The Animals and Animal Products (Import and Export) (England) Regulations 2006

Import procedure

18.—(1) No person shall import any animal unless he has given notice of his intention to do so in accordance with Article 1 of Commission Regulation (EC) No. 282/2004.

(2) On importation, the importer or his agent shall convey the animal, under the supervision of the enforcement authority, directly to the examination area of the border inspection post or, where the instruments in Schedule 7 or the animal health conditions applicable to imports so require, to a quarantine centre as provided for in the second indent of the first sub-paragraph of Article 10(1) of Council Directive 91/496/EEC

(3) In relation to a captive bird, the importer or his agent shall at the expense of the importer ensure that—

(a) the bird is conveyed from the border inspection post referred to in paragraph (2) to an approved quarantine centre or approved quarantine facility as provided for in Articles 2(4) and 3(1) and (2) of Commission Decision 2000/666/EC; and

(b) the bird is placed and remains in quarantine at that approved quarantine centre or approved quarantine facility in accordance with Articles 3(3) and (5), 4, 5 and 6 of Commission Decision 2000/666/EC and regulation 19.

(4) Without prejudice to regulation 19(7), no person shall remove any animal from a border inspection post or a quarantine centre unless the common veterinary entry document has been completed in accordance with Article 3(1) of Commission Regulation (EC) No. 282/2004 indicating that all necessary veterinary checks have been carried out to the satisfaction of the official veterinarian.

(5) No person shall remove any animal from Customs temporary storage arrangements—

(a) unless the common veterinary entry document has been produced in accordance with Article 3(3) of Commission Regulation (EC) No. 282/2004 to an officer of Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise and the removal has been authorised by that officer;

(b) to any place other than the place of destination specified in the common veterinary entry document, unless he has been required to remove it to another place by means of a notice served on him by an inspector.

(6) Subject to paragraphs (2) to (5), the person in charge of an animal imported from a third country shall ensure that it is conveyed to its place of destination without delay and that the original of the common veterinary entry document accompanies it to its place of destination in accordance with Article 3(4) of Commission Regulation (EC) No. 282/2004.

(7) Where a check at a border inspection post involves the taking of a sample for testing and the test result is not immediately available, the official veterinarian may, by notice served on the owner or the person appearing to him to be in charge of an animal, permit the owner or person so served to move the animal from the border inspection post, and require that owner or person to keep the animal in accordance with such conditions as may be specified in the notice until the test results are available; and if the test reveals that the animal does not comply with the provisions of Article 5 of Council Directive 91/496/EEC then the provisions of regulation 22 shall apply as they apply at a border inspection post.

(8) In the event of a notice served under paragraph (5)(b) or (7) not being complied with a veterinary inspector may seize any animal to which it relates, and arrange for the requirements of the notice to be complied with.