WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/EEC/309 
6 June 2007 
 (07-2341) 
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 Co mmunities, Health & Consumer 
Protection Directorate-General Directorate D – Animal Health and Welfare 
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):   Eggs and egg products (HS 0408)  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable:  
Member States of the European Communiti es (EC) and third countries exporting the 
products concerned to the EC. 
5. Title, language and number of p ages of the notified document:  European Commission 
Document SANCO/1188/2006 Rev13 " Draft Commission regulation amending Regulation 
(EC) No 2160/2003 of the European Par liament and of the Council and Decision 
2006/696/EC as regards the placing on the market  of eggs from Salmonella infected flocks 
of laying hens"  (12 pages) 
6. Description of content:  This proposal: 
1. sets specific requirements as regards the placing on the market of eggs from 
Salmonella infected flocks of laying hen a nd amends accordingly Regulation (EC) No 
2160/2003 (See background)  
2. sets a model certificate for imports of eggs, and amends accordingly Decision 
2006/696 (See background)  
 
Background  
In document G/SPS/N/EEC/94 (dated 18 September 2000) the EC notified a proposal that 
later became Regulation N°. 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 
April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin (OJ Num. L226, 
25 June 2004, pp. 22-82)  
In document G/SPS/N/EEC/144 (dated 20 November 2001) the EC notified a proposal that 
later became Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 of the Eu ropean Parliament and of the Council 
of 17 November 2003 on the control of salm onella and other specified food-borne zoonotic 
agents  (OJ Num. L325, 12 December 2003, pp.: 1-15).  G/SPS/N/EEC/309 
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  In document G/SPS/GEN/742 (dated 1 December 2006) the European Communities 
informed about a simplification of its legisla tion consisting on the deletion of more than a 
hundred of exiting legal acts and the consolida tion of numerous existing certificates into a 
single legal act: i.e., 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 pathogen-free eggs may be 
imported into and transit through the Community  and the applicable veterinary certification 
conditions, and amending Decisions 93/342/EEC, 2000/585/EC and 2003/812/E C (OJ 
Num. L295, 25 October 2006, pp.1-76) 
7. Objective and rationale: [ X ] food safety,  [   ] animal health,  [   ] plant protection, 
[ X ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [   ] protect territory from other damage from pests   
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:   
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  European 
Commission Document SANCO/1188/2006 Rev13 " Draft Commission regulation 
amending Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 of th e European Parliament and of the Council 
and Decision 2006/696/EC as regards the placi ng on the market of eggs from Salmonella 
infected flocks of laying hens " (Available in English). When adopted it will be published at 
the Official Journal of the EU available at: http://europa.eu.int/eur-
lex/lex/JOIndex.do?ihmlang=en  .  
Regulation(EC) No 853/2004 of the Europe an Parliament  and of the Council of 
29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for on the hygiene of foodstuffs  (O.J. Num. 
L139, 30 April 2004, pp. 55-205). The final text (a corrigendum) is available from  
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/o j/dat/2004/l_226/l_226 20040625en00220082.pdf   
Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 of the Eur opean Parliament and of the Council of 
17 November 2003 on the control of salmonella and other specified food-borne zoonotic agents  (O.J. Num. L325, 12 December 2003, pp.: 1-15) Available in all community 
languages. English versi on can, be downloaded from.
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/o j/dat/2003/l_325/l_325 20031212en00010015.pdf  
Commission Decision 2006/696 of 28 August 2006 laying down a list of third countries 
from which poultry, hatching e ggs, day-old chicks, meat of poultry, ratites and wild game-
birds, eggs and egg products  and specified pathogen-free eggs  may be imported into and 
transit through the Community and the applic able veterinary certification conditions, and 
amending Decisions 93/342/EEC , 2000/585/EC and 2003/812/E C (OJ Num L295 25 
October 2006 pp.1-76) Available in all commun ity languages. English version can, be 
downloaded from 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/e n/oj/2006/l_295/l_295 20061025en00010076.pdf
 
10. Proposed date of adoption:  October 2007  G/SPS/N/EEC/309 
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  11. Proposed date of entry into force:   
The proposed regulation shall enter into for ce on the third day following that of its 
publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.  It shall apply from  
• 1 November 2007 where Salmonella  ssp. are identified in the flock of laying hens 
as the source of infection for humans by the consumption of eggs or egg products as 
a result of the epidemiological investig ation of food-borne outbreaks in accordance 
with Article 8 of Directive 2003/99/EC;  
• 1 January 2009 at the latest to a ll other flocks of laying hens 
Consignments of eggs for which certificates ha ve been issued in accordance with Decision 
2006/696/EC in its version before 1 November  2007 may be imported into the European 
Communities for a period of 60 days following that date. 
12. Final date for comments:  Sixty (60) days after the date of notification 
Agency or authority designated to handle co mments:  [ X ] EC notification authority, 
[   ] National enquiry point, or address,  fax number and E-mail address (if available) 
of other body:   
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notification authority, [ X ] EC enquiry point, or 
address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:   
E-mail:  sps@ec.europa.eu