Commission Decision of 28 September 2009 drawing up a list of approved border inspection posts, laying down certain rules on the inspections carried out by Commission veterinary experts and laying down the veterinary units in Traces (notified under document C(2009) 7030) (Text with EEA relevance) (2009/821/EC) (repealed)

Article 1 Subject matter and scope

1. This Decision lays down:

(a) the list of border inspection posts approved in accordance with Directives 91/496/EEC and 97/78/EC;

(b) detailed rules for the inspections carried out by Commission veterinary experts at border inspection posts and at certain other points of entry into the Community;

(c) the list of veterinary units in Traces.

2. This Decision applies without prejudice to Decision 98/139/EC.

Article 2 Definitions

For the purposes of this Decision the following definitions apply:

(a)

‘Traces’ means the integrated computerised veterinary system set up in accordance with Decision 2003/24/EC;

(b)

‘veterinary unit’ means:

(i)

‘central unit’: the competent central authority of a Member State, designated as such for the purposes of Traces;

(ii)

‘regional unit’: any regional authority of a Member State designated as such for the purposes of Traces;

(iii)

‘local unit’: any local authority of a Member State designated as such for the purposes of Traces;

(iv)

the border inspection posts listed in Annex I.

Article 3 List of border inspection posts

Veterinary checks on consignments of animals and products introduced into the Community from third countries shall be carried out at the border inspection posts listed in Annex I.

Article 4 Inspections at border inspection posts

1. The Commission shall carry out regular inspections at the border inspection posts listed in Annex I.

Those inspections shall be carried out by Commission veterinary experts together with experts from the Member State concerned.

2. The experts carrying out the inspections referred to in paragraph 1 shall:

(a) assess the possible risks to animal and public health in the Community which may exist at the border inspection posts concerned;

(b) verify compliance with Community rules on veterinary checks at the border inspection posts concerned, in particular as regards the infrastructure, equipment and procedures in place.

Article 5 Inspections at other points of entry into the Community

The Commission, after consultation with the Member State concerned, may also carry out inspections concerning controls at other points of entry into the Community than at border inspection posts, on:

(a)

pet animals, as defined in Article 3(a) of Regulation (EC) No 998/2003;

(b)

personal consignments of products of animal origin of a non-commercial character, within the meaning of Article 1(1) of Regulation (EC) No 206/2009;

(c)

other types of consignments of live animals or products of animal origin than those referred to in points (a) and (b) to verify that no such consignments have been introduced into EU territory without having been subjected to the veterinary checks foreseen in Article 3 of Directive 91/496/EEC and Article 3 of Directive 97/78/EC.

Article 6 Components of Traces

1. Traces shall comprise all veterinary units.

2. Member States shall designate a veterinary unit only if that unit has the adequate equipment to make it compatible with the functioning of Traces.

3. Member States shall ensure that all parts of their territory fall within the responsibility of a local unit and, where appropriate, of a regional unit.

Article 7 List of central, regional and local units in Traces

The list of central units, regional units and local units, with their corresponding Traces identification codes, is set out in Annex II.

Article 8 Repeals

Decisions 91/398/EEC, 2001/881/EC and 2002/459/EC are repealed.

References to the repealed Decisions shall be construed as references to this Decision.

Article 9 Addressees

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 28 September 2009.

For the Commission

Androulla Vassiliou

Member of the Commission