The Bovine Products (Production and Despatch) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

Despatch of meat and other products from bovine animals slaughtered outside the United Kingdom

6.—(1) A person shall not despatch from Northern Ireland to a member State any relevant goods unless—

(a) each stage of the production of those goods which took place in the United Kingdom took place in an approved establishment;

(b) each stage of the production of those goods was under the control of a veterinary surgeon appointed by the Department;

(c) the goods are accompanied by a health certificate issued by that veterinary surgeon stating that they were produced in an approved establishment; and

(d) the goods are despatched in accordance with any relevant provisions of the Products of Animal Origin (Import and Export) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993(1) or of the Animals and Animal Products (Import and Export) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995(2).

(2) The Department shall approve an establishment for the purposes of this regulation where, following an inspection of that establishment by a veterinary inspector, it is satisfied there is in place a system for tracing the raw materials through all stages of the processes used for the production of any relevant goods which is sufficient to ensure that it is possible to identify the origin of any raw materials contained in any such goods despatched from that establishment.

(3) The operator of an establishment approved under paragraph (2) shall give the Department prior written notice of any material change in the identity of the suppliers of the materials used by him in the manufacture of relevant goods or of the facilities or processes used at that establishment in manufacturing such goods.

(4) The Department may withdraw the approval of any establishment granted by it under paragraph (2) where, in relation to that establishment, the requirements of that paragraph are no longer satisfied, or where the operator of that establishment has failed to give any notice as required of him by paragraph (3).

(5) For the purposes of paragraph (1) and (2), the storage of any relevant goods shall not be treated as a stage of production where—

(a) the goods are accompanied by the required documents;

(b) all of the goods listed in those documents are present; and

(c) the goods have been packaged and all packaging is sealed and has not been opened since completion of the documents.

(6) For the purposes of paragraph (5) “the required documents” means—

(a) in respect of goods originating in another member State, the documents required for the import of those goods by the relevant directive listed in the Products of Animal Origin (Import and Export) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993 or the Animal and Animal Products (Import and Export) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995; and

(b) in respect of goods originating in a third country, the certificate referred to in the Products of Animal Origin (Import and Export) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993.

(7) In paragraph (1)—

(a) “approved establishment” means approved by the Department under paragraph (2) or by any Minister of the Crown under regulation 6(2) of the Great Britain Regulations; and

(b) the reference to a veterinary surgeon appointed by the Department includes, in relation to the production of relevant goods in Great Britain, a reference to any veterinary surgeon appointed by a Minister of the Crown under regulation 6(1)(b) of the Great Britain Regulations.

(1)

S.R. 1993 No. 304

(2)

S.R. 1995 No. 52