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
1, and in particular Article 20(3) thereof,
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.
(2)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 of 30 March 2004 on the introduction of the Traces system and amending Decision 92/486/EEC
5. Traces replaces the previous ANIMO system based on the network introduced by Commission Decision 91/398/EEC of 19 July 1991 on a computerized network linking veterinary authorities (ANIMO)
6, for tracing movements of animals and certain products in intra-Community trade and imports.
(3)Following a satisfactory inspection in accordance with Decision 2001/881/EC, additional border inspection posts at Sines in Portugal, Bratislava in Slovakia, Valetta in Malta and Manston in the United Kingdom should be added to the list.
(4)Following communications from Sweden and the United Kingdom, border inspection posts at Norrköping and Varberg in Sweden, and at Portsmouth in the United Kingdom, should be deleted from the list.
(5)In addition, the list should be updated to take account of recent changes regarding a number of border inspection posts already approved in accordance with Decision 2001/881/EC, concerning categories of animals or products which can be checked in those posts and concerning the organisation of inspection centres within the posts.
(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: