Import and Export Restrictions (Foot-and-Mouth Disease) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Import and Export Restrictions (Foot-and-Mouth Disease) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 and shall come into operation on 27th April 2001.

Interpretation

2.—(1) In these Regulations—

“the Decision” means Commission Decision 2001/172/EC of 1st March 2001 concerning certain protection measures with regard to foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom and repealing Decision 2001/145/EC(1) as amended by Commission Decision 2001/190/EC(2), Commission Decision 2001/209/EC(3), Commission Decision 2001/239/EC(4), Commission Decision 2001/268/EC(5), Commission Decision 2001/316/EC(6) and Commission Decision 2001/318/EC(7);

“Department” means the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development;

“export” means export outside the United Kingdom, Isle of Man or any of the Channel Islands;

“inspector” means a person appointed to be an inspector for the purposes of these Regulations by the Department or by a district council and includes a veterinary inspector;

“HACCP” means Hazard Analysis at Critical Control Points, which is a system in which the critical points of the manufacturing process have been identified, assessments have been made of the potential risks at those points, and necessary steps have been taken to minimise those risks;

“meat products” means meat products as defined in Article 2 of Council Directive 77/99/EEC on health problems affecting the production and marketing of meat products and certain other products of animal origin(8);

“member State” means member State of the European Union other than the United Kingdom;

“milk” and “milk products” have the meaning given in Article 2 of Council Directive 92/46/EC (laying down the health rules for the production and placing on the market of raw milk, heat-treated milk and milk-based products(9));

“veterinary inspector” means a person appointed as a veterinary inspector by the Department.

(2) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(10) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Import and export of live animals

3.—(1) A person shall not export any live animal of the bovine, ovine, caprine or porcine species or any other biungulate.

(2) By way of derogation from paragraph (1), the Department may by licence in writing authorise the export of biungulate animals originating outside the United Kingdom if the animals travelled through the United Kingdom in direct and uninterrupted transit on main roads or by rail or sea.

(3) A person shall not import any live animal of species susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease into Northern Ireland from a member State.

Export of fresh meat

4.—(1) A person shall not export any fresh meat of animals of the bovine, ovine, caprine or porcine species or other biungulate.

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

(a) fresh meat obtained before 1st February 2001, provided that the meat is clearly identified and since that date has been transported and stored separately from meat which is not destined for dispatch outside the United Kingdom; or

(b) fresh meat obtained from cutting plants under the following conditions—

(i) the only meat processed in the establishment is fresh meat described in sub-paragraph (a); fresh meat from animals reared outside the United Kingdom, transported directly and under official control in sealed means of transport to a slaughterhouse for immediate slaughter; or fresh meat from animals reared and slaughtered outside the United Kingdom;

(ii) all the meat must bear the health mark in accordance with Chapter XI of Annex I to Council Directive 64/433/EEC (on health problems affecting the production and marketing of meat products and certain other products of animal origin(11));

(iii) the plant is operated under strict veterinary control; and

(iv) the meat is clearly identified and transported and stored separately from meat which is not destined for export.

(3) Meat consigned to a member State under paragraph (2) shall be accompanied by an official certificate prepared by the Department and signed by a person appointed as an officer of the kind specified in the certificate which bears the following words—

• “Meat 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”.

Export of meat products

5.—(1) A person shall not export meat products of animals of the bovine, ovine, caprine or porcine species or any other biungulate coming from the United Kingdom.

(2) The prohibition in paragraph (1) shall not apply to meat products which have undergone one of the treatments laid down in Article 4(1) of Council Directive 80/215/EEC (on animal health problems affecting intra-Community trade in meat products(12)), or to meat products as defined in Council Directive 77/99/EEC which have been subjected during preparation uniformly throughout the substance to a pH value of less than 6 or to meat products treated in hermetically sealed containers so as to ensure that they are shelf stable.

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

(a) meat products prepared before 1st February 2001, provided that the meat products are clearly identified and since that date have been transported and stored separately from meat products which are not destined for export; or

(b) meat products prepared in establishments under the following conditions—

(i) all fresh meat used in the establishment must conform to the conditions in regulation 4(2);

(ii) all meat products used in the final product must conform to the conditions in sub-paragraph (a) or be made from fresh meat obtained from animals reared and slaughtered outside the United Kingdom;

(iii) all meat products must bear the health mark in accordance with Chapter VI of Annex B to Directive 77/99/EEC;

(iv) the establishment must be operated under strict veterinary control; and

(v) the meat products must be clearly identified and transported and stored separately from meat and other meat products which are not destined for export.

(4) Meat products consigned to a member State under paragraph (a) or (b) shall be accompanied by an official certificate prepared by the Department and signed by a person appointed as an officer of the kind specified in the certificate which bears the following words—

• “Meat products 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) Paragraph (4) shall not apply to meat products which conform to the requirements of paragraph (2) if such compliance is stated in the commercial document accompanying the consignment, endorsed in accordance with regulation 12, and the products have been processed in an establishment operating HACCP and an auditable standard operating procedure which ensures that standards for treatment are met and recorded.

(6) Paragraph (4) shall not apply to meat products treated in hermetically sealed containers so as to ensure they are shelf stable if the heat treatment applied is stated in the commercial document accompanying the consignment.

Export of milk

6.—(1) A person shall not export milk.

(2) The prohibition in paragraph (1) shall not apply to milk which has been subjected to at least—

(a) an initial pasteurisation in accordance with the norms defined in paragraph 3(b) of Chapter 1 in Annex I to Council Directive 92/118/EEC (laying down animal health and public health requirements governing trade in and imports into the Community of products not subject to the said requirements laid down in specific Community rules referred to in Annex A(I) to Directive 1989/662/EEC and, as regards pathogens, to Directive 1990/425/EEC(13)) followed by a second heat treatment by high temperature pasteurisation , UHT, sterilisation or by a drying process which includes a heat treatment with an equivalent effect to one of the above; or

(b) an initial pasteurisation in accordance with the norms defined in paragraph 3(b) of Chapter 1 in Annex I to Council Directive 92/118/EEC, combined with treatment by which the pH is lowered below 6 and held there for at least one hour.

(3) The prohibition in paragraph (1) shall not apply in relation to milk prepared in establishments under the following conditions—

(a) all milk used in the establishment must either conform to the conditions of paragraph (2) or be obtained from animals outside the United Kingdom;

(b) the establishment must be operated under strict veterinary control;

(c) the milk must be clearly identified and transported and stored separately from milk and milk products which are not destined for export; and

(d) transport of raw milk from outside the United Kingdom to the establishment must be carried out in vehicles which were cleansed and disinfected prior to operation and had no subsequent contact with holdings in the United Kingdom keeping animals of species susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease.

(4) Milk consigned to a member State under paragraph (2) or (3) shall be accompanied by an official certificate prepared by the Department and signed by a person appointed as an officer of the kind specified in the certificate which bears the following words—

• “Milk 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) Paragraph (4) shall not apply to milk which conforms to the requirements of paragraph (2) if such compliance is stated in the commercial document accompanying the consignment, endorsed in accordance with regulation 12, and the milk has been processed in an establishment operating HACCP and an auditable standard operating procedure which ensures that standards for treatment are met and recorded.

(6) Paragraph (4) shall not apply to milk treated in hermetically sealed containers so as to ensure they are shelf stable if the heat treatment applied is stated in the commercial document accompanying the consignment.

Export of milk products

7.—(1) A person shall not export milk products.

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

(a) milk products produced before 1st February 2001;

(b) milk products prepared from milk which complies with paragraphs (2) or (3) of regulation 6;

(c) milk products subjected to heat treatment at a temperature of at least 72°C for 15 seconds or an equivalent treatment; and

(d) milk products destined for export to a third country where import conditions permit such products to be subject to treatment other than laid down in these Regulations.

(3) The prohibitions described in paragraph (1) shall not apply to milk products prepared in establishments under the following conditions—

(a) all milk used in the establishment will either conform to the conditions of regulation 6(2) or be obtained from animals outside the United Kingdom;

(b) all milk products used in the final product will either conform to the conditions of paragraph (2)(a), (b) or (c) or be made from milk obtained from animals outside the United Kingdom;

(c) the establishment shall be under strict veterinary control; and

(d) the milk products must be clearly identified and transported and stored separately from milk and milk products which are not destined for export.

(4) Milk products consigned to a member State under paragraph (2) or (3) shall be accompanied by an official certificate prepared by the Department and signed by a person appointed as an officer of the kind specified in the certificate which bears the following words—

• “Milk products 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) Paragraph (4) shall not apply to milk products which conform to the requirements of paragraph (2)(a), (b) or (c) if such compliance is stated in the commercial document accompanying the consignment, endorsed in accordance with regulation 12, and the milk products have been processed in an establishment operating HACCP and an auditable standard operating procedure which ensures that standards for treatment are met and recorded.

(6) Paragraph (4) shall not apply to milk products treated in hermetically sealed containers so as to ensure they are shelf stable if the heat treatment applied is stated in the commercial document accompanying the consignment.

Export of semen, etc.

8.—(1) A person shall not export 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 frozen bovine semen and embryos produced before 1st February 2001.

(3) The health certificate provided for in 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(14)) accompanying frozen bovine semen consigned to a member State under paragraph (2) 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 (on animal health conditions governing intra-Community trade in and importation from third countries of embryos of domestic animals of the bovine species(15)) accompanying bovine embryos consigned to a member State under paragraph (2) 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”.

Export of hides and skins

9.—(1) A person shall not export hides and skins 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 hides and skins which were produced before 1st February 2001 or which conform to the requirements of paragraph 1(A) indents 2 to 5 or paragraph 1(B), indents 3 and 4 of Chapter 3 of Annex I to Directive 92/118/EEC if treated hides and skins are separated effectively from untreated hides and skins.

(3) Hides and skins consigned to a member State under paragraph (2) must be accompanied by an official certificate prepared by the Department and signed by a person appointed as an officer of the kind specified in the certificate stating—

• “Hides and skins 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) Paragraph (3) shall not apply to hides and skins which conform to the requirements of either-

(a) paragraph 1(A) indents 2 to 5 of Chapter 3 of Annex I to Council Directive 92/118/EEC; or

(b) paragraph 1(B) indents 3 and 4 of Chapter 3 to Annex I to Council Directive 92/118/EEC

if compliance with those conditions is stated in the commercial document accompanying the consignment, endorsed (in the case of sub-paragraph (b)) in accordance with regulation 12.

Export of animal products

10.—(1) A person shall not export animal products of the bovine, ovine, caprine and porcine species and other biungulates not otherwise mentioned in these Regulations produced after 1st February 2001.

(2) A person shall not export dung or manure.

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

(a) animal products which have been subjected to—

(i) heat treatment in a hermetically sealed container with a Fo value of 3.00 or more; or

(ii) heat treatment in which the centre temperature is raised to at least 70°C;

(b) blood and blood products as defined in Chapter 7 of Annex I to Council Directive 92/118/EEC which have been subjected to—

(i) heat treatment at a temperature of 65°C for at least three hours followed by an effectiveness check;

(ii) irradiation at 2.5 megarads or gamma rays followed by an effectiveness check;

(iii) change of pH to pH5 or lower for at least two hours, followed by an effectiveness check; or

(iv) a treatment as provided for in Chapter 4 of Annex I to Council Directive 92/118/EEC;

(c) lard and rendered fats which have been subjected to the heat treatment prescribed in paragraph 2(A) of Chapter 9 of Annex I to Council Directive 92/118/EEC;

(d) animal casings to which the provisions of paragraph B Chapter 2 of Annex I to Council Directive 92/118/EEC apply adapted as necessary to suit the case;

(e) sheep wool, ruminant hair and pigs' bristles which have undergone factory washing or have been obtained from tanning and unprocessed sheep wool, ruminant hair and pigs' bristles which are securely enclosed in packaging and dry;

(f) semi-moist and dried petfood conforming to the requirements of paragraphs 2 and 3 respectively of Chapter 4 of Annex I to Council Directive 92/118/EEC;

(g) composite products which are not subjected to further treatment containing products of animal origin on the understanding that the treatment was not necessary for finished products the ingredients of which comply with the respective animal health conditions laid down in these Regulations;

(h) game trophies in accordance with paragraph 2(b) of Part B of Chapter 13 to Annex I to Council Directive 92/118/EEC; or

(i) packed products intended for use as in-vitro diagnostic or laboratory reagents.

(4) Animal products consigned under paragraph (3) must be accompanied by an official certificate prepared by the Department and signed by a person appointed as an officer of the kind specified in the certificate stating—

• “Animal products 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) Paragraph (4) shall not apply to products specified in sub-paragraphs (b), (c) or (d) of paragraph (3) which have a commercial document required under the Products of Animal Origin (Import and Export) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998(16) endorsed in accordance with regulation 12 of these Regulations.

(6) Paragraph (4) shall not apply to products specified in sub-paragraph (e) of paragraph (3) which are accompanied by a commercial document stating either—

(a) that the products have undergone factory washing or have been obtained from tanning; or

(b) that the products comply with the conditions laid down in paragraphs (2) and (4) of Chapter 15 of Annex I to Council Directive 92/118/EEC.

(7) Paragraph (4) shall not apply to products specified in sub-paragraph (g) of paragraph (3) which have been produced in an establishment operating HACCP and an auditable standard operating procedure which ensures that pre-processed ingredients comply with the requirements of these regulations and they have a commercial document endorsed in accordance with regulation 12.

(8) Paragraph (4) shall not apply to products specified in sub-paragraph (i) of paragraph (3) if they are accompanied by a commercial document stating that the products are for use as in-vitro diagnostic or laboratory reagents, provided that the products are clearly labelled “for in-vitro diagnostic use only” or “for laboratory use only”.

Exemptions

11.  The prohibitions in regulations 5, 6, 7 and 10 shall not apply in relation to—

(a) products produced and packaged outside the United Kingdom if the packaging indicates the country of origin and they remain in their original packaging; or

(b) products which are—

(i) produced in an establishment approved by the Department from pre-processed products originating outside the United Kingdom which, since introduction into the United Kingdom have been transported, stored and processed separately from products not destined for export; and

(ii) accompanied by a commercial document or official certificate as required by these Regulations.

Endorsement of commercial documents

12.—(1) Where reference is made to a commercial document being endorsed in accordance with this regulation, the document must have attached to it an official certificate prepared by the Department and signed by a person appointed as an officer of the kind specified in the certificate stating that the production process has been audited and found to be in accordance with these Regulations and suitable to destroy the foot-and-mouth disease virus or that the products concerned have been produced from pre-processed materials which have been certified accordingly and that provisions are in place to avoid possible re-contamination with the foot-and-mouth disease virus after treatment.

(2) The certificate referred to in paragraph (1) shall bear a reference to the Decision, shall be valid for 30 days, shall state the expiry date and shall be renewable after inspection of the establishment.

Third country certificates

13.  A person shall not export anything to which these Regulations apply to a third country unless the consignment is accompanied by an official certificate prepared by the Department and signed by a person appointed as an officer of the kind specified in the certificate certifying compliance with the Regulations.

Export of horses

14.—(1) Any person exporting equidae to another member State shall ensure that they are accompanied by an Animal Health Certificate in accordance with the model in Annex C of Directive 90/426/EEC on animal health conditions governing the movement and import from third countries of equidae(17).

(2) An inspector shall only issue a certificate referred to in paragraph (1) if he is satisfied that the animal has not been in an infected area (other than in transit through an infected area by road without being unloaded) to which Part III of the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Order 1983(18) (in Great Britain) or Part II of the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Order (Northern Ireland) 1962(19) in Northern Ireland applies at any time in the 15 days prior to certification.

Enforcement

15.  These Regulations shall be enforced by the Department and, in its area, by each district council.

District councils

16.—(1) Each district council shall, whenever the Department so directs, make to the Department a report on the exercise of its functions under these Regulations in such form and containing such particulars as the Department may direct.

(2) The Department may recover from any district council any expenses reasonably incurred by it in making good any default by that district council under these Regulations.

Powers to give directions

17.—(1) The Department shall have the power to give directions in writing to a district council concerning the execution and enforcement by it of any provisions of these Regulations for which that council is responsible.

(2) In the exercise of the functions conferred on it by these Regulations a district council shall comply with all relevant provisions of a direction given to it under paragraph (1).

(3) Any directions given under paragraph (1) shall, on application of the Department, be enforceable by mandamus.

Powers of inspectors

18.—(1) An inspector shall, on producing, if required to do so, some duly authenticated document showing his authority, have the right at all reasonable hours to enter any land or premises for the purposes of ascertaining whether there is or has been on the premises any contravention of these Regulations; and in this regulation “premises” includes any place, installation, vehicle (including any container, trailer, semi-trailer, caravan or other thing which is designed or adapted to be towed by another vehicle), train, ship, vessel, boat, craft, hovercraft or aircraft.

(2) An inspector shall have powers to carry out all checks and examinations necessary for the enforcement of these Regulations, and in particular may—

(a) carry out inspections of any processes used for the marking and identification of animals, any premises and any installation;

(b) examine documentary or data processing material relevant to the checks carried out under these Regulations; and

(c) take with him a representative of the European Commission acting for the purposes of the Decision.

Powers of customs officers

19.  A customs officer may detain any vehicle, vessel, container or anything which he reasonably suspects to contain animals or products controlled by these Regulations for as long as is reasonably necessary to enable an inspector to exercise a power under these Regulations.

Illegal consignments

20.—(1) Where an inspector knows or suspects that animals or animal products are intended for export and do not comply with the requirements of these Regulations he may serve a notice on the person in charge of the consignment prohibiting the export of the animals or products in the consignment until he is satisfied that the animals or products comply with the Regulations.

(2) A person shall not export anything subject to a notice served under this regulation unless it has been revoked.

(3) A notice under this section shall be in writing, may be subject to conditions and may be amended or revoked by further notice in writing at any time.

(4) Animals imported in contravention of these Regulations shall be dealt with as specified in regulation 13 of the Animals and Animal Products (Import and Export) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000(20).

Obstruction

21.—(1) A person shall not—

(a) intentionally obstruct any person acting in the execution of these Regulations;

(b) without reasonable cause, fail to give to any person acting in the execution of these Regulations any assistance or information which that person may reasonably require for the purposes of his functions under these Regulations, or

(c) furnish to any person acting in the execution of these Regulations any information which he knows to be false or misleading.

(2) Nothing in paragraph (1)(b) shall be construed as requiring any person to answer any question or give any information if to do so might incriminate him.

Penalties

22.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2) a person contravening any provision of these Regulations shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) Nothing in paragraph (1) shall make any failure by a district council to comply with any obligation imposed upon it by virtue of regulations 15 to 17 an offence.

(3) A person guilty of an offence under regulation 21(1)(a) or (b) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to both.

(4) A person guilty of any other offence under these Regulations shall be liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or to imprisonment not exceeding three months or to both;

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both.

Certificates, etc. issued in England, Wales or Scotland

23.  Where these Regulations require any certificate, licence or approval to be issued or granted by the Department, an equivalent certificate, licence or approval issued in England, Wales or Scotland by the relevant competent authority is valid.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on 27th April 2001.

L.S.

R. S. Johnston

A Senior Officer of the

Department of Agriculture and Rural Development