(This note is not part of the Order.)

This Order implements in Northern Ireland the requirements of Article 3.1 of Commission Decision 2000/418/EC (O.J. No. L518, 30.6.2000, p. 76) regulating the use of material presenting risks as regards transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, as amended by Article 1 of the Commission Decision adopted on 27th December 2000. It does so by amending the Specified Risk Material Order (Northern Ireland) 1997 (S.R. 1997 No. 551).

The Order makes the following changes of substance—

(a)

the definition of “specified risk material ” (SRM) in Article 2(1) of S.R. 1997 No. 551 is brought into line with the definition contained in Commission Decision 2000/418/EC as amended;

(b)

the categories of premises to which SRM must be sent if it is imported into Northern Ireland from any place outside the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man or any of the Channel Islands are revised;

(c)

food and feedingstuffs containing SRM must now be accompanied by a certificate only when imported from a country outside the European Union.