THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Directive 90/425/EEC of 26 June 1990 concerning veterinary and zootechnical checks applicable in intra-Community trade in certain live animals and products with a view to the completion of the internal market, and in particular Article 20(3) thereof
1,
Having regard to Council Directive 91/496/EEC of 15 July 1991 laying down the principles governing the organisation of veterinary checks on animals entering the Community from third countries and amending Directives 89/662/EEC, 90/425/EEC and 90/675/EEC
2, and in particular Article 6(4) thereof,
Having regard to Council Directive 97/78/EC of 18 December 1997 laying down the principles governing the organisation of veterinary checks on products entering the Community from third countries
3, and in particular Article 6(2) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)Commission Decision 2001/881/EC of 7 December 2001 drawing up a list of border inspection posts agreed for veterinary checks on animals and animal products from third countries and updating the detailed rules concerning the checks to be carried out by the experts of the Commission
4 should be updated to take account in particular of developments in certain Member States regarding those posts and of inspections carried out in accordance with that Decision. The list of border inspection posts set out in Decision 2001/881/EC (the list) includes the TRACES unit number for every border inspection post. TRACES is a computerised system introduced by Commission Decision 2004/292/EC
5 and replacing the previous Animo system, which is based on the network introduced by Commission Decision 91/398/EEC
6, for tracing movements of animals and certain products in intra-Community trade and imports.
(2)Following a satisfactory inspection in accordance with Decision 2001/881/EC, additional border inspection posts at Daugavpils, Riga, Rezekne and Ventspils in Latvia, at Castellón in Spain, and at Gyékényes, Kelebia and Eperjeske in Hungary should be added to the list.
(3)At the request of the United Kingdom the port of North Shields, and at the request of France, Divonne and the port of La Rochelle Rochefort should be deleted from the list.
(4)In addition, the list should be updated to take account of recent changes concerning categories of animals or products which can be checked in the posts and the organisation of inspection centres within the posts, for a number of border inspection posts already approved in accordance with Decision 2001/881/EC.
(5)The list has been amended a number of times. Accordingly, in the interests of clarity of Community legislation, it is appropriate to replace it by the list set out in this Decision. Decision 2001/881/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.
(6)The list of units in Commission Decision 2002/459/EC of 4 June 2002 listing the units in the Animo computer network and repealing Decision 2000/287/EC
7 includes the TRACES unit number for each border inspection post in the Community. In the interests of consistency of Community legislation, that list should accordingly be updated to take account of any relevant changes and to maintain an identical list to that set out in Decision 2001/881/EC. Decision 2002/459/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.
(7)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: