Food (Peanuts from Egypt) (Emergency Control) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Food (Peanuts from Egypt) (Emergency Control) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 and shall come into operation on 13th August 2003.

Interpretation

2.—(1) In these Regulations –

“the Commission Decision” means Commission Decision 2000/49/EC repealing Decision 1999/356/EC and imposing special conditions on the import of peanuts and certain products derived from peanuts originating in or consigned from Egypt(1) as amended by Commission Decision 2003/580/EC(2);

“controlled Egyptian peanuts” means Egyptian peanuts which are intended for human consumption or to be used as an ingredient in foodstuffs;

“the Department” means the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety;

“Directive 98/53/EC” means Commission Directive 98/53/EC laying down the sampling methods and the methods of analysis for the official control of the levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs(3) as amended by Commission Directive 2002/27/EC(4);

“Egyptian peanuts” means –

(a)

peanuts falling within CN code 1202 10 90 in shell or within CN code 1202 20 00 shelled, whether or not broken; and

(b)

roasted peanuts falling with CN code 2008 11 92 (in immediate packs of a net content exceeding 1 kg) or within CN code 2008 11 96 (in immediate packs of a net content not exceeding 1 kg),

originating in, or consigned from Egypt;

“free circulation” has the same meaning as in Article 23.2, as read with Article 24, of the Treaty establishing the European Community; and

“the Order” means the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991(5).

(2) Any term used in the definition of “Egyptian peanuts” or “controlled Egyptian peanuts” in paragraph (1) has the same meaning as in the Commission Decision.

(3) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(6) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Prohibition on import

3.—(1) Subject to paragraph (3), no person shall import any controlled Egyptian peanuts unless the conditions specified in Article 1.1, 1.3, 1.5 1.7 of the Commission Decision are satisfied in relation to those peanuts.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), no person shall import any controlled Egyptian peanuts, except through a point of entry listed in Annex II to the Commission Decision.

(3) Neither paragraph (1) nor paragraph (2) shall be taken to prohibit the import from a member State of any controlled Egyptian peanuts which are in free circulation in that State.

(4) Any person who knowingly contravenes paragraph (1) or (2) shall be guilty of an offence and 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.

(5) For the purpose of determining whether or not any person is guilty of an offence consisting of a breach of paragraph (4), any Egyptian peanuts shall be presumed until the contrary is proved to be controlled Egyptian peanuts.

Enforcement

4.—(1) These Regulations shall be enforced and executed by each district council within its district.

(2) For the purposes of the exercise of the duty referred to in paragraph (1), an authorised officer shall –

(a) ensure that the requirements referred to in paragraph (3) are adhered to; and

(b) have the same powers of entry as are bestowed on an authorised officer by Article 33 of the Order for purposes connected with the Order or Regulations or orders made under the Order.

(3) The requirements are those specified in –

(a) Article 1.4 of the Commission Decision (which is concerned with documentary checks relating to consignments of controlled Egyptian peanuts);

(b) Article 1.5 and 1.6 of that Decision (which provisions are concerned with the sampling and analysis of such consignments), other than the requirement under Article 1.5 to supply the Commission with specified information; and

(c) Article 1.7 in so far as it relates to the certification of copies of the health certificate and accompanying documentation.

(4) Each district council shall give such assistance and information to the Department and the Food Standards Agency as they may reasonably request in connection with the execution and enforcement of these Regulations.

Application of various provisions of the Order and sampling and analysis

5.—(1) The following provisions of the Order shall apply for the purposes of these Regulations and any reference in those provisions to the Order shall be construed for the purposes of these Regulations as a reference to these Regulations –

(a) Article 19 (offences due to fault of another person);

(b) Article 34 (obstruction, etc., of officers);

(c) Article 36(1) (punishment of offences), in so far as it relates to offences under Article 34(1) and (2) as applied by sub-paragraph (b).

(2) Article 29 of the Order (procurement of samples) shall apply for the purposes of these Regulations with the modifications that –

(a) for paragraph (b)(ii) there shall be substituted the following provision –

“(ii) is found by him at any premises which he is authorised to enter by virtue of regulation 4(2)(b) of the Food (Peanuts from Egypt) (Emergency Control) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003;”;

(b) the power to take samples under paragraphs (b) and (d) shall be limited to the taking of samples in accordance with the methods of taking samples described or referred to in Annex I to Directive 98/53/EC;

(c) paragraph (c) shall be omitted; and

(d) for “any of the provisions of this Order or of regulations or orders made under it” in paragraph (d) there shall be substituted “the Food (Peanuts from Egypt) (Emergency Control) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003”.

(3) Where, pursuant to Article 29(b) of the Order as applied for the purposes of these Regulations by paragraph (2), an authorised officer has taken a sample of any controlled Egyptian peanuts, he shall ensure that –

(a) the sample is prepared in accordance with –

(i) paragraphs 1.1, 2 and 3 of Annex II to Directive 98/53/EC, and

(ii) in the case of whole nuts, paragraph 1.2 of that Annex;

(b) an analysis of the sample is carried out at a laboratory which complies with Council Directive 93/99/EEC on the subject of additional measures concerning the official control of foodstuffs(7);

(c) that analysis is carried out as soon as practicable by a suitably qualified analyst in accordance with methods of analysis which –

(i) so far as practicable, comply with paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Annex to Council Directive 85/591/EEC concerning the introduction of Community methods of sampling and analysis for the monitoring of foodstuffs intended for human consumption(8), and

(ii) meet the criteria specified in paragraph 4.3 of Annex II to Directive 98/53/EC as read with the notes thereto; and

(d) the reporting of the result of that analysis –

(i) makes use of the definitions in paragraph 4.1 of Annex II to Directive 98/53/EC, and

(ii) is in accordance with paragraph 4.4 of that Annex.

(4) Before an analyst agrees to analyse a sample in accordance with paragraph (3)(c) he may demand the payment in advance of such reasonable fee as he may require.

(5) An analyst who has analysed a sample in accordance with paragraph (3)(c) shall give to the person by whom it was submitted a certificate which shall both specify the result of the analysis and be signed by the analyst.

(6) In any proceedings under these Regulations, the production by one of the parties of –

(a) a document purporting to be a certificate given by an analyst under paragraph (5); or

(b) a document supplied to him by the other party as being a copy of such a certificate,

shall be sufficient evidence of the facts stated in it unless, in a case falling within sub–paragraph (a), the other party requires that the analyst shall be called as a witness.

(7) Where a sample procured under Article 29 of the Order as applied for the purposes of these Regulations by paragraph (2) has been analysed in accordance with paragraph (3)(b) and (c), the owner shall be entitled on request to be supplied with a copy of the certificate of analysis by the district council.

(8) Nothing in paragraph (3)(c) shall be taken as preventing an analysis being made by a person acting under the analyst’s direction.

Re-dispatch or destruction of illegal imports

6.—(1) If on an inspection or examination of any Egyptian peanuts it appears to an authorised officer that they have been imported in contravention of regulation 3(1) or (2) he may after appropriate consultation with a person appearing to him to be the importer serve on that person a notice ordering –

(a) the re-dispatch of the Egyptian peanuts outside the European Community within such reasonable period as shall be specified in the notice; or

(b) (where such re-dispatch would in his opinion involve serious risks to human health) the destruction of the Egyptian peanuts within such reasonable period as shall be so specified.

(2) In any case where such an appeal as is mentioned in paragraph (4) may be brought the notice served under paragraph (1) shall state –

(a) the right of appeal to a court of summary jurisdiction; and

(b) the period within which such an appeal may be brought.

(3) The person appearing to be the importer of Egyptian peanuts in respect of which a notice has been served under paragraph (1) shall ensure that they are stored until re-dispatch or destruction under the supervision of the authorised officer at such places and under such conditions as the authorised officer may in the notice direct.

(4) Any person who is aggrieved by a decision of an authorised officer to serve a notice under paragraph (1) may appeal to a court of summary jurisdiction, which shall determine whether or not the notice was lawfully served.

(5) The period within which such an appeal as is mentioned in paragraph (4) may be brought shall be 6 days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, from the date on which notice of the decision was served on the person desiring to appeal.

(6) The procedure on an appeal to a court of summary jurisdiction under paragraph (4) shall be by way of notice under Part VII of the Magistrates' Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1981(9).

(7) If the court allows an appeal brought under paragraph (4) the district council concerned shall compensate the owner of the Egyptian peanuts concerned for any depreciation in their value resulting from the action taken by the authorised officer.

(8) Any disputed question as to the right to or the amount of any compensation payable under paragraph (7) shall be determined by a single arbitrator appointed, failing agreement between the parties, by the Department; and the provisions of the Arbitration Act 1996(10) shall apply accordingly.

(9) Any person who breaches the terms of a notice served under paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and 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.

(10) The costs of re-dispatch, storage and distribution of Egyptian peanuts under this regulation shall be borne by the importer.

Revocation of the Food (Peanuts from Egypt) (Emergency Control) Order (Northern Ireland) 1999

7.  The Food (Peanuts from Egypt) (Emergency Control) Order (Northern Ireland) 1999(11) is hereby revoked.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on 12th August 2003.

L.S.

W. B. Smith

A Senior Officer of the

Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety