The Fresh Meat (Import Conditions) Regulations 1996

Citation, extent, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations, which extend to Great Britain, may be cited as the Fresh Meat (Import Conditions) Regulations 1996 and shall come into force on 1st January 1997.

(2) Unless the context otherwise requires, in these Regulations—

“animal health and certification decision” means any decision under the third countries Directive specified in Schedule 1 concerning animal health conditions and veterinary certificates for imports of fresh meat from specified States;

“approved establishment decision” means any decision under the third countries Directive specified in Schedule 2 on lists of establishments in specified States approved for the importation of fresh meat or, where indicated in Part II of that Schedule, of certain categories of fresh meat;

“border inspection post” has the meaning given by Article 2(2)(g) of Council Directive 90/675/EEC(1) laying down the principles governing the organisation of veterinary checks on products entering the Community from third countries, as amended by Council Regulation EEC No. 1601/92(2);

“EEA Agreement” means the Agreement on the European Economic Area(3) signed at Oporto on 2nd May 1992, as amended by the Protocol(4) signed at Brussels on 17th March 1993;

“EEA State” means a State which is a Contracting Party to the EEA Agreement;

“free zone” and “free warehouse” have the meaning given by Article 1(2) of the Products of Animal Origin Regulations;

“the fresh meat Directive” means Council Directive 64/433/EEC on health conditions for the production and marketing of fresh meat, set out in the Annex to Council Directive 91/497/EEC(5) and amended by Council Directive 92/5/EEC(6);

“the licensing Order” means the Importation of Animal Products and Poultry Products Order 1980(7);

“non-importation decision” means a decision specified in Schedule 3;

“the Products of Animal Origin Regulations” means the Products of Animal Origin (Import and Export) Regulations 1996(8);

“relevant animal health and certification decision” means, in relation to a State specified in any paragraph of Schedule 1, the animal health and certification decision specified in that paragraph;

“relevant approved establishments decision” means, in relation to a State specified in any paragraph of Schedule 2, the approved establishments decision specified in that paragraph;

“relevant EEA State” means an EEA State other than Iceland;

“samples” means fresh meat imported into Great Britain for exhibition, special studies or analysis;

“special importation requirement” means any requirement, relating to a region or State referred to in Schedule 4, which is indicated in the paragraph of that Schedule relating to that region or State;

“the third countries Directive” means Council Directive 72/462/EEC(9) on health and veterinary inspection problems upon importation of bovine, ovine and caprine animals and swine, fresh meat or meat products from third countries, as amended by the provisions listed in paragraph 1 of Schedule 5;

“third country” means a State which is not a relevant EEA State; and

“the third country list” means the list in the Annex to Council Decision 79/542/ EEC(10) drawing up a list of third countries from which the member States authorise imports of bovine and porcine animals, equidae, sheep and goats, fresh meat and meat products, which Annex was replaced by the Annex to Commission Decision 93/435/EEC(11) and has since been amended by the provisions listed in paragraph 2 of Schedule 5.

(3) Except in so far as the context otherwise requires, any reference in these Regulations to a numbered regulation or Schedule shall be construed as a reference to the regulation or Schedule bearing that number in these Regulations.

(4) Unless the context otherwise requires, expressions used in these Regulations and in the fresh meat Directive have the same meaning in these Regulations as in that Directive.

(5) The following expressions, in particular, are defined in Article 1 of the fresh meat Directive—

(a) “meat” and “fresh meat”; and

(b) “wrapping” and “packaging”.

(6) Any reference in these Regulations to an instrument relating to the European Community or the European Economic Area is a reference to it as amended, modified or otherwise affected by any other such instrument; in particular all the Directives referred to in these Regulations have been adapted by the Act of Accession to the European Union of the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden(12).

(1)

OJ No. L373, 31.12.90, p. 1.

(2)

OJ No. L173, 26.7.92, p. 13.

(3)

OJ No. L1, 3.1.94, p. 1.

(4)

OJ No. L1, 3.1.94, p. 571.

(5)

OJ No. L268, 24.4.91, p. 69.

(6)

OJ No. L57, 2.3.92, p. 1.

(7)

S.I. 1980/14 relevant amending instruments are S.I. 1982/948, 1990/2371, 1993/1331 and 1994/2920, 3142 and 3144.

(8)

S.I. 1996/3124.

(9)

OJ No. L302, 31.12.72, p. 28.

(10)

OJ No. L46, 14.6.79, p. 15.

(11)

OJ No. L201, 11.8.93, p. 28.

(12)

OJ No. C241, 29.8.94, p. 21.