[F120.—(1) This regulation applies to any consignment of a product if the checks at a border control post show that the consignment does not comply with the rules referred to in Article 1(2) of the EU Regulation.
(2) The official veterinary surgeon or the authorised officer (as appropriate) must, after consultation with the importer or importer's representative, place the consignment under detention and refuse its entry into [F2Northern Ireland].
(3) The official veterinary surgeon or the authorised officer (as appropriate) may order the person responsible for the consignment—
(a)to subject the consignment to special treatment in accordance with Article 71(1) and (2) or to any other measure necessary to ensure compliance with the rules referred to in Article 1(2) of the EU Regulation and, where appropriate and provided there is no risk to human or animal health, allocate the consignment for purposes other than those for which it was originally intended;
(b)where health conditions permit, to require the person in charge of the consignment to re-dispatch the product in accordance with Article 72 of the EU Regulation from the same border control post to a destination outside the European Union agreed with the person responsible for the consignment, using the same means of transport, within a maximum time limit of 60 days from arrival at the border control post; or
(c)if the person responsible for the consignment gives immediate agreement, re-dispatch is impossible or the 60-day time limit has elapsed, to destroy the products.
(4) The official veterinary surgeon or the authorised officer (as appropriate) may exceptionally authorise destruction, re-dispatch, special treatment, or any other measure that may be taken in respect of a consignment to be taken in respect of a part of the consignment only, provided that the action taken—
(a)is such as to ensure compliance;
(b)does not pose a risk to human or animal health; and
(c)does not disrupt official control operations.
(5) Pending re-dispatch or confirmation of the reasons for rejection, the person responsible for the consignment must, at that person's own expense, store the consignment under the supervision of the enforcement authority.
(6) If a consignment of products seized at a place other than a border control post under regulation 19, the enforcement authority must order that such consignment be retained or recalled, and placed under official detention without delay, and paragraphs (2) and (3) of this regulation apply.
(7) The importer or the importer's representative is liable for the costs incurred in any measures taken under paragraphs (2) to (6), but is entitled to payment of a sum equal to the value of the product after deduction of these costs.
(8) The importer or the importer's representative may immediately, within one working day after notification of the non-compliance, make written representations to the Department regarding any decision taken under this regulation, and any such representations must be considered and a written response must be given by the Department within one working day of receiving such representations.]
Textual Amendments
F1Reg. 20 substituted (14.12.2019) by The Official Controls (Animals, Feed and Food) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2019 (S.R. 2019/227), regs. 1, 20(19)
F2Words in reg. 20(2) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Animals (Health, Identification, Trade and Veterinary Medicines) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 (S.R. 2020/353), regs. 1(3), 8(5)