The Fresh Meat (Beef Controls) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2001 No. 155

FOOD

The Fresh Meat (Beef Controls) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001

Made

6th April 2001

Coming into operation

14th May 2001

Whereas it appears to the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety(1) that it is necessary or expedient—

(a) for the purpose of securing that food complies with food safety requirements and in the interests of the public health; and

(b) for the purpose of protecting or promoting the interests of consumers,

to make the following Regulations;

Now, therefore, that Department in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 15(1)(f), 16, 25(1) and (3), 26(3), 44(1) and 47(2) of the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991(2) and of every power enabling it in that behalf after consultation in accordance with Article 47(3) of the said Order with such organisations as appear to it to be representative of interests likely to be substantially affected by the Regulations and having regard, in accordance with Article 47(3A) of the said Order to any relevant advice given by the Food Standards Agency, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Fresh Meat (Beef Controls) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 and shall come into operation on 14th May 2001.

Amendments to the Fresh Meat (Beef Controls) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

2.—(1) The Fresh Meat (Beef Controls) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996(3) are amended in accordance with paragraph (2).

(2) The following regulation is inserted after regulation 3 (prohibition of sale of meat from older bovine animals)—

“Enforcement of Article 2.1 of Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2777/2000

3A.   A person shall not contravene Article 2.1 of Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2777/2000 adopting exceptional support measures for the beef market(4).”.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on 6th April 2001.

L.S.

W. B. Smith

Senior officer of the

Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

1.  These Regulations amend the Fresh Meat (Beef Controls) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 (S.R. 1996 No. 404, as already amended).

2.  These Regulations provide for the enforcement of Article 2.1 of Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2777/2000 adopting exceptional support measures for the beef market (O.J. No. L321, 19.12.2000, p. 47). That Article, which ceases to have effect on 30th June 2001, provides that meat from bovine animals aged more than 30 months and slaughtered in the Community after 1st January 2001 can only be released for human consumption or for export if tested negatively for bovine spongiform encephalopathy by an approved rapid test as referred to in Annex IV(A) of Commission Decision 98/272/EC (O.J. No. L122, 22.4.98, p. 59, as amended). Annex IV(A) was inserted into that Decision by Commission Decision 2000/374/EC (O.J. No. L135, 8.6.2000, p. 27).

(1)

Formerly the Department of Health and Social Services; see S.I. 1999/283 (N.I. 1) Article 3

(2)

S.I. 1991/762 (N.I. 7) as amended by S.I. 1996/1633 (N.I. 12) and paragraphs 26 to 42 of Schedule 5 and Schedule 6 to the Food Standards Act 1999 c. 28

(3)

S.R. 1996 No. 404, as amended by S.R. 1996 No. 506 and S.R. 2000 No. 78

(4)

O.J No. L321, 19.12.2000, p. 47