The Animal Feedingstuffs from Belgium (Control) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations revoke and re-enact with certain changes the Animal Feedingstuffs from Belgium (Control) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 as amended by the Animal Feedingstuffs from Belgium (Control) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 (“the revoked sets of Regulations”), and implements, in relation to products for animal feeding, Commission Decision 1999/449/EC (“the new Commission Decision”) on protective measures with regard to contamination by dioxins of certain products on animal origin intended for human or animal consumption (O.J. No. L175, 10.7.1999, p. 70) which revokes and re-enacts with changes Commission Decision 1999/363/EC (O.J. No. L141, 4.6.1999, p. 24) and Commission Decision 1999/389/EC (O.J. No. L147, 12.6.1999, p. 26) as amended, in both cases by Commission Decision 1999/390/EC (O.J. No. L159, 25.6.1999, p. 60).

Like the revoked sets of Regulations, these Regulations-

(a) define “controlled entity” (regulation 2) and prohibit, subject to exceptions (regulation 3), the carrying out of specified operations with respect thereto (regulation 4);

(b) specify the enforcement authorities (regulation 5); and

(c) apply, with modifications, provisions of the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 (regulation 6).

In addition to making minor drafting changes to the revoked sets of Regulations, the regulations, by referring to the new Commission Decision, made the following changes of substance—

(a) the definition of “controlled entity” now reflects-

(i) modifications made by the new Commission Decision as regards the list of products of Belgian origin subject to the controls contained in it; in particular, compound feedingstuffs and pre-mixes are added;

(ii) the fact that under the new Commission Decision, the rearing period for continuing controls applicable to products from pigs and bovine animals is now closed at 3rd June 1999;

(iii) the fact that, in relation to feed products derived from particular animal products, the controls contained in the new Commission Decision no longer apply where analysis shows that the level of contamination by dioxins does not exceed the relevant maximum level for PCB set out in Annex A to that Decision;

(b) there is a variation in the certification required for the importation of products from Belgium; and

(c) the circumstances in which controlled feed products may be returned to Belgium now call for information in relation to the return to be exchanged between authorities by fax, and only apply where Belgian authorities are unable to certify of suspect goods under the Decision.