Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 lays down requirements for the control of Salmonella in different poultry populations of the Member States. The requirements apply to Member States from the dates set out in Annex I to that Regulation, in particular 18 months after a target for reduction of the prevalence of Salmonella has been established.

Canada, Israel, Tunisia and the United States have submitted to the Commission their control programmes for Salmonella in breeding poultry of Gallus gallus, hatching eggs thereof and day-old chicks of Gallus gallus intended for breeding. These programmes were found to provide guarantees equivalent to the guarantees provided for in Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 and should therefore be approved.

Pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003, admission to or retention on the lists of third countries provided for in Community legislation from which Member States are authorised to import the relevant animals and hatching eggs covered by that Regulation is subject to the submission to the Commission by the third country concerned of a programme equivalent to national control programmes for Salmonella to be established by the Member States, and its approval by the Commission.

As a consequence of the approval of programmes, Canada, Israel, Tunisia and the United States should remain on the list set out in Decision 2006/696/EC of third countries from which the Member States are authorised to import breeding poultry of Gallus gallus, hatching eggs thereof and day-old chicks of Gallus gallus intended for breeding.

Certain other third countries currently listed in Decision 2006/696/EC have not yet submitted any control programme for Salmonella to the Commission. Since requirements on breeding poultry of Gallus gallus, hatching eggs thereof and day-old chicks of Gallus gallus intended for breeding, already apply within the Community, imports of such poultry and eggs should therefore no longer be authorised from those third countries. The list of third countries or parts thereof set out in Part 1 of Annex I to Decision 2006/696/EC should be amended accordingly.

In order to provide guarantees, equivalent to the requirements within the Community, third countries, from which Member States are authorised to import breeding and productive poultry of Gallus gallus hatching eggs thereof and day-old chicks of Gallus gallus, should certify that the control programme for Salmonella has been applied to the flock of origin and that that flock has been tested for the presence of Salmonella serotypes of public health significance as soon as the requirements apply to the different poultry populations in the Community.

In addition, pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003, flocks of Gallus gallus can not be used for breeding purposes and their eggs can not be used as hatching eggs since 1 January 2007 in the Community if infected with Salmonella Enteritidis and/or Salmonella Typhimurium. Therefore, breeding poultry, day-old chicks intended for breeding and hatching eggs should only be authorised for import into the Community if the flocks of origin where tested and free of Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium.

Third countries from which Member States are authorised to import breeding and productive poultry of Gallus gallus hatching eggs and day-old chicks of Gallus gallus, should certify that the specific requirements for the use of antimicrobials and vaccines provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1177/2006 have been applied as soon as the requirements apply to the different poultry populations in the Community. If antimicrobials have been used in day-old chicks for other purposes than the control of Salmonella, it should also be indicated on the certificate because such use may influence the testing for Salmonella at import.

The model veterinary certificates for the import of breeding and productive poultry, day old chicks and hatching eggs in Decision 2006/696/EC should be amended accordingly. In order to avoid future amendments to the model veterinary certificates at the time when the provisions on imports in Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 become applicable to productive poultry and day-old chickens, other than for breeding, the model veterinary certificates should be amended for imports of those animals as well, with a clear indication when those amendments apply to the different populations.

Bulgaria and Romania acceded to the European Union on 1 January 2007. From that date, the provisions on intra-Community trade laid down in Decision 2006/696/EC apply to those new Member States. Bulgaria and Romania should therefore be deleted from the lists of third countries that are approved for imports by the Member States and set out in Part 1 of Annexes I and II to Decision 2006/696/EC.

To avoid any disruption of trade, the use of veterinary certificates issued in accordance with Decision 2006/696/EC, as currently worded, should be allowed for a period of 60 days following the date of application of the present Decision.

However, in order to avoid future amendments to the model veterinary certificates at the time when the provisions on imports in Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 become applicable to laying hens and broilers of Gallus gallus, the model veterinary certificates should be amended for imports of those animals as well, with a clear indication when those amendments apply to the different populations. The date of application of these amendments should therefore be deferred as appropriate.

Decision 2006/696/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

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