Commission Regulation (EC) No 798/2008Show full title

CHAPTER II GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR IMPORTS AND TRANSIT

Article 3 Lists of third countries, territories, zones or compartments of origin from which commodities may be imported into and transit through the Community

The commodities shall only be imported into and transit through the Community from the third countries, territories, zones or compartments listed in columns 1 and 3 of the table in Part 1 of Annex I.

Article 4 Veterinary certification

1. Commodities imported into the Community shall be accompanied by a veterinary certificate, as referred to in column 4 of the table in Part 1 of Annex I, for the commodity concerned, completed in accordance with the notes and the model veterinary certificates set out in Part 2 of that Annex (the certificate).

2. A declaration by the master of the ship, as set out in Annex II, shall be attached to veterinary certificates for imports of poultry and day-old chicks, where the transport of those commodities includes transport by ship, even for part of the journey.

3. Poultry, hatching eggs and day-old chicks transiting through the Community shall be accompanied by:

(a) a veterinary certificate as referred to in paragraph 1 which shall bear the words ‘for transit through the EC’, and

(b) a certificate required by the third country of destination.

4. Specified pathogen-free eggs, meat, minced meat and mechanically separated meat of poultry, ratites and wild game-birds, eggs and egg products transiting through the Community shall be accompanied by a certificate drawn up in accordance with the model certificate set out in Annex XI and complying with the conditions set out therein.

5. For the purposes of this Regulation, transit may include storage during transit in accordance with Articles 12 and 13 of Directive 97/78/EC.

6. Electronic certification and other agreed systems harmonised at Community level may be used.

Article 5 Conditions for imports and transit

1. Commodities imported into and transiting through the Community shall comply with the conditions laid down in Articles 6 and 7 and in Chapter III.

2. Paragraph 1 shall not apply to single consignments of fewer than 20 units of poultry other than ratites, hatching eggs or day-old chicks thereof. However, such single consignments may only be imported from third countries, territories, zones or compartments thereof that are approved for such imports and they comply with the following conditions:

(a) third country, territory, zone or compartment is listed in columns 1 and 3 of the table in Part 1 of Annex I and column 4 of that table provides for a model veterinary certificate for the commodity concerned;

(b) they are not covered by an import ban for animal health reasons;

(c) the importation conditions include the requirement for post-import isolation or quarantine.

3. Commodities referred to in paragraph 1 shall comply with the following:

(a) the additional guarantees, as specified in column 5 of the table in Part 1 of Annex I;

(b) the specific conditions set out in column 6, and where appropriate, the closing dates set out in column 6A and the opening dates set out in column 6B, of the table in Part 1 of Annex I;

(c) the animal health additional guarantees, where required by the Member State of destination and referred to in the certificate;

(d) the restrictions in relation to the approval of a Salmonella control programme, shall only apply when indicated in the appropriate column of the table in Part 1 of Annex I.

Article 6 Examination, sampling and testing procedures

Where examination, sampling and testing for avian influenza, Mycoplasma, Newcastle disease, Salmonella, and other pathogens of animal or public health significance is required for imports of commodities into the Community in accordance with the certificates, such commodities shall only be imported into the Community where those examinations, sampling and testing have been carried out by the competent authority of the third country concerned or where appropriate by the competent authority of the Member State of destination in accordance with Annex III.

Article 7 Disease reporting requirements

Commodities shall only be imported into the Community from third countries, territories, zones or compartments, where the third country concerned:

(a)

informs the Commission of the disease situation within 24 hours of confirmation of any initial outbreaks of HPAI or Newcastle disease;

(b)

submits virus isolates from initial outbreaks of those diseases, without undue delay to the Community reference laboratory for avian influenza and Newcastle disease(1); however, such virus isolates shall not be required for imports of eggs, egg products and specified pathogen-free eggs from third countries, territories, zones or compartments from which the import of such commodities into the Community is authorised;

(c)

submits to the Commission regular updates on the disease situation.

(1)

Veterinary Laboratories Agency, New Haw, Weybridge, Surrey KT 153NB, United Kingdom.