{COM} COMMISSION DECISION of 29 January 1993 concerning animal health conditions and veterinary certificates for the importation of domestic animals of the bovine species and health protection measures in respect of imports of domestic animals of the porcine species from Lithuania
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
Having regard to Council Directive 72/462/EEC of 12 December 1972 on health and veterinary inspection problems upon importation of bovine, ovine and caprine animals and swine, fresh meat or meat products from third countries (1), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1601/92 (2), and in particular Articles 8 and 11 thereof,
Whereas Member States shall import domestic animals of the bovine and porcine species in accordance with the provisions of Directive 91/496/EEC (3), as last amended by Decision 92/438/EEC (4);
Whereas, following Community veterinary missions, it appears that the animal health situation in Lithuania is supervised by veterinary services which although currently in the process of reorganization can offer satisfactory guarantees concerning diseases which might be transmitted through the importation of domestic animals of the bovine species;
Whereas the veterinary authorities of Lithuania have confirmed that Lithuania has during the last 24 months been free from foot-and-mouth disease and has during the last 12 months been free from rinderpest, contagious bovine pleuro-pneumonia, vesicular stomatitis, bluetongue, classical swine fever, African swine fever, porcine enteroviral encephalomyelitis (Teschen disease), swine vesicular disease and vesicular exanthema and that no vaccinations have been carried out against any of those diseases other than classical swine fever during the past 12 months;
Whereas the fact that Lithuania carries out vaccination against classical swine fever precludes the importation into the Community of live pigs for the time being;
Whereas the veterinary authorities of Lithuania have undertaken to notify the Commission and the Member States, by telex or telefax, within 24 hours, of the confirmation of the occurrence of any of the abovementioned diseases or of the adoption of vaccination against any of them or, within an appropriate period, of any proposed changes in the Lithuanian import rules concerning bovine animals or swine;
Whereas bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis have been virtually eradicated from Lithuania; whereas vaccination against bovine brucellosis is not permitted; whereas the measures taken by the responsible authorities of Lithuania to prevent a recurrence of those diseases are sufficient to equate the status of Lithuanian herds, other than those under official restrictions, with that of herds in the Community having the status of officially tuberculosis-free officially brucellosis-free;
Whereas the veterinary authorities of Lithuania have undertaken to supervise officially the issue of certificates arising from this Decision and to ensure that all relevant certificates, declarations and statements on which export certification may have been based remain on official file for at least 12 months following the dispatch of the animals to which they refer;
Whereas the veterinary authorities of Lithuania have undertaken not to permit the certificates described in the Annexes to this Decision to be issued in respect of animals which have been imported into Lithuania unless such animals were imported in accordance with veterinary conditions at least as strict as the relevant requirement of Directive 72/462/EEC, and any relevant decisions relating thereto;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Veterinary Committee,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
1. Without prejudice to paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 Member States shall authorize the importation from Lithuania of the following animals:
(a) domestic animals of the bovine species for breeding or production which meet the requirements set out in the health certificate in Annex A and which are accompanied by such a certificate;
(b) domestic animals of the bovine species for slaughter which meet the requirements set out in the health certificate in Annex B and which are accompanied by such a certificate.
2. Member States shall authorize the importation from Lithuania of domestic animals of the bovine species indicated in paragraph 1 which have been imported into Lithuania only if such animals were imported from the Community or from a third country included in the list annexed to Council Decision 79/542/EEC (5) in so far as it covers domestic animals of that species and only if the importation was made in accordance with veterinary conditions at least as strict as the requirements of Chapter II of Directive 72/462/EEC, and any relevant decisions relating thereto.
3. Member States shall require that animals which are subjected to tests pursuant to this Decision be continuously isolated, under conditions approved by an official veterinarian of Lithuania, from all cloven-hoofed animals not intended for export to the Community or not equivalent in health status to such animals from the time of the first of such tests to the time of loading.
4. Member States shall permit the entry onto their territory from Lithuania of bovine animals only if such animals:
(a) come from herds declared by the veterinary authorities of Lithuania to be free of enzootic bovine leukosis as defined in Annex C to this Decision and have been subjected, within 30 days before export and with negative result, to an individual test for enzootic bovine leukosis carried out according to the protocol in Annex I to Commission Decision 91/189/EEC (6);
or
(b) are intended for meat production, are not more than 30 months of age, come from herds which are included in a national programme for the eradication of enzootic bovine leukosis and in which there has been no evidence whatever of that disease for at least two years and are permanently marked as described in Annex D to this Decision;
or
(c) come from herds which are included in a national programme for the eradication of enzootic bovine leukosis, are consigned directly to a slaughterhouse and are slaughtered within five working days of their arrival there.
In the case of the animals referred to in (b) and (c), Member States shall ensure, by inspection, that such animals are clearly identified, shall supervise them untim slaughter and shall take all measures to prevent contamination of indigenous herds.
Article 2
Member States may apply in respect of animals imported from Lithuania such additional health conditions as they apply to other animals within the framework of a national programme, submitted to and approved by the Commission, for the eradication, prevention or control of disease.
As a temporary measure until 31 December 1993, Member States may apply this Article in respect of national programmes which have been submitted to but not yet approved by the Commission, but in that event they must, without delay, provide the Commission and the other Member States with details of the relevant conditions.
Article 3
Member States shall make the introduction into their territory of bovine animals from Lithuania subject to a guarantee that the animals to be imported have not been vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease.
Article 4
Member States shall not authorize the importation of domestic animals of the porcine species from Lithuania.
Article 5
This Decision shall apply from the 60th day following its notification to the Member States.
Article 6
This Decision is adressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 29 January 1993.