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/EEC, and in particular Article 17(2)(a) thereof,
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 points (1) and (4) of Article 8 thereof,
Having regard to Council Directive 2004/68/EC of 26 April 2004 laying down animal health rules for the importation into and transit through the Community of certain live ungulate animals, amending Directives 90/426/EEC and 92/65/EEC and repealing Directive 72/462/EEC, and in particular Article 3(1) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
On 29 March 2017, the United Kingdom submitted the notification of its intention to withdraw from the Union pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). On 11 April 2019, the European Council adopted Decision (EU) 2019/584 extending the period under Article 50(3) TEU in agreement with the United Kingdom. In accordance with that Decision, the period provided for in Article 50(3) TEU has been further extended until 31 October 2019. Union law will therefore cease to apply to and in the United Kingdom from 1 November 2019 (‘the withdrawal date’).
(2)
Commission Regulation (EU) No 206/2010 lays down lists of third countries, territories or parts thereof authorised for the introduction into the European Union of certain animals and fresh meat and the veterinary certification requirements. It provides that consignments of ungulates, and fresh meat of those animals intended for human consumption, are only to be introduced into the Union from third countries if they comply with the conditions laid down in that Regulation.
(3)
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has provided the necessary guarantees for that country to comply with the conditions laid down in Regulation (EU) No 206/2010 for the introduction into the Union of consignments of ungulates, other than equidae, and fresh meat of ungulates including that of equidae, and for its Crown Dependencies for certain of the above commodities, from the withdrawal date by continuing to comply with Union legislation for an initial period of at least nine months.
(4)
Therefore, taking into account these specific guarantees provided by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and in order to avoid any unnecessary disruption to trade after the withdrawal date, the United Kingdom and its Crown Dependencies, should be included in the lists of third countries, territories and parts thereof set out in Part 1 of Annex I and in Part 1 of Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 206/2010 authorised for the introduction into the Union of consignments of ungulates, other than equidae, and fresh meat of ungulates including that of equidae.
(5)
Annexes I and II to Regulation (EU) No 206/2010 should therefore be amended accordingly.
(6)
This Regulation should apply from 1 November 2019, unless Union law continues to apply to and in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on that date.
(7)
The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: