WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/EEC/323 
5 February 2008  
 (08-0538) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
  
If applicable, name of local government involved:     
2. Agency responsible:  Commission of the European Communities.  Health & Consumer 
Protection Directorate-General  Directorate D – Animal Health and Welfare 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numb er(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where applicable):  Live bovine, ovine, caprine, porcine an imals and live non domestic ruminants 
(HS Codes 0102 to 0104 and 0106); Meat and edib le meat offal from bovine, ovine, caprine, 
porcine and equines animals (HS Codes 0201 to 0206); Minced meat of bovine, ovine and caprine animals (HS Codes 020230, 020329, 020423, 0204539 and 0204579); Game meat 
from farmed suidae  and other cloven-hoofed animals, and from wild suidae , other cloven-
hoofed animals and solipeds (Game meat s ubheading HS Codes 0208-90) and Certain 
Artiodactylae  and Proboscidae  animals.  More details of th e HS Codes are provided in the 
certificates. 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable :  
Member States of the Europ ean Communities (EC) and third countries from which imports 
into the Community of certain fresh meat is authorised. 
5. Title, language and number of pa ges of the notified document:  Draft Commission 
Decision amending Annexes I and II to Council  Decision 79/542/EEC as regards certification 
requirements for imports into the Community of certain live ungulate animals and their fresh 
meat  (Document SANCO/10018/2006 Rev. 11, available in English, 105 pages) 
http://members.wto.org/crnatt achments/2008/sps/EEC/08_0349_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  The certificates not ified hereby override those notified in 
G/SPS/N/EEC/190 (dated 3 March 2003) - Commission Decision 2004/212 of 6 January 
2004 on Community health conditions on imports of  animals and fresh meat including minced 
meat from third countries and amendi ng Decisions 79/542/EEC, 2000/572/EC and 
2000/585/EC  (O. J. Num. L73 of 11 March 2003, pages 11-95).  
 This proposal assembles in a single act (101 pages) numerous cer tificates which have 
been standardised to ensure their effective computer processing by the TRACES system (see §2 under "background").  In supplement to this , the Commission takes this opportunity to 
update the certificates to in corporate the application of: 
Regulations of the European Parliament a nd of the Council Nos. 852/2004, 853/2004 and 
854/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs, laying down specific hygiene rules for food of 
animal origin and specific rules for the orga nisation of official controls on products of 
animal origin intended for human c onsumption notified in G/SPS/N/EEC/94 
(18 September 2000) G/SPS/N/EEC/323 
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   Commission Regulation No 2073/2005 of 15 No vember 2005 on microbiological criteria 
for foodstuffs  notified in G/SPS/N/EEC/263 (19 July 2005) 
 It is also updated the list of third count ries and parts thereof from which imports into 
the Community of certain fresh meat is author ised (see also G/SPS/ N/EEC/308 of 5 June 
2007). 
 Other minor changes are of administrative nature and correspond to legislation that 
has been notified previously or that is in comp liance with OIE rules.  Full details are provided 
in the notified document. 
Background 
 In document G/SPS/N/EEC/190 (dat ed 3 March 2003) the EC notified Commission 
Decision 2004/212 of 6 January 2004 on Community health conditions on imports of animals 
and fresh meat including minced meat from  third countries and amending Decisions 
79/542/EEC, 2000/572/EC and 2000/585/EC  (O. J. Num. L73 of 11 March 2003, pages 11-
95).  This decision simplifies the EC certification regime refunding and updating numerous 
existing model veterinary certificates into a si ngle publication of 84 pages. It also updated the 
corresponding list of authorised countries and repealed 31 different Community legislative 
acts.  The new certificates followed recommendations by the Office International des 
Epizooties  (OIE) on the use of electronic certif ication and insert specific Combined 
Nomenclature (or Harmonized System, HS) nume ric codes and definitions for the following 
commodities:  
a. Live domestic bovine, ovine,  caprine and porcine species; 
b. Meat and edible meat offal from do mestic bovine, ovine, caprine, porcine and 
equines; 
c. Minced meat of bovine, ovine and caprine as such or in meat preparations; 
d. Game meat from farmed suidae  and other cloven-hoofed animals, and from wild 
suidae , other cloven-hoofed animals and solipeds; and 
e. Certain animals of the Artiodactyla  and Proboscides  order. 
 In document G/S PS/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 reducing reduces administrative formalities 
imported products. The system relies on the Common Veterinary Entry Document (CVED) 
that makes it necessary to adapt numerous pre-existing veterinary certificates to the 
informatics exchange system TRACES.  
 In document G/SPS/N/EEC/263 (dated 19 July 2005) the EC notified a Commission 
Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 of 15 Nove mber 2005 on microbiological criteria for 
foodstuffs .  This regulation harmonise d the different microbiological criteria that where 
previously used by the EC Member States such as for instance safety criteria for salmonella in 
minced meat, meat preparations, Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods, 
staphylococcal enterotoxins in  certain dairy produc ts and histamine in  certain fishery 
products, thus facilitating imports and circulation w ithin the EC territory. 
 In document G/SPS/N/EEC/308 (dated 5 June 2007) the Commission notified 
Commission Decision 2007/736 updating  the Ann ex II to Council Decision 79/542/EEC on 
the list of third countries and parts thereof fr om which imports into the Community of certain 
fresh meat is authorised.   This list is further amended now.   G/SPS/N/EEC/323 
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  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  To facilitate trade by adaptin g existing certificates for the 
effective computer processing of the certificates in the TRACES system.  
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [ X ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention, [   ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:  These certificates follow recommendations by 
the OIE on the use of electronic certification.  Small supplementary da ta have been notified 
before by the EC. 
9. Relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:   Relevant to the draft 
notified hereby are:  
G/SPS/GEN/489 (18 May 2004) Establishment of the Trade Control and Expert System 
(TRACES). Communication from  the European Communities . Available from WTO 
Documents on line facility ( http://docsonline.wto.org/gen_home.asp ) 
A consolidated version of Council Decision 79/542/EEC of 21 December 1976 drawing up a 
list of third countries or parts of third c ountries, and laying down animal and public health 
and veterinary certification conditions, for impor tation into the Community of certain live 
animals and their fresh meat (reference date 1 January 2007) is available from http://eur-
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ /LexUriServ.do?uri=CON SLEG:1979D0542:20070101:EN:PDF  
Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 of 15 November 2005 on microbiological 
criteria for foodstuffs i s available from  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/L exUriServ.do?uri=OJ :L:2005:338:0001:0026:EN:PDF  
More information on Import conditions can be obtained from: 
• SANCO Web page http://ec.europa.eu/food/international/trade/index_en.htm  
• The Export Helpdesk.  An online service of the European Commission, to provide 
relevant information re quired by developing c ountries exporters interested in supplying 
the EU market, available from following link:  http://export-help.cec.eu.int/  
10. Proposed date of adoption:  As soon as possible. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  The expected date is June 2008. 
Note:  To avoid any disruption of trade, the use of the certificates issued in accordance with Decision 79/542/EEC, before the amendments in troduced by the present proposal will be 
authorised for a period of three months. 
12. Final date for comments:  Comments on errors in countries or territory designations, 
commodity designations etc w ould be welcomed anytime. 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X ] National notification 
authority, [   ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: 
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notifica tion authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: