G/SPS/N/EU/401  
28 July 2020  
(20-5198) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  EUROPEAN UNION  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  European Commission, Health and Food Safety 
Directorate -General  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  Food of animal origin, composite products, live animals, sprouts for 
human consumption and seeds for producing sprouts for h uman consumption  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Commission Implementing Regulation concerning 
model official certificates for certain categories of animals and goods and repealing 
Directive 98/68/EC, Decision 2000/572/EC, Decision 2003/779/EC, Regulation (EC) No 
599/2004, Decision 2007/240/EC, Implemen ting Regulation (EU) No 636/2014 and 
Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/628 . Language(s):  English . 
Number  of pages:  316 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/EEC/20_4319_00_e.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/EEC/20_4319_01_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  Regulation (EU) 2017/625 (‘Official Controls Regulation') 
empowe rs the Commission to adopt, by way of implementing acts, model official 
certificates which accompany animals and goods entering the Union, and rules for the 
issuance of such certificates. Regulation (EU) 2016/429 (‘Animal Health Law') empowers 
the Commissi on to lay down, by way of implementing acts, rules concerning animal health 
provisions to be contained in those model official certificates.  
The purpose of this Regulation is to lay down rules for the issuance of such official 
certificates and to lay down specific models with regard to the category of goods and 
animals.  
The Regulation is launched as part of a package together with Implementing Regulation 
concerning model official certificates for certain terrestrial animals and Implementing 
Regulation conce rning model official certificates for certain aquatic animals.  
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [X]  animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[X] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [X]  protect territory 
from other damage from pests.   G/SPS/N/EU/401  
 
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  8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[X] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) : Terrestial Animal Health Code; Article 
1.3.3; Article 6.2.3 and 6.2.4; Articles 7.13.4. and 7.13.15.; Chapters 1.4;  4.1; 
and 7.14; Aquatic animal Health Code; Chapters 1.5; 9.1; 10.2; 10; 5; 10.6; 
10;7 and 10.9  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:   
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : End 2020.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : End 2020.  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : 20 days from date of publication and date of application: 
21/04/2021. The act provides a transitional per iod until 20/07/2021.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [  ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : Ninety days from the date of circulation of the 
notification.  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:   
European Commission  
DG Health and Food Safety, Unit D2 -Multilateral Internationa l Relations  
Rue Froissart 101  
B-1049 Brussels  
Tel: +(322) 295 4263  
Fax: +(322) 299 8090  
E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu   
13. Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
European Commission  
DG Health and Food Safety, Unit D2 -Multilateral International Relations  
Rue Froissart 101  
B-1049 Brussels  
Tel: +(322) 295 4263  
Fax: +(322) 299 8090  
E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu