THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Directive 2002/99/EC of 16 December 2002 laying down the animal health rules governing the production, processing, distribution and introduction of products of animal origin for human consumption, and in particular Article 9(4) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Commission Decision 2007/777/EC lays down, inter alia, the model certificates for imports into the Union of certain meat products. It provides that only consignments of meat products complying with the requirements of the model animal and public health certificate set out in Annex III in that Decision are imported into the Union. That model includes guarantees for Trichinella.
(2)
Commission Regulation (EC) No 2075/2005 lays down rules for the sampling of carcases of species susceptible to Trichinella infection and for the determination of the status of holdings keeping domestic swine.
(3)
Commission Regulation (EU) No 216/2014 amending Regulation (EC) No 2075/2005 grants derogation from testing provisions at slaughter to holdings which are officially recognised as applying controlled housing conditions. In addition, the Regulation (EU) No 216/2014 lays down that a holding where domestic swine are kept, can only be recognised as applying controlled housing conditions if, inter alia, the food business operator introduces new domestic swine onto this holding only if they come from other holdings also officially recognised as applying controlled housing conditions.
(4)
The model animal and public health certificate set out in Annex III to Decision 2007/777/EC should be amended to reflect the requirements relating to imports of meat products laid down in Regulation (EC) No 2075/2005, as amended by Regulation (EU) No 216/2014.
(5)
Decision 2007/777/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.
(6)
To avoid any disruption of imports into the Union of consignments of meat products from domestic porcine animals, the use of certificates issued in accordance with Decision 2007/777/EC in its version prior to the amendments being introduced by this Decision should be authorised during a transitional period subject to certain conditions.
(7)
The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: