The Products of Animal Origin (Import and Export) Regulations 1992

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations implement Council Directive 89/662/EEC concerning veterinary checks in intra-Community trade with a view to the completion of the single market (OJ No. L395, 30.12.89, p. 13) and Council Directive 90/675/EEC laying down the principles governing the organisation of veterinary checks on products entering the Community from third countries (OJ No. L373, 31.12.90, p. 1).

The Regulations make provision for the designation of official veterinary surgeons to implement them, and provide for enforcement by the local authority with powers for the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Secretary of State for Scotland, the Secretary of State for Wales and the Secretary of State for Health to give directions to local authorities (Regulations 2, 3 and 4).

With respect to intra-Community trade, they make it an offence to export products of animal origin except in accordance with Directives 89/662/EEC (Regulation 6). They provide for the inspection and checking of imports, make provision on the removal of documents and place duties on consignees (Regulations 7 to 9). They regulate consignments posing a risk to health and for repeated irregularities by an exporting establishment in Great Britain (Regulations 10 and 11).

For third country trade, they establish border inspection posts (Regulation 14) and specify import procedure (Regulations 15, 16 and 21). They regulate procedures in free zones and warehouses and transhipment under customs control (Regulations 17 and 18) and establish procedures for consignments posing a risk to health and illegal consignments (Regulation 19).

They give powers of entry and inspection to enforce the directives (Regulation 22) and provide a procedure whereby products from an area outside Great Britain suffering from disease can be prevented from entering Great Britain (Regulation 23). They place a duty to give reasons for decisions (Regulation 24) and a duty on local authorities to provide returns (Regulation 25).

They make provisions on penalties and disapply the provisions in Schedule 4 from imports to which these Regulations apply.