Article 10 of Directive 92/65/EEC lays down the animal health requirements governing trade in dogs, cats and ferrets.

Part 1 of Annex E to that Directive sets out the model health certificate for trade in animals from holdings, including dogs, cats and ferrets.

The requirements laid down in Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 differ, depending on the Member State of destination and the Member State or third country of origin.

Third countries that apply to non-commercial movement of pet animals rules at least equivalent to the rules provided for in Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 are listed in Section 2 of Part B of Annex II to that Regulation.

In order to avoid that commercial movements are fraudulently disguised as non-commercial movements of pet animals within the meaning of Regulation (EC) No 998/2003, point (b) of the first paragraph of Article 12 of that Regulation provides that the requirements and checks laid down in Directive 92/65/EEC are to apply to the movement of more than five pet animals where the animals are brought into the Union from a third country other than those listed in Section 2 of Part B of Annex II to that Regulation.

Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 also provides that for a transitional period the non-commercial movement of dogs, cats and ferrets into the territory of Ireland, Malta, Sweden or the United Kingdom is to be subject to certain additional requirements.

Directive 92/65/EEC refers to those additional requirements only as regards trade in dogs, cats and ferrets destined for Ireland, Sweden or the United Kingdom.

To ensure that the requirements and checks for non-commercial movements of more than five pet dogs, cats and ferrets into all Member States, including Malta, are applied in a uniform manner, it is necessary to adapt the model health certificate set out in Part 1 of Annex E to Directive 92/65/EEC.

In addition, the model health certificate for intra-Union trade in live bees (Apis mellifera) and bumble bees (Bombus spp.) is laid down in Part 2 of Annex E to Directive 92/65/EEC.

That certificate establishes animal health requirements as regards American foulbrood for both bees and bumble bees. These requirements allow only movements of bees and bumble bees from areas that are free of that disease. A 30-day standstill is provided in case of an outbreak and it is applied to an area of three kilometres around the outbreak.

In most cases, however, bumble bees are bred in environmentally isolated structures that are regularly controlled by the competent authority and checked for the presence of diseases. Such establishments that are recognised by and under the supervision of the competent authority of the Member State concerned are not likely to be affected by the presence of American foulbrood in the three kilometres radius set out in Part 2 of Annex E in contrast with open air colonies.

It is therefore necessary to amend the model health certificate for intra-Union trade in live bees and bumble bees in order to introduce specific animal health requirements concerning the bumble bees bred in an environmentally isolated structure.

Parts 1 and 2 of Annex E to Directive 92/65/EEC 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,