COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION
of 1 August 2013
amending Decision 2011/163/EU on the approval of plans submitted by third countries in accordance with Article 29 of Council Directive 96/23/EC
(notified under document C(2013) 4880)
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2013/422/EU)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Directive 96/23/EC of 29 April 1996 on measures to monitor certain substances and residues thereof in live animals and animal products and repealing Directives 85/358/EEC and 86/469/EEC and Decisions 89/187/EEC and 91/664/EEC (1), and in particular the fourth subparagraph of Article 29(1) and Article 29(2) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Directive 96/23/EC lays down measures to monitor the substances and groups of residues listed in Annex I thereto. That Directive requires that third countries from which Member States are authorised to import animals and animal products covered by that Directive submit a residue monitoring plan providing required guarantees. That plan should at least include the groups of residues and substances listed in that Annex I.
(2)
Commission Decision 2011/163/EU (2) approves the plans provided for in Article 29 of Directive 96/23/EC (‘the plans’) submitted by certain third countries listed in the Annex thereto for the animals and animal products indicated in that list.
(3)
In the light of the recent plans submitted by certain third countries and additional information obtained by the Commission, it is necessary to update the list of third countries from which Member States are authorised to import certain animals and animal products, as provided for in Directive 96/23/EC and currently listed in the Annex to Decision 2011/163/EU (‘the list’).
(4)
Armenia has submitted a plan for honey to the Commission. That plan provides sufficient guarantees and should be approved. Therefore, an entry for Armenia for honey should be included in the list.
(5)
In accordance with European Council Decision 2012/419/EU of 11 July 2012 amending the status of Mayotte with regard to the European Union (3), Mayotte shall cease to be an overseas country or territory and become an outermost region of the Union according to Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union from 1 January 2014. The entry for Mayotte should be deleted at this date.
(6)
San Marino is currently included in the list for bovines and honey. That third country has informed the Commission that it is interested to export porcine meat to the Union. San Marino provided the guarantees requested for porcine in the list with the footnote indicating that third countries using only raw material either from Member States or from other third countries approved for imports of such raw material to the Union. An entry for San Marino for porcines with the appropriate footnote reference should therefore be included in the list.
(7)
Decision 2011/163/EU should therefore be amended accordingly.
(8)
The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
The Annex to Decision 2011/163/EU is replaced by the text set out in the Annex to this Decision.
Article 2
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 1 August 2013.