Where the Department or the Agency learns of, or has reasonable grounds to suspect, the presence in any third country of a disease referred to in Council Directive 82/894/EEC (on the notification of animal diseases within the Community)27, a zoonosis or other disease or phenomenon or circumstance liable to present a serious threat to animal or public health, the Department or the Agency may by declaration suspend, or impose conditions on, the introduction into Northern Ireland of any product from the whole or any part of that third country.

Such a declaration shall be in writing and shall be published in such manner as the Department or the Agency, as the case may be, thinks fit and shall specify the products and the third country or part thereof concerned.

A declaration which imposes conditions on the introduction of any product from a third country or part thereof shall specify those conditions.

Where a declaration is in force suspending the introduction of any product, a person shall not introduce that product into Northern Ireland if it originates in the third country or part thereof specified in the declaration.

Where a declaration is in force imposing conditions on the introduction of any product, a person shall not introduce that product into Northern Ireland if it originates in the third country or part thereof specified in the declaration unless the product complies with the conditions specified in the declaration.

A declaration may be modified, suspended or revoked by a further written declaration published, so far as is practicable, in the same manner and to the same extent as the original declaration.