The Animals and Animal Products (Import and Export) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006

Regulations 9(5) and 32(1)

SCHEDULE 4 APPROVAL OF LABORATORIES UNDER THE NORTHERN IRELAND POULTRY HEALTH ASSURANCE SCHEME

PART I APPROVAL

1.  The Department may approve any laboratory that it considers to be suitable for the purposes of carrying out Mycoplasma testing under the Northern Ireland Poultry Health Assurance Scheme.

2.  The operator of a laboratory approved under paragraph 1 shall pay the annual approval fee each year as set out in Part II of this Schedule.

3.  In order to ensure that approved laboratories remain suitable for approval, an inspector shall carry out inspections and quality assurance testing as the Department considers necessary.

4.  The Department may suspend or revoke an approval granted to a laboratory under regulation 9(5) and paragraph 1 of this Part where it considers that the laboratory cannot meet the conditions on which the approval was granted, or if in its opinion the laboratory otherwise appears no longer suitable for the purposes of carrying out Mycoplasma testing under the Northern Ireland Poultry Health Assurance Scheme.

5.  The Department may end a suspension of an approval imposed under regulation 9(5) and paragraph 4 of this Part if it is satisfied that the laboratory concerned has taken adequate measures to enable it to fulfill the conditions of approval and is suitable for the purposes of carrying out Mycoplasma testing under the Northern Ireland Poultry Health Assurance Scheme.

PART II ANNUAL APPROVAL FEE

1.  The Department shall—

(a) determine the annual approval fee on the basis of the cost of inspection and associated administration costs; and

(b) publish the current annual approval fee on the website of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

2.  The annual approval fee shall be payable to the Department in respect of each approved laboratory and shall be non-refundable.