Commission Decision

of 31 October 2003

laying down animal health requirements and the veterinary certification for the import of animal casings from third countries

(notified under document number C(2003) 3988)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2003/779/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 92/118/EEC of 17 December 1992 laying down animal health and public health requirements governing trade in and imports into the Community of products not subject to the said requirements laid down in specific Community rules referred to in Annex A(1) to Directive 89/662/EEC and, as regards pathogens, to Directive 90/425/EEC1, as last amended by Commission Decision 2003/721/EC2, and in particular Article 10(2)(a) and (c) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)
Commission Decision 94/187/EC of 18 March 1994 laying down animal health requirements and the veterinary certification for the import of animal casings from third countries3 has been substantially amended several times4. In the interests of clarity and rationality, the said Decision should be codified.
(2)

Annex I(2) to Directive 92/118/EEC allows the importation from any third country of animal casings which have undergone a prescribed treatment.

(3)

The animal health conditions and veterinary certification must be laid down in order to guarantee that the prescribed treatment of the casings is carried out.

(4)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

F1Article 1

1.

The appropriate authority must authorise the importation of animal casings from any third country accompanied by a health certificate, in the form published by the appropriate authority from time to time, which must consist of one sheet.

2.

In this Decision:

“appropriate authority” means the Secretary of State (in relation to England), the Welsh Ministers (in relation to Wales) and the Scottish Ministers (in relation to Scotland); but the “appropriate authority” is the Secretary of State if consent is given by:

(a)

in relation to Wales, the Welsh Ministers;

(b)

in relation to Scotland, the Scottish Ministers;

“third country” means any country or territory other than the British Islands.

F2Article 1a

The appropriate authority must ensure that consignments of animal casings for human consumption which are introduced into their territory and are destined for a third country by transit, either immediately or after storage in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2124, and which are not intended for importation into Great Britain, comply with the following requirements:

(a)

they meet the specific animal health conditions set out in the health certificate;

(b)

they are accompanied by the health certificate, in the form published by the appropriate authority from time to time, signed by an official veterinarian of the competent veterinary services of the third country concerned;

(c)

they are certified as acceptable for transit or storage (as appropriate) on the Common Health Entry Document by the official veterinarian of the Border Control Post of introduction.

F3Article 1b

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Article 2

Decision 94/187/EC is repealed.

References to the repealed Decision shall be construed as references to this Decision and read in accordance with the correlation table in Annex III.

F4Article 3

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F5ANNEX I A

F5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F6ANNEX I B

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ANNEX II

Repealed Decision and its successive amendments

Decision 94/187/EC

(OJ L 89, 6.4.1994, p. 18)

Decision 94/461/EC, Article 2 only

(OJ L 189, 23.7.1994, p. 88)

Decision 94/775/EC, Article 2 only

(OJ L 310, 3.12.1994, p. 77)

Decision 95/88/EC, Article 1 only

(OJ L 69, 29.3.1995, p. 45)

Decision 95/230/EC, Article 1 only

(OJ L 154, 5.7.1995, p. 19)

Decision 96/106/EC, Article 1 only

(OJ L 24, 31.1.1996, p. 34)

ANNEX III

CORRELATION TABLE

Decision 94/187/EC

This Decision

Article 1

Article 1

—

Article 2

Article 2

—

Article 3

Article 3

Annex

Annex I

—

Annex II

—

Annex III