition, Decision 2007/275/EC lays down certain certification requirements regarding the composite products subject to veterinary checks. It provides that composite products containing processed meat products are to be accompanied at introduction into the Union by the relevant certificate for meat products laid down in Union legislation. Composite products containing processed milk products, which are to be subjected to veterinary checks, are to be accompanied at introduction into the Union by the relevant certificate laid down in Union legislation. In addition, composite products containing only processed fishery or egg products which are to be subjected to veterinary checks are to be accompanied at introduction into the Union by the relevant certificate laid down in Union legislation or a commercial document where there is no certificate so required.

The composite products subjected to veterinary checks pursuant to Decision 2007/275/EC are, by their very nature, the ones that may present also a higher public health risk. The levels of potential public health risk vary depending on the product of animal origin which is included in the composite product, the percentage in which that product of animal origin is present in the composite product and the treatments applied to it as well as the shelf stability of the composite product.

It is therefore appropriate that the public health requirements laid down in Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 apply to those composite products even before the expiry of the derogation provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1162/2009.

In particular, the certification of compliance with public health requirements as laid down in Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 should be provided for in this Regulation for the importation of the composite products containing processed meat products, of those composite products containing half or more of their substance of milk products or of processed fishery or egg products and of those composite products containing no processed meat products and less than half of their substance of processed milk products where the final products are not shelf-stable at ambient temperature or where they have not clearly undergone in their manufacture a complete cooking or heat treatment process throughout their substance, so that any raw product is not denatured.

As a consequence, the derogation laid down in Regulation (EC) No 1162/2009 should no longer apply for those composite products.

The animal health requirements concerning those composite products are already laid down in Union legislation. Pursuant to those requirements, those composite products should in particular only be imported from approved third countries.

A specific model health certificate attesting that such composite products imported into the Union comply with those public and animal health requirements should be laid down in this Regulation. As a consequence, the certification requirements laid down in Decision 2007/275/EC should no longer apply for those composite products.

For the other composite products containing half or more of their substance of products of animal origin other than milk products or fishery or egg products, the certification requirements laid down in Decision 2007/275/EC should continue to apply. However, for reasons of simplification and clarity of Union legislation, it is appropriate to include those certification requirements in this Regulation, so that the main rules on the certification of composite products be laid down in only one act.

Decision 2007/275/EC and Regulation (EC) No 1162/2009 should therefore be amended accordingly.

Due to animal health reasons, a certificate and specific conditions for transit via the Union should be provided for. However these conditions should be applicable only to composite products containing processed meat products or processed dairy products.

Specific conditions for transit via the Union of consignments to and from Russia should be provided for, owing to the geographical situation of Kaliningrad, which only concerns Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

To avoid any disruption of trade, the use of certificates issued in accordance with Decision 2007/275/EC prior to the date of application of this Regulation should be authorised for a transitional period.

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