Directive 2002/99/EC lays down, inter alia, the animal health requirements for the introduction into the Union of products of animal origin for human consumption. In accordance with those requirements, the introduction of such products into the Union is only to be authorised from third countries that appear on a list drawn up by the Commission.

Directive 2002/99/EC also provides that rules and certification for transit may be laid down.

Regulation (EU) No 206/2010 lays down, inter alia, the conditions for the introduction into the Union of consignments of fresh meat. To this end, Part 1 of its Annex II sets out a list of third countries, territories or parts thereof from which such consignments may be introduced into the Union and the models of veterinary certificates to accompany those consignments, taking into account any specific conditions or supplementary guarantees required.

New Zealand is listed in Part 1 of Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 206/2010 as a country authorised for the introduction into the Union of consignments of fresh meat of domestic bovine, ovine and porcine animals, domestic solipeds, farmed and wild non-domestic animals of the order Artiodactyla and farmed and wild non-domestic animals belonging to the Suidae, Tayassuidae or Tapiridae families.

New Zealand seeks for a faster way of transport to the Union of consignments of fresh meat for a more efficient use of such meat, considering its shelf life. New Zealand therefore envisages to transport such consignments by air plane to Singapore, unload them from means of air transport, having the possibility for temporary storage in an approved establishment in the Customs area of Singapore airport, reload them in the same establishment and transit them through the territory of Singapore to the departure port for transport by container vessel from Singapore to the Union.

Singapore therefore has requested to be authorised for the introduction into the Union of consignments of fresh meat of New Zealand origin, eligible for introduction into the Union and destined to the Union, in order to allow unloading, storage, reloading and transit through Singapore of such consignments.

At the time of departure from New Zealand such fresh meat is to comply with the specific public and animal health requirements for introduction into the Union. The competent authority of Singapore has established import controls and procedures to ensure that unloading, storage, reloading and transit through Singapore will not affect such compliance.

In March 2015, the Commission carried out a fact finding audit in Singapore, to gather information on and to assess the import controls carried out by the competent authorities of Singapore and the transit procedure established in relation to the requested authorisation. The Commission concluded from the outcome of that audit that import controls and transit procedures implemented by the competent authorities of Singapore offer satisfactory guarantees to ensure the integrity and safety of the consignments of fresh meat from New Zealand, in particular as regards animal and public health requirements.

To certify those import controls and transit procedures, a veterinary certificate should be issued by the competent authority of Singapore to further be presented to the border inspection post of introduction into the Union. To this purpose a model veterinary certificate ‘NZ-TRANSIT-SG’ is drawn up.

The Agreement lays down specific rules on certification, frontier checks and inspection fees for imports from New Zealand which are also applicable to consignments in transit through Singapore.

To align with the electronic certification requirements for New Zealand as laid down in Annex VII to the Agreement and Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/1901, the model veterinary certificate ‘NZ-TRANSIT-SG’ should be laid down in TRACES.

Upon the entry into the Union, the consignments should be accompanied by both the appropriate model of veterinary certificate issued by the competent authority of New Zealand and the model of veterinary certificate ‘NZ-TRANSIT-SG’, issued by the competent authority of Singapore in TRACES, in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.

It is therefore appropriate to amend Part 1 of Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 206/2010 in order to add the entry of Singapore to the list of third countries, territories and parts thereof to be authorised for the introduction into the Union of consignments of fresh meat originating from New Zealand, destined to the Union and being unloaded, reloaded and transited with or without storage through Singapore.

It is furthermore appropriate to amend Part 2 of Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 206/2010 to add the model of veterinary certificate ‘NZ-TRANSIT-SG’ to the list of Models of veterinary certificates.

Parts 1 and 2 of Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 206/2010 should therefore be amended accordingly.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,