Commission Decision

of 26 August 2009

amending Decision 2006/139/EC as regards its period of applicability and the list of authorities in Canada approved for keeping a herdbook or register of certain animals

(notified under document C(2009) 6522)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2009/623/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 94/28/EC of 23 June 1994 laying down the principles relating to the zootechnical and genealogical conditions applicable to imports from third countries of animals, their semen, ova and embryos, and amending Directive 77/504/EEC on pure-bred breeding animals of the bovine species1, and in particular Article 3 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)
Commission Decision 2006/139/EC of 7 February 2006 implementing Council Directive 94/28/EC as regards a list of authorities in third countries approved for the keeping of a herdbook or register of certain animals2 provides that Member States are to authorise the importation of breeding animals of certain species, their semen, ova and embryos as ‘pure-bred’ or ‘hybrid’ only if they are entered or registered in a herdbook or register kept by an authority approved for that purpose. The approved authorities are listed in the Annex to that Decision.
(2)
In accordance with Article 18 of Council Directive 2008/73/EC of 15 July 2008 simplifying procedures of listing and publishing information in the veterinary and zootechnical fields and amending Directives 64/432/EEC, 77/504/EEC, 88/407/EEC, 88/661/EEC, 89/361/EEC, 89/556/EEC, 90/426/EEC, 90/427/EEC, 90/428/EEC, 90/429/EEC, 90/539/EEC, 91/68/EEC, 91/496/EEC, 92/35/EEC, 92/65/EEC, 92/66/EEC, 92/119/EEC, 94/28/EC, 2000/75/EC, Decision 2000/258/EC and Directives 2001/89/EC, 2002/60/EC and 2005/94/EC3, the procedure for listing of bodies in respect of the species and/or races concerned that the competent authority of the third country has approved for the purpose of Directive 94/28/EC will be replaced by an Internet-based information coming into effect on 1 January 2010. For the sake of clarity and legal certainty it is therefore necessary to introduce an end date for the validity of Decision 2006/139/EC.
(3)

The entry for Bulgaria in the Annex to Decision 2006/139/EC became obsolete with the accession of that Member State and should therefore be deleted for the sake of legal clarity.

(4)

In addition, Canada has requested to update several entries for that country in the Annex to Decision 2006/139/EC.

(5)

Canada has provided guarantees regarding compliance with the relevant requirements laid down in Community legislation and, in particular those laid down in Directive 94/28/EC.

(6)

Decision 2006/139/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 Zootechnics,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: