THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Directive 2009/156/EC of 30 November 2009 on animal health conditions governing the movement and importation from third countries of equidae, and in particular the introductory phrase and point (b) of Article 19 thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Commission Decision 92/260/EEC lays down the animal health conditions and veterinary certification requirements for the temporary admission into the Union of registered horses for a period of less than 90 days from third countries assigned to specific sanitary groups as set out in Annex I thereto. Annex II to that Decision sets out specimen animal health certificates which must accompany the animals arriving from third countries assigned to the corresponding sanitary groups. That Decision provides amongst others for guarantees that uncastrated male horses older than 180 days do not pose a risk as regards equine viral arteritis.
(2)
Commission Decision 2004/211/EC establishes a list of third countries and parts of territories thereof from which Member States are to authorise the temporary admission of registered horses, the re-entry of registered horses after temporary export and the imports of registered equidae and equidae for breeding and production and sets out the conditions for the importation of equidae from third countries.
(3)
Registered horses participating in at least one of the eight competition disciplines of the World Equestrian Games from 23 August to 7 September 2014 in Normandy in France, will be under the veterinary supervision of the competent authorities of France and the organising Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI).
(4)
About a thousand horses will be presented during the Games in seven venues. The competitions in the FEI disciplines will take place in Caen, in Le Pin National Stud in the Orne region and in Sartilly in the Manche region. However there will be other events not involving FEI-registered horses in Deauville, Caen and Saint-Lô.
(5)
Certain male registered horses, which have qualified for participation in those high-level equestrian events may not comply with the requirements as regards equine viral arteritis laid down in Decisions 92/260/EEC and 2004/211/EC. However, the likelihood of those horses being used for breeding during the competition and the preceding acclimatisation period is negligible. It is therefore appropriate to provide for a derogation from those requirements for uncastrated male registered horses temporarily admitted to participate in those sporting events. This Decision should set out the animal health and veterinary certification requirements to exclude the risk of spreading equine viral arteritis through breeding or semen collection.
(6)
Commission Decision 2004/292/EC created a single electronic database (‘Traces’) for monitoring the movement of animals within the Union and from third countries, as well as providing all the reference data relating to trade in such goods. That system is the most suitable instrument to ensure that uncastrated male registered horses temporarily admitted under specific conditions as regards equine viral arteritis leave the Union within a period of less than 90 days following their entry and without delay following the end of the equestrian events in which they participated. Traces should therefore be used for traceability of those registered horses temporarily admitted to participate in those sporting events.
(7)
Commission Regulation (EC) No 282/2004 introduced a document for the declaration of, and veterinary checks on, animals from third countries entering the European Union.
(8)
Commission Regulation (EC) No 599/2004 provides a format for the identification of the consignment which allows to establish a link to animal health documents which accompanied the animal to the border inspection post at the point of entry into the European Union.
(9)
Commission Decision 2009/821/EC provides details of a communication network connecting veterinary units in Member States in order to follow up movements of, for example, temporarily admitted registered horses.
(10)
The common veterinary entry document issued in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 282/2004 in conjunction with certification for the movement of such horses from the Member State of first destination to other Member States (‘onward certification’), is the most suitable instrument to ensure that uncastrated male registered horses temporarily admitted under specific conditions as regards equine viral arteritis leave the European Union within a period of less than 90 days following their entry and without delay following the end of the equestrian events in which they participated.
(11)
However, because the onward certification in Section VII of the specimen health certificate in accordance with Decision 92/260/EEC is not implemented in Traces, it is necessary to connect this onward certification through the common veterinary entry document with a health attestation in accordance with Annex II to Directive 2009/156/EC which should be notified to the place of destination and in the format prescribed by Regulation (EC) No 599/2004.
(12)
With a view to the importance of the event, the importance of the region as a horse breeding area and the limited number of well-known individual horses entering the European Union under the specific conditions provided for in this Decision, the additional administrative procedures appear to be appropriate.
(13)
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: