Directive 97/78/EC lays down the principles governing the organisation of veterinary checks on products entering the Union from third countries. Article 19(1) of that Directive provides that the Commission is to draw up a list of plant products which are to be subjected to border veterinary checks since they can present a risk of spreading infectious or contagious animal diseases to the Union, and a list of the third countries which may be authorised to export those plant products to the Union.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has provided the necessary guarantees for that country and certain of its Crown Dependencies to comply with the conditions laid down in Regulation (EC) No 136/2004 for the introduction into the Union of consignments of commodities of hay and straw from the withdrawal date by continuing to comply with Union legislation for an initial period of at least nine months.

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 of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and certain of its Crown Dependencies should be included in the list of countries set out in Annex V to Regulation (EC) No 136/2004 authorised for the introduction into the Union of consignments of hay and straw.

Annex V to Regulation (EC) No 136/2004 should therefore be amended accordingly.

This Regulation should apply from 13 April 2019, unless Union law continues to apply to and in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on that date.

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