Commission Implementing Decision
of 24 August 2012
amending Decision 2007/453/EC as regards the BSE status of Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Croatia and Nicaragua
(notified under document C(2012) 5860)
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2012/489/EU)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2001 laying down rules for the prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, and in particular the third subparagraph of Article 5(2) thereof,
OJ L 147, 31.5.2001, p. 1.
Whereas:
(1) Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 lays down rules for the prevention, control and eradication of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) in animals. For that purpose, the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) status of Member States or third countries or regions thereof (‘countries or regions’) is to be determined by classification into one of three categories depending on the BSE risk involved, namely a negligible BSE risk, a controlled BSE risk and an undetermined BSE risk.
(2) The Annex to Commission Decision 2007/453/EC of 29 June 2007 establishing the BSE status of Member States or third countries or regions thereof according to their BSE risk lists countries or regions according to their BSE risk status.
OJ L 172, 30.6.2007, p. 84.
(3) The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) plays a leading role in the categorisation of countries or regions according to their BSE risk. The list in the Annex to Decision 2007/453/EC takes account of Resolution No 17 — Recognition of the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Risk Status of Members — adopted by the OIE in May 2011 regarding the BSE status of Member States and third countries.
(4) In May 2012, the OIE adopted Resolution No 16 — Recognition of the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Risk Status of Member Countries. That Resolution recognised Austria, Belgium, Brazil and Colombia as having a negligible BSE risk, and Croatia and Nicaragua as having a controlled BSE risk. The list in the Annex to Decision 2007/453/EC should therefore be amended to be brought into line with that Resolution as regards those Member States and third countries.
(5) Decision 2007/453/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.
(6) 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:

Article 1 The Annex to Decision 2007/453/EC is replaced by the text in the Annex to this Decision.
Article 2 This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 24 August 2012.
For the Commission
John Dalli
Member of the Commission
ANNEX

‘ANNEX LIST OF COUNTRIES OR REGIONS

A. Countries or regions with a negligible BSE risk

Member States
Belgium
Denmark
Austria
Finland
Sweden

EFTA countries
Iceland
Norway

Third countries
Argentina
Australia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
India
New Zealand
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Singapore
Uruguay

B. Countries or regions with a controlled BSE risk

Member States
Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, United Kingdom

EFTA countries
Liechtenstein
Switzerland

Third countries
Canada
Croatia
Japan
Mexico
Nicaragua
South Korea
Taiwan
United States

C. Countries or regions with an undetermined BSE risk
Countries or regions not listed in point A or B of this Annex.’