Commission Decision of 21 November 2001 laying down the requirements for the approval of border inspection posts responsible for veterinary checks on products introduced into the Community from third countries (notified under document number C(2001) 3687) (Text with EEA relevance) (2001/812/EC) (repealed) (c. 812)

ANNEX U.K. APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS FOR BORDER INSPECTION POSTS

To be approved and listed border inspection posts must be constructed to provide an adequate degree of hygiene, and avoid cross contamination.

In rooms where products are to be unloaded, inspected or stored the border inspection post or inspection centre must have:

• walls finished with smooth washable surfaces, which together with the floors should be easy to clean and disinfect, and with adequate drainage;

• a clean and easily cleaned ceiling;

• adequate natural and artificial lighting;

• an adequate hot and cold water supply in all inspection rooms.

1. Technical equipment U.K.

(a)

Border inspection posts and inspection centres must have as a minimum the items noted below available at all times:

• equipment (or access to equipment) capable of weighing consignments subject to controls;

• any equipment needed to open and examine consignments presented for examination;

• cleansing and disinfection equipment adequately housed and appropriate to the needs of the post, or an effective and documented system of cleansing and disinfection by an external agent;

• equipment to maintain the temperature at the appropriate level in controlled environment rooms.

(b)

In inspection rooms there must be available as a minimum:

• a table to work on with smooth washable surfaces easy to clean and disinfect;

• sampling equipment — saw, knife, tin opener, a means of sampling consignments and sample containers;

• sealing tape and numbered seals or labels, clearly marked to ensure traceability;

• a thermometer to measure surface and also core temperature, weighing scales, and for fresh products, a pH meter;

• thawing equipment or micro wave oven;

• facilities for the temporary storage of samples under temperature control, pending their despatch to the laboratory. Suitable containers for transport of these samples should also be available.

(c)

Border inspection posts and inspection centres with restricted listing must have:

• those articles listed in (a) and (b) above as appropriate for the products to be handled in the post.

2. Staffing U.K.

1. Border inspection posts shall operate under the responsibility of an official veterinarian, or in the case of fishery products either the official veterinarian or the official agent referred to in Decision 93/352/EEC, who must be present at the border inspection post and the inspection centres during checks on products. The post shall carry sufficient staff to carry out all the controls required at the border inspection post; U.K.

2. The official veterinarian may be assisted by specially trained assistants acting under his authority in: U.K.

(a)

checking documents;

(b)

carrying out identity checks and physical examinations, taking samples and carrying out general analysis;

(c)

administrative duties and procedures.

The official veterinarian shall be responsible for the final decision.

For the staff of the border inspection post a record of the training received in respect of veterinary checks shall be kept.

3. Documentation U.K.

The border inspection post shall keep the following information.

Pending the implementation of the Shift system, the official veterinarian responsible for checks in the border inspection post must have at his disposal in the designated central office at least:

1.

an up-to-date list of the third countries or parts of third countries authorised to send products to the Community or, where applicable, to certain Member States;

2.

copies of the various Decisions of the Community or Member States specifying a specimen health or public/animal health certificate or any other document which must accompany products from third countries despatched to the Community or, where applicable, to certain Member States;

3.

an up-to-date list of establishments in third countries authorised to despatch products to the Community; or of national authorised establishments in the case of non harmonised products;

4.

copies of any safeguard Decisions prohibiting or restricting imports of products to the Community;

5.

an up-to-date list of approved border inspection posts giving all available details of these posts;

6.

a current list of the free zones, free warehouses, and customs warehouses approved under Article 12.4, and of operators authorised under Article 13 of Directive 97/78/EC, in all Member States;

7.

an up-to-date list of establishments approved for the receipt of channelled products for that Member State, in accordance with Article 8(6) in the Directive 97/78/EC;

8.

up-to-date relevant EC legislation relating to products and procedures covered by veterinary checks.

4. Records U.K.

[F1 The following alternative records shall be kept in electronic or paper form where the data are not entered in TRACES at the border inspection post.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Substituted by Commission Decision of 1 September 2006 amending Decisions 94/360/EC and 2001/812/EC as regards veterinary checks on products from third countries (notified under document number C(2006) 3868) (Text with EEA relevance) (2006/590/EC).

1.

up-to-date information on consignments of products for which import or entry into the Community has been refused and which have been re-despatched; each Member State shall communicate to the other Member States and the Commission all information concerning the re-despatched consignments; this information shall be communicated to each border inspection post by the central competent authority;

2.

a register according to Commission Decision 97/394/EC of 6 June 1997 ‘establishing the minimum data required for the data base on animals and animal products brought into the Community’(1);

3.

a register of all consignments either re-despatched according to Commission Decision 97/152/EC(2), or destroyed, or authorised by the official veterinarian at the border inspection post for use other than for human consumption; this register shall record all instances where there is a deadline for action or response by the official veterinarian in the case of goods rejected, sent in transit or channelled, and where follow up action is required;

4.

a register of all samples taken at the border inspection post for purposes of laboratory tests, together with details of the laboratory test requested and the results (favourable and unfavourable) of such tests;

5.

the register required under Commission Decision 94/360/EC ‘on the reduced frequency of physical checks of consignments of certain products to be implemented from third countries, under Directive 90/675/EEC’(3), if necessary in computerised format.

5. Procedures U.K.

1. The competent authority shall endeavour to ensure that there is close cooperation between the various services involved in the inspection of third country products. U.K.

2. All physical inspections and identity checks, except for seal checks, must take place at an inspection facility. All such checks shall be conducted in such a manner as to avoid the possibility of cross contamination, and where necessary shall take into account the controlled temperature conditions under which the products are transported. Where unpacked products for human consumption are involved, all checks must be carried out under shelter from the weather and provision shall be made for the hygienic handling and protection of such products during unloading and loading. U.K.

3. The official veterinarian must have at least an adequate knowledge of the arrangements for the disposal of waste products of animal origin unloaded from transports in the area under his jurisdiction. Where disposal arrangements are further under his responsibility, records of checks made and anomalies found must be kept. Where disposal is under the responsibility of another competent authority, the official veterinarian shall liaise closely with this body, and have available all necessary relevant information. U.K.

4. The official veterinarian must have an adequate knowledge of any free zones, free warehouses, customs warehouses or ship suppliers within, or closely associated with, the border post area. Regular checks must be made at the warehouses or suppliers concerned and a record to demonstrate this must be kept in the office of the border inspection post. U.K.

(1)

OJ L 164, 21.6.1997, p. 42.

(2)

OJ L 59, 28.2.1997, p. 50.

(3)

OJ L 158, 25.6.1994, p. 41.