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            COMMISSION DECISION         

of 27 March 2006         

concerning certain protection measures regarding imports from Bulgaria in relation to highly pathogenic avian influenza in that third country

(notified under document number C(2006) 890)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2006/247/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 91/496/EEC of 15 July 1991 laying down the principles governing the organisation of veterinary checks on animals entering the Community from third countries and amending Directives 89/662/EEC, 90/425/EEC and 90/675/EEC (1), and in particular Article 18 thereof,

Having regard to Council Directive 97/78/EC of 18 December 1997 laying down the principles governing the organisation of veterinary checks on products entering the Community from third countries (2), and in particular Article 22 thereof,

Whereas:

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Member States shall suspend imports of:

Article 2

1.   By way of derogation from Article 1, Member States shall authorise imports of the products referred to in point (b)(i),(ii) and (iii) of that Article, which have been obtained from birds hunted before 1 August 2005.

2.   In the veterinary certificates/commercial documents accompanying consignments of the products referred to in Article 1(b)(i),(ii) and (iii), the following words as appropriate to the species shall be included:

                     ‘Fresh meat of wild feathered game/meat product consisting of, or containing meat of wild feathered game/meat preparation consisting of, or containing meat of wild feathered game/raw pet food and unprocessed feed material containing any parts of wild feathered game (1) obtained from birds hunted before 1 August 2005.

3.   By way of derogation from Article 1(b)(ii), Member States shall authorise imports of meat products consisting of or containing meat of wild feathered game provided that the meat of such species has undergone at least one of the specific treatments referred to in points B, C or D in Part 4 of Annex II to Decision 2005/432/EC.

4.   The specific treatment applied in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article shall be specified in point 9.1 column B in the veterinary certificate drawn up in accordance with the model set out in Annex III to Decision 2005/432/EC, and the following wording shall be added to that certificate:

                  ‘Meat products treated in accordance with Commission Decision 2006/247/EC’.

5.   The specific treatment applied in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article shall be certified by adding the following wording to the veterinary certificate drawn up in accordance with the model set out Annex IV to Decision 2005/432/EC:

                  ‘Meat products treated in accordance with Commission Decision 2006/247/EC’.

Article 3

Member States shall ensure that for the importation of treated feathers or parts of feathers, the consignment is accompanied by a commercial document stating that the treated feathers or parts thereof have been treated with a steam current or by some other method ensuring that no pathogens remain.

However, that commercial document shall not be required for treated decorative feathers, treated feathers carried by travellers for their private use or consignments of treated feathers sent to private individuals for non-industrial purpose.

Article 4

Member States shall immediately take the necessary measures to comply with this Decision and publish those measures. They shall immediately inform the Commission thereof.

Article 5

This Decision shall apply until 31 May 2006.

Article 6

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 27 March 2006.

For the Commission

Markos KYPRIANOU            

Member of the Commission

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(1)OJ L 268, 24.9.1991, p. 56. Directive as last amended by the 2003 Act of Accession.

(2)OJ L 24, 30.1.1998, p. 9. Directive as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 165, 30.4.2004, p. 1); corrected version (OJ L 191, 28.5.2004, p. 1).

(3)OJ L 196, 7.8.1996, p. 13. Decision as last amended by Decision 2004/118/EC (OJ L 36, 7.2.2004, p. 34).

(4)OJ L 251, 6.10.2000, p. 1. Decision as last amended by Decision 2004/413/EC (OJ L 151, 30.4.2004, p. 57).

(5)OJ L 305, 22.11.2003, p. 17. Decision as last amended by Decision 2004/19/EC (OJ L 5, 9.1.2004, p. 84).

(6)OJ L 44, 17.2.1994, p. 31. Decision as last amended by Decision 2004/118/EC.

(7)OJ L 151, 14.6.2005, p. 3.

(8)OJ L 238, 15.9.2005, p. 16.

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ANNEX

Parts of the territory of Bulgaria referred to in Article 1(a) and (b) respectively:

PART A

PART B

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