WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/742 
1 December 2006 
 (06-5779) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
 
ADAPTATION OF THE COMMON VETERINARY ENTRY DOCUMENT 
TO THE TRADE CONTROL AND EXPERT SYSTEM (TRACES) 
 
Communication from the European Communities
 
  
 The following communication, dated 29 November 2006, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of the European Communities.  
_______________ 
 
 1. In document G/SPS/GEN/489 (18 May 2004) the European Communities informed its trade 
partners about the introduction of TRACES, a new automated system designed to improve the 
management of animal movements both from outside  and within the European Union.  The new 
database reduces administrative formalities both fo r economic operators as well as the competent 
authorities.  For example, a consignment of anim als moved from Spain to Italy via France can be 
managed by TRACES using a single electronic form. 
2. The system will also reduce administrative form alities for imported products.  For example, 
for a consignment of products that arrives in An twerp, the inspector at the border inspection post 
(BIP) will be able to fill in part I of the Common Veterinary Entry Document (CVED) describing the 
details of the consignment.  If after checking the products, the veterinary authority at the 
BIP authorizes the consignment, this CVED is im mediately sent to the competent authority at the 
destination. 
3. In view of the necessity to adapt numerous pre-existing veterinary certificates to the 
informatics exchange system TR ACES, the Commission has taken th is opportunity to simplify the 
legal frame by adapting numerous existing certificates under different legislation in two single texts.  
More than one hundred legal acts have been deleted. 
 
(a) The first text is Commission Decision 2006/696 of 28 August 2006
1 that consolidates 
into a single piece of legislation the import conditions for the commodities circulating 
in the HS positions indicated below.  
(i) Live poultry, (HS 0105) including day old chicks; 
(ii) Eggs and egg products (HS 0408) incl uding specified pathogen-free eggs; 
                                                      
1 Commission Decision 2006/696 of 28 August 2006 laying down a list of third countries from which 
poultry, hatching eggs, day-old chicks, meat of poultr y, ratites and wild game-birds, eggs and egg products and 
specified pathogen-free eggs may be imported into an d transit through the Community and the applicable 
veterinary certification conditions, and amending Decisions 93/342/EEC, 2000/585/EC and 2003/812/EC (OJ 
L295 25 October 2006 pp.1-76). G/SPS/GEN/742 
Page 2  
 
  (iii) Hatching eggs (HS 0407 00 11); 
(iv) Minced poultry meat – (HS 1602 31), and mechanically separated meat 
(poultry, ratites); 
(v) Minced poultry meat - from wild game-birds (HS 0208 90 20), and 
mechanically separated meat (wild game-birds); 
(vi) Poultry meat (HS 0207);  and 
(vii) Wild game-birds (HS 0208 90 20). 
 
(b) The second text
 is Annex II to Commission Regulation 1664/2006 of 
6 November 20062 modifying the certificates in Annex VI to Commission Regulation 
(EC) No 2074/20053 for the commodities circulating in the HS positions indicated 
below. 
(i) Frogs' legs (HS 0208 20) and Snails, other than sea snails (HS 0307 60 or 
16.05); 
(ii) Gelatine (HS 3503, 3504); 
(iii) Collagen - Raw materials for the produc tion of gelatine intended for human 
consumption and collagen intended for human consumption (HS 0202, 0206, 
4101, 4102, 4103, 0506); 
(iv) Fishery products in headings (HS 03.01 to 03.07, 05.11.91, 15.04, 15.18.00, 
16.03, 16.04, 16.05); 
(v) Live bivalve molluscs (HS 0307);  and 
(vi) Honey and other apiculture products , for human consumption (HS 0409, 
0410). 
 
4. Models of the new certificates are explicit in bot h legal acts, and available in all Community 
languages.  They can be downloaded from Eurlex.4  Search first the date of the Official Journal and 
then the corresponding act. 
                                                      
2 Commission Regulation 1664/2006 of 6 November 2006 amending Regulation (EC) No 2074/2005 as 
regards implementing measures for certain products of animal origin intended for human consumption and 
repealing certain implementing measures (OJ L320, 18 November 2006 pp 13-45). 
3 Commission Regulation (EC) No 2074/2005 of 5 December 2005 laying down implementing 
measures for certain products under Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the 
Council and for the organisation of official controls under Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 of the European 
Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council, derogating from Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council and 
amending Regulations (EC) No 853/2004 and (EC) No 854/2004 (OJ L 338, 22.12.2005, p. 27–59). 
4 The address is http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/index.htm .  G/SPS/GEN/742 
 Page 3 
 
 
  5. To simplify the search for the model certificates (i n English, French and Spanish) direct links 
are indicated below. 
Commission Decision 2006/696 of 28 August 2006 laying down a list of third countries from 
which poultry, hatching eggs, day-old chicks, meat  of poultry, ratites and wild game-birds, eggs 
and egg products and specified path ogen-free eggs may be imported into and transit through the 
Community and the applicable veterinary certific ation conditions, and amending Decisions 
93/342/EEC, 2000/585/EC and 2003/812/EC (OJ L295 25 October 2006 pp.1-76)  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/e n/oj/2006/l_295/l_295 20061025en00010076.pdf  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/ fr/oj/2006/l_295/l_2952 0061025fr00010076.pdf   
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site /es/oj/2006/l_295/l_295 20061025es00010076.pdf   
Note:  The enforcement date for these certificates is 1 May 2007. 
 
The text of Commission Regulation 1664/2006 of 6 November 2006 amending Regulation (EC) 
No 2074/2005 as regards implemen ting measures for certain products  of animal origin intended 
for human consumption and repealing certain implementing measures (OJ L320, 18 November 
2006 pp 13-45) can be downloaded in ENG-FRA -ESP from the addresses indicated below   
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/e n/oj/2006/l_320/l_320 20061118en00130045.pdf   
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/ fr/oj/2006/l_320/l_3202 0061118fr00130045.pdf   
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site /es/oj/2006/l_320/l_320 20061118es00130045.pdf   
Note:  After 1 May 2007 these will be the only cer tificates accepted although they can be used 
already. 
 
6. Note that useful information about the EC ' member States' import requirements for the 
commodities circulating in the HS positions concerned is available at the EU Export Helpdesk5, an 
online service provided by the European Commission,  to facilitate market access for developing 
countries to the European Union.  This free and user-friendly service provides relevant information 
required by developing country exporters interest ed in supplying the EC market.  Once the new 
certificates have been made availa ble to Trade Operators, for a supplementary explanation on national 
requirements (if any) and taxes, go to section "Requi rement and Taxes" enter the country of origin 
and the EC' member State of destination. 
7. In case of doubt, third countries may address their queries to the EC SPS Enquiry Point. 
 
__________ 
 
 
                                                      
5 The address is http://export-he lp.cec.eu.int/