The Animals and Animal Products (Import and Export) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Animals and Animal Products (Import and Export) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005 S.R. 2005 No. 78).

Regulation 7 specifies the compliance required under Community law for assembly centres handling sheep and goats which are permitted to be exported to other Member States under these Regulations.

Schedules 2 and 4 have been revised and updated in order to bring the implementation of Community instruments as up-to-date as possible at the time of making. The changes made to the Schedules are in paragraphs 1, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12 and 17 of Part I of Schedule 2, paragraphs 1 and 5 of Part I of Schedule 4, (to which a new paragraph 6 has been added to provide separately for a list of third countries from which equines and their genetic material may be imported); and paragraphs 2, 9, 10 and 14 of Part II of Schedule 4 have also been revised and updated.

In particular—

(a) at paragraph 4 of Schedule 2, Part I, Council Directive 90/426//EEC is now to be read with Council Directive 90/427/EEC and Commission Decision 93/623/EEC as amended by Commission Decision 2000/68/EC, relating to equine identification in respect of trade, and the notes to that paragraph amend the details relating to the Tripartite Agreement to allow movements of equidae for breeding and production to take place between Ireland, France and the UK without need for official health certification (such animals must be accompanied by a passport in accordance with Commission Decision 93/62/EEC as amended by Commission Decision 2000/68/EC); and

(b) at paragraph 6 of the Schedule 2, Part I, the reference to Council Decision 95/410/EC now reflects amendments made by Council Decision 98/227, and the requirements for certificates as to testing for Finland and Sweden have been updated to refer to Commission Decisions 2003/644/EC and 2004/235/EC in respect of breeding poultry, day-old chicks, laying hens and poultry for slaughter.