THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 October 2002 laying down health rules concerning animal by-products not intended for human consumption, and in particular Article 29(3) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002 lays down requirements for the importation into the Community of blood products and other animal by-products intended for technical purposes including pharmaceutical use. Member States are to authorise the importation of those by-products if they comply with the relevant requirements laid down in Chapter IV or Chapter XI respectively of Annex VIII to that Regulation.
(2)
Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002 provides that the by-products must come from a third country or part of a third country included on a list set out in part VI of its Annex XI. Japan is not included in that Part VI of Annex XI.
(3)
The competent authority of Japan (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Animal Health and Animal Products Safety Division has given the Commission the necessary guarantees that blood products and other by-products for technical uses from Japan can be obtained and consigned to the Community in accordance with the relevant import requirements. In particular, Japan has approved and registered the relevant plants in accordance with Article 29(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002.
(4)
It is, therefore, appropriate to include Japan in Part VI of Annex XI.
(5)
It is also appropriate to amend part VI of Annex XI in order to use the same terminology as in Chapter XI of Annex VIII of the same Regulation.
(6)
The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: