Meat (Disease Control) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations give effect in part to the provisions of the following Council Directives relating to disease control:

• Council Directive 72/461/EEC on health problems affecting intra-Community trade in fresh meat (O.J. No. L302, 31.12.72, p. 24 (Special edition 1972 31 Dec (3) p. 3)), which was last amended by Council Decision 95/1/EC, Euratom, ECSC (O.J. No. L1, 1.1.95, p.1);

• Council Directive 91/494/EEC on animal health conditions governing intra-Community trade in and imports from third countries of fresh poultrymeat (O.J. No. L268, 24.9.91, p. 35), which was last amended by Council Directive 93/121/EC (O.J. No. L340, 31.12.93, p. 39);

• Council Directive 80/215/EEC on animal health problems affecting intra-Community trade in meat products (O.J. No. L47, 21.2.80, p. 4), which was last amended by Council Decision 95/1/EC, Euratom, ECSC (O.J. No. L1, 1.1.95, p. 1);

• Council Directive 77/99/EEC on health problems affecting the production and marketing of meat products and certain other products of animal origin (the text of that Directive was replaced by the text annexed to Council Directive 92/5/EEC (O.J. No. L57, 2.3.92, p. 1));

• Council Directive 94/65/EC laying down the requirements for the production and placing on the market of minced meat and meat preparations (O.J. No. L368, 31.12.94, p. 10).

The Regulations make the following principal amendments—

1.  Regulation 2 amends the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997. It provides that, where meat is obtained in circumstances where animal health restrictions in connection with certain specified diseases apply, the health mark must be overstamped. Meat which has been overstamped or which has not been produced separately from overstamped meat may not be traded with other EEA States.

2.  Regulation 3 amends the Poultry Meat, Farmed Game Bird Meat and Rabbit Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995. It provides that, where poultry meat is obtained in circumstances where animal health restrictions apply in connection with any disease to which poultry is susceptible— specifically avian influenza and Newcastle disease— the health mark must be overstamped. Meat which has been overstamped or which has not been produced separately from overstamped meat may not be traded with other EEA States. In addition, meat from a bird which has been vaccinated against Newcastle disease within 30 days of slaughter may not be traded with other EEA States.

3.  Regulation 4 amends the Meat Products (Hygiene) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997. It prohibits the use of overstamped meat in meat products which are to be traded with other EEA States, unless the meat products undergo one of the forms of treatment prescribed at regulation 4(e) (which amends Part VIII of Schedule 2 to those Regulations). Such meat products must be prepared under veterinary supervision, must be stored separately from oval health marked meat and must be accompanied by a health certificate which confirms that they have been treated in accordance with the Regulations. All meat products are now required to be accompanied during transportation by commercial documentation, in addition to the requirement for a health certificate in specified circumstances.

4.  Regulation 5 amends the Minced Meat and Meat Preparations (Hygiene) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997. It restricts the use of overstamped meat in minced meat and meat preparations.

Regulation 6 makes a number of consequential amendments to the Products of Animal Origin (Import and Export) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 (S.R. 1998 No. 45 as already amended).