THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 2013 on the non-commercial movement of pet animals and repealing Regulation (EC) No 998/2003, and in particular Article 13(2) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 lays down the animal health requirements applicable to the non-commercial movement of pet animals into a Member State. In particular, Article 13 of that Regulation provides that the Commission is to adopt two lists of territories and third countries from which the pet animals listed in Part A of Annex I thereto, namely dogs, cats and ferrets, may be moved for non-commercial purposes into a Member State.
(2)
The conditions applicable to the non-commercial movement of pet animals into a Member State vary depending on the situation of the territory or the third country of origin. Taking into account their particular situation, the third countries or territories may be listed in accordance with Article 13(1) or (2) of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013.
(3)
Part 2 of Annex II to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 sets out the list of territories and third countries referred to in Article 13(2) of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013.
(4)
In view of the end of the transition period provided for in the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community (Withdrawal Agreement) on 31 December 2020, the United Kingdom has submitted an application to the Commission to be listed, together with the Crown Dependencies of Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Jersey, in Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013. The Commission has assessed that application and verified that, as regards the pet animals listed in Part A of Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 576/2013, the United Kingdom, as well as the Crown Dependencies of Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Jersey fulfil the criteria laid down in in Article 13(2) of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013, and accordingly should be listed in Part 2 of Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013, without prejudice to the application of Union law to and in the United Kingdom in respect of Northern Ireland in accordance with Article 5(4) of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland to the Withdrawal Agreement in conjunction with Annex 2 to that Protocol.
(5)
Part 2 of Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 should therefore be amended accordingly.
(6)
As the transitional period provided for in the Withdrawal Agreement ends on 31 December 2020, this Regulation should apply from 1 January 2021.
(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: