The Specified Bovine Material (No. 3) Order 1996

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order revokes and re-makes with amendments the Specified Bovine Material (No. 2) Order 1996.

It controls specified bovine material, being material which may contain the agent containing bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

It implements in part—

(a) Commission Decision 94/474/EC (OJ No. L194, 29.7.94, p.96) concerning certain protection measures relating to bovine spongiform encephalopathy and repealing Decisions 89/469/EEC and 90/200/EEC; and

(b) the provisions relating to animal waste of Council Directive 90/667/EEC (OJ No. L363, 27.12.90, p. 51) laying down the veterinary rules for the disposal of animal waste, for its placing on the market and for the prevention of pathogens in feeding stuffs of animal or fish origin and amending Directive 90/425/EEC as read with Commission Decision 92/562/EEC (OJ No. L359, 9.12.92, p. 23) and Commission Decision 94/382/EC (OJ No. L172, 7.7.94, p. 25) which was amended by Commission Decision 95/29/EC (OJ No. L38, 18.2.95, p. 17).

It controls the sale and use of specified bovine material for human and animal consumption (articles 4 and 7) and the production of mechanically recovered meat (articles 5 and 6). It regulates the initial treatment of specified bovine material (articles 8, 9 and 11) and the rendering of whole carcases. It prohibits the removal of the brain, eyes and spinal cord from a bovine animal (articles 12 and 13) and it regulates the importation of specified bovine material from Northern Ireland (article 14).

The Order regulates the consignment of specified bovine material once it has been removed from the carcase (article 15) and requires the approval of collection centres, incinerators, rendering plants and other premises that process specified bovine material (articles 16 to 19).

It contains provisions on veterinary and laboratory premises, directions, export, sampling, transport, storage and enforcement (article 20 to 26).

The amendments made by this Order—

(a) extend the Order to solid matter trapped in drainage systems where bovine animals are slaughtered or their carcases processed (article 2(1));

(b) exempt the feeding of animals for research purposes in certain circumstances from the prohibition on feeding specified bovine material to animals (article 7(6)); and

(c) require slaughterhouses to arrange a staff training programme to train their staff to comply with the relevant requirements of the Order (article 8(9)).

A Compliance Cost Assessment for this Order has been prepared and placed in the library of each House of Parliament. Copies can be obtained from the Animal Health (Disease Control) Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Government Buildings, Hook Rise South, Tolworth, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 7NF.