Dispatch of semen, etc.10

1

No person shall dispatch semen, ova or embryos of animals of the bovine, ovine, caprine and porcine species and other biungulates.

2

The prohibition in paragraph (1) shall not apply in relation to—

a

frozen bovine and porcine semen produced before 1st February 2001; or

b

frozen bovine and porcine semen and bovine embryos imported into the United Kingdom in accordance with the conditions laid down in—

i

Council Directive 88/407/EEC (laying down the animal health requirements applicable to intra-Community trade in and imports of deep-frozen semen of domestic animals of the bovine species M1);

ii

Council Directive 89/556/EEC (on animal health conditions governing intra-Community trade in and importation from third countries of embryos of domestic animals of the bovine species M2); and

iii

Council Directive 90/429/EEC (laying down the animal health requirements applicable to intra-Community trade in and imports of semen of domestic animals of the porcine species M3);

and which since introduction into the United Kingdom have been stored and transported separately from semen and embryos to which the prohibition in paragraph (1) applies;

c

frozen bovine and porcine semen produced in accordance with the provisions of Council Directive 88/407/EEC or Council Directive 90/429/EEC after 30th September 2001 and also approved under these Regulations, subject to the following conditions—

i

the donor bull or boar showed no clinical sign of foot-and-mouth disease on the day of collection of the semen;

ii

the donor bull or boar was kept in the semen collection centre for at least three months (which may include the isolation period of at least 30 days in isolation accommodation attached to the semen collection centre) prior to the collection of the semen;

iii

no animal was introduced into the semen collection centre during the 30 days prior to the collection of the semen;

iv

the semen collection centre has been free from foot-and-mouth disease for at least three months and no case of foot-and-mouth disease occurred within a 10 kilometre radius around the semen collection centre for the 30 days before and after the collection of the semen;

v

no animal in the semen collection centre has been vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease;

vi

the donor bull or boar showed a negative response to a test for antibodies against foot-and-mouth disease virus carried out at least 21 days after the collection of the last semen of the consignment and the negative test results were available before dispatch of the semen;

vii

prior to dispatch the frozen semen was stored for a period of at least 30 days immediately following collection and during the first 30 days of the storage period no animal in the semen collection centre where the donor boar or bull was kept showed any sign of foot-and-mouth disease;

viii

the semen was collected, processed and stored separately from semen which is not eligible for dispatch; and

ix

all semen collected, processed and frozen in the semen collection centre was dispatched from the semen collection centre in a way that avoids any risk of introducing foot-and-mouth disease into the centre.

3

The health certificate provided for in Council Directive 88/407/EEC accompanying frozen bovine semen consigned to another member State shall bear the following words—

Frozen bovine semen conforming to Commission Decision 2001/172/EC of 1st March 2001 concerning certain protection measures with regard to foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom

4

The health certificate provided for in Council Directive 89/556/EEC accompanying bovine embryos consigned to another member State shall bear the following words—

Bovine embryos conforming to Commission Decision 2001/172/EC of 1st March 2001 concerning certain protection measures with regard to foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom

5

The health certificate provided for in Council Directive 90/429/EC accompanying porcine semen to other member States shall bear the following words—

Frozen porcine semen conforming to Commission Decision 2001/740/EC of 19th October 2001 on certain protective measures with regard to foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom