http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/eudn/2018/218

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/218

of 13 February 2018

amending Annex II to Decision 92/260/EEC as regards temporary admission of registered horses from certain parts of China, amending Decision 93/195/EEC as regards animal health and veterinary certification conditions for the re-entry of registered horses for racing, competition and cultural events after temporary export to China, Mexico and the United States of America, and amending Annex I to Decision 2004/211/EC as regards the entries for China, Mexico and Turkey in the list of third countries and parts thereof from which imports into the Union of live equidae and semen, ova and embryos of the equine species are authorised

(notified under document C(2018) 713)

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Directive 92/65/EEC of 13 July 1992 laying down animal health requirements governing trade in and imports into the Community of animals, semen, ova and embryos not subject to animal health requirements laid down in specific Community rules referred to in Annex A(I) to Directive 90/425/EEC1, and in particular Article 17(3)(a) thereof,

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 equidae2, and in particular Article 12(1) and (4), Article 15(a), Article 16(2), and the introductory phrase and points (a) and (b) of Article 19 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

Directive 2009/156/EC lays down animal health conditions for the importation into the Union of live equidae. It provides that imports of equidae into the Union are only authorised from third countries that meet certain animal health requirements.

(2)

Commission Decision 92/260/EEC3 provides models of health certificates for temporary admission of registered horses from third countries, including the health certificate in Annex II(C) for third countries, including China and Hong Kong, assigned to Sanitary Group C in accordance with Annex I thereto.

(3)

In accordance with Commission Decision 2004/211/EC4, the temporary admission, the re-entry after temporary export and the import of registered horses are authorised from the Equine Disease Free Zone (EDFZ) in Conghua City, Guangzhou Municipality, Guangdong Province of China, referred to as ‘CN-1’ in the list of third countries and parts thereof in Annex I thereto.

(4)

Following the establishment of that EDFZ, contractual arrangements between Hong Kong and China designate that zone as a training centre for race horses of Hong Kong. Hong Kong requested to include the EDFZ in the existing list of third countries, or part of the territory of third countries, where registered horses may have been resident during their mandatory residence on holdings under veterinary supervision during the 40 days prior to dispatch to the European Union. Following the evaluation of the necessary guarantees, the part of the territory of China described as ‘CN-1’ in the list of third countries and parts thereof in Annex I to Decision 2004/211/EC should be included in the list of third countries in the third indent of point III(d) of the model of health certificate in Annex II(C) to Decision 92/260/EEC.

(5)

Decision 92/260/EEC should be amended accordingly.

(6)

Commission Decision 93/195/EEC5 provides models of health certificates for the re-entry of registered horses into the Union after temporary export to participate in racing, competition and cultural events. The model health certificate in Annex X to that Decision is to be used for the re-entry of registered horses participating in equestrian events of the LG Global Champions Tour in the Metropolitan area of Mexico City, Mexico, and in Miami, United States of America, which take place under the auspices of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI).

(7)

In order to host an equestrian event of the LG Global Champions Tour, also carried out under the auspices of the Fédération Equestre Internationale, the purpose built temporary venue in the Metropolitan area of Shanghai has been temporarily recognised as an equine disease-free zone for a period of 30 days in accordance with Commission Implementing Decisions 2014/127/EU6, (EU) 2015/5577, (EU) 2016/3618 and (EU) 2017/999. After the construction of permanent facilities, the competent Chinese authorities have requested that region CN-2 be recognised permanently as an equine disease-free zone for the purpose of the LG Global Champions Tour.

(8)

In light of the guarantees and information provided by the Chinese authorities and in order to provide for the re-entry in accordance with the requirements of Decision 93/195/EEC of registered horses into the Union after temporary export to a specific part of the territory of China for a particular event, Article 1 of Decision 93/195/EEC and Annex X thereto should be amended to allow the re-entry after temporary export of registered horses from the LG Global Champions Tour event in Shanghai, China.

(9)

Decision 93/195/EEC should therefore be amended accordingly.

(10)

Decision 2004/211/EC establishes a list of third countries, or parts thereof where regionalisation applies, from which Member States are to authorise the importation of equidae and semen, ova and embryos thereof, and indicates the other conditions applicable to such imports. That list is set out in Annex I to Decision 2004/211/EC.

(11)

In order to recognise the region CN-2 referred to in the table in Annex I to Decision 2004/211/EC permanently for the purposes of the re-entry of registered horses having participated in the LG Global Champions Tour event in Shanghai, the time period indicated in column 15 of that table in respect of the region CN-2 should be replaced by a reference to the animal health certificate to be used for the re-entry into the Union of registered horses having participated in this event.

(12)

The equestrian events of the LG Global Champions Tour take place annually in spring time in the Metropolitan area of Mexico City, Mexico, and in Miami, United States of America.

(13)

As the Metropolitan area of Mexico City is a region of high altitude with a reduced risk of vector born transmission of vesicular stomatitis or certain subtypes of Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis, and as it is a region in which Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis has not been reported for more than two years, the re-entry into the Union of registered horses for competition after temporary export for a period of not more than 30 days to participate in the LG Global Champions Tour in the Metropolitan area of Mexico City has been authorised by Commission Implementing Decisions (EU) 2015/230110 and (EU) 2017/99.

(14)

In order to allow the re-entry of registered horses having participated in the annually recurrent LG Global Champions Tour event in the Metropolitan area of Mexico City, the time period indicated in column 15 of the table in Annex I to Decision 2004/211/EC in respect of the region MX-1 should be replaced by a reference to the animal health certificate to be used for the re-entry into the Union of registered horses having participated in this event.

(15)

On 15 December 2017, Turkey notified through the Animal Disease Notification System a case of glanders (Burgholderia mallei), which was confirmed on 13 October 2017 in a horse on the Büyükada Island, Province of Istanbul, Turkey. Pending the completion of the investigations into the origin and possible spread of the disease, the entry into the Union of equidae and of germinal products of equidae from Turkey should be suspended.

(16)

Decision 2004/211/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

(17)

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: