[X1Article 1 U.K.

Imports into the Community of milk and milk-based products shall only be allowed if the milk and milk-based products comply with Articles 2, 3, and 5.

Transit and storage of milk and milk-based products shall only be allowed if the milk and milk-based products comply with Articles 4 and 5.

Article 2 U.K.

1. Member States shall authorise imports of raw milk and raw milk-based products from third countries so authorised in column A of the list in Annex I.

2. Member States shall authorise imports of milk and milk-based products that have undergone:

  • a single heat treatment with a heating effect at least equal to that achieved by a pasteurisation process of at least 72 °C for at least 15 seconds,

    and

  • sufficient to ensure a negative reaction to a phosphatase test,

from third countries so authorised in column B of the list in Annex I where there is no threat of foot-and-mouth disease.

3. Member States shall authorise imports of milk and milk-based products that have undergone either:

(a) a sterilisation process, to achieve an F 0 value equal to or greater than three,

or

(b) an ultra high temperature (UHT) treatment at 132 °C for at least one second,

or

(c) a high temperature short time pasteurisation treatment at 72 °C for at least 15 seconds or equivalent pasteurisation effect achieving a negative reaction to a phosphatase test (HTST) applied twice to milk with a pH equal to or above 7,0,

or

(d) a HTST treatment of milk with a pH below 7,0,

or

(e) a HTST treatment combined with another physical treatment by:

(i)

either lowering the pH below 6 for one hour,

or

(ii)

additional heating to 72 °C or more, combined with desiccation,

from third countries so authorised in column C of the list in Annex I where there is a threat of foot-and-mouth disease. The milk-based products must either undergo one of the above treatments or be produced from milk treated in accordance with the treatments laid down above.

Article 3 U.K.

1. Consignments of milk and milk-based products from third countries authorised in accordance with Article 2 shall be accompanied by, and comply with, conditions laid down in, a health certificate drawn up in accordance with the relevant model drawn up in Part 2 of Annex II to this Decision, as follows:

  • Milk-RM for raw milk intended to be accepted at a collection centre, standardisation centre, treatment establishment or processing establishment,

  • Milk-RMP for raw milk products,

  • Milk-HTB for heat-treated milk, heat-treated milk-based products and milk-based products made from heat-treated milk, coming from third countries or parts of third countries in which there is no threat of foot-and-mouth disease,

  • Milk-HTC for heat-treated milk, heat-treated milk-based products and milk-based products made from heat-treated milk coming from third countries or parts of third countries in which there is a threat of foot-and-mouth disease, however those countries already authorised for such imports (where there is no threat of foot and mouth) may use this model.

2. The health certificates shall be completed in accordance with the notes set out in Part 1 of Annex II.

Article 4 U.K.

1. Consignments of milk and milk-based products, introduced into the territory of the Community and which are destined for a third country either by transit immediately or after storage in accordance with Articles 12 (4) or 13 of Directive 97/78/EC and not intended for importation into the EC, shall comply with the following requirements:

(a) they shall come from the territory of a third country or a part thereof authorised in Annex I to this Decision, according to the treatment required for the product concerned as laid down in Article 2;

(b) they shall meet the specific animal health conditions set out in section 9 of the corresponding model health certificate drawn up under Part 2 of Annex II to this Decision;

(c) they shall be accompanied by an animal health certificate established in accordance with the model laid down in Part 3 of Annex II to this Decision, signed by an official veterinarian of the competent veterinary services of the third country concerned;

(d) they are certified as acceptable for transit or storage (as appropriate) on the Common Veterinary Entry Document by the Official Veterinarian of the Border Inspection Post of introduction.

2. (a) By way of derogation from paragraph 1 above and Article 5, Member States shall authorise the transit by road or by rail through the Community, between designated Community border inspection posts listed in the Annex to Decision 2001/881/EC, of consignments coming from and destined to Russia directly or via another third country provided that the following conditions are met:

(i)

the consignment shall be sealed with a serially numbered seal at the border inspection post of entry to the EC by the veterinary services of the competent authority;

(ii)

the documents accompanying the consignment and referred to in Article 7 of Directive 97/78/EC shall be stamped ONLY FOR TRANSIT TO RUSSIA VIA THE EC on each page by the official veterinarian of the competent authority responsible for the border inspection post;

(iii)

the procedural requirements provided for in Article 11 of Directive 97/78/EC shall be complied with;

(iv)

the consignment is certified as acceptable for transit on the Common Veterinary Entry Document by the Official Veterinarian of the Border Inspection Post of introduction.

(b) Unloading or storage on EC territory of such consignments, as defined in Article 12 (4) or Article 13 respectively of Directive 97/78/EC, shall not be allowed.

(c) Regular audits shall be made by the competent authority to ensure that the number of consignments and the quantities of products leaving the EC territory matches the number and quantities entering.

Article 5 U.K.

Milk and milk-based products from authorised third countries or parts of third countries where an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has occurred within the last 12 months or which have carried out vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease in the last 12 months shall, before they are introduced into Community territory, undergo one of the treatments listed in Article 2 (3).

Article 6 U.K.

Decisions 95/340/EC, 95/342/EC and 95/343/EC are repealed.

Article 7 U.K.

The certificates drawn up in the format under Decision 95/343/EC may be used until six months after the date laid down in paragraph 1 of Article 8 at the latest.

Article 8 U.K.

1. This Decision shall apply from 1 May 2004 .

2. Article 4(1) and Part 3 of Annex II shall only apply from 1 January 2005 .

3. References made by Community legislation to the list of third countries appearing in the Annex to Decision 95/340/EC shall be construed as references to the list of third countries appearing in Annex I to this Decision.

Article 9 U.K.

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 29 April 2004 .]