2024 No. 540

Animals
Food
Plant Health

The Official Controls (Extension of Transitional Periods) (Amendment) Regulations 2024

Made

Laid before Parliament

Coming into force

The Secretary of State makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by—

a

Paragraph 2 of Annex 6 to Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products1;

b

paragraph 11A of Schedule 2 to the Trade in Animals and Related Products Regulations 20112.

In accordance with Article 144(7) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625, before making these Regulations, the Secretary of State has consulted such bodies and persons as appear to the Secretary of State to be representative of the interests likely to be substantially affected by these Regulations and such other bodies or persons as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

In accordance with Article 3(2B) of Regulation (EU) 2017/6253, the Welsh Ministers, in relation to the application of these Regulations in relation to Wales, and the Scottish Ministers, in relation to the application of these Regulations in relation to Scotland, have consented to the making of these Regulations by the Secretary of State.

Citation, commencement, extent and application1

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Official Controls (Extension of Transitional Periods) (Amendment) Regulations 2024.

2

They come into force on 28th April 2024.

3

Subject to paragraph (4), these Regulations extend to England and Wales and Scotland.

4

Regulations 2 and 3 apply to England only.

Amendment to Commission Decision 2000/572/EC2

In Commission Decision 2000/572/EC laying down animal and public health conditions and veterinary certification for imports of minced meat and meat preparations from third countries and repealing Decision 97/29/EC4 omit Article 3(3).

Amendment to the Meat Preparations (Amendment and Transitory Modification) (England) (EU Exit) Regulations 20203

In the Meat Preparations (Amendment and Transitory Modification) (England) (EU Exit) Regulations 20205 omit regulation 3.

Amendment to the Official Controls (Extension of Transitional Periods) Regulations 20214

In the Official Controls (Extension of Transitional Periods) Regulations 20216, in regulation 2 (end of the transitional staging period) for “29th April 2024” substitute “31st January 2025”.

Douglas-MillerParliamentary Under Secretary of StateDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Regulation 2 amends Commission Decision 2000/572/EC (EUDN 2000/572) to remove the import condition that meat preparations from third countries have been deep-frozen at the production plant or plants of origin.

Regulation 3 revokes, in consequence, provisions of the Meat Preparations (Amendment and Transitory Modification) (England) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1666) which modified that import condition.

Regulation 4 amends the Official Controls (Extension of Transitional Periods) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/809) (“the 2021 Regulations”), to change the end date of “the transitional staging period” from 29th April 2024 to 31st January 2025.

“The transitional staging period” is defined in paragraph 2 of Annex 6 to Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products (EUR 2017/625). In accordance with that definition, the period ends on the date appointed by the Secretary of State. This date was originally appointed in the 2021 Regulations and is now amended by regulation 4.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.