Bovine Hides Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations make further provision for the enforcement of the requirements of Article 1(2) of Commission Regulation (EC) No. 716/96, adopting exceptional support measures for the beef market in the United Kingdom, in so far as those requirements relate to the hides of bovine animals aged more than 30 months which do not show any clinical signs of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The Regulations also apply to the hides of bovine animals slaughtered under the selective cull as defined in the Selective Cull (Enforcement of Community Compensation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 (S.R. 1996 No. 595).

The Regulations provide for the registration of hide dealers and tannery controllers and for the approval of rendering plants (regulation 3). General requirements are specified in relation to the purchase or sale of, and other dealings in, hides (regulation 4). The Regulations ensure that, when a hide is processed, any part of it not processed is treated as controlled waste and consigned to an approved incinerator or rendering plant (regulations 5 and 6). Registered hide dealers and tannery controllers are required to submit weekly returns to the Department of Agriculture (regulation 7).

The Regulations provide for the appointment of authorised officers and make provisions in relation to enforcement and penalties (regulations 8 to 11).