COMMISSION DECISION of 2 September 1992 concerning animal health conditions and veterinary certification for importation of bovine embryos from third countries (92/471/EEC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
Having regard to Council Directive 89/556/EEC of 25 September 1989 on animal health conditions governing intra-Community trade in and importation from third countries of embryos of domestic animals of the bovine species (1), as amended by Directive 90/425/EEC (2), and in particular Articles 9 and 10 thereof,
Whereas the list of third countries from which Member States are permitted to import bovine embryos has been established by Commission Decision 91/270/EEC (3);
Whereas Commission Decision 92/452/EEC (4) establishes the list of embryo collection teams for certain third countries; whereas Decision 92/452/EEC will be completed in due course with new information for other third countries;
Whereas it is necessary to lay down the animal health conditions and veterinary certification required for imports of bovine embryos from third countries;
Whereas the competent authorities of the third country in which the embryos intended for export to the Community were collected have undertaken to ensure that such embryos have been collected and processed by approved and supervised embryo collection teams, that they have been obtained from animals of satisfactory health status, that they have been stored and transported in accordance with the rules which preserve their health status and are accompanied during transport by an animal health certificate in order to ensure that this obligation has been fulfilled;
Whereas the competent veterinary authorities of the third countries on the list have undertaken to notify the Commission and the Member States by telex or telefax within 24 hours of the confirmation of the occurrence of any of the following diseases: rinderpest, foot-and-mouth disease, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, bluetongue, epizootic haemorrhagic disease, Rift Valley fever and contagious vesicular stomatitis or the adoption of vaccination against them;
Whereas the animal health situation in the third countries on the list is satisfactory from the point of view of import of bovine embryos; whereas the veterinary services in these countries are well-structured and organized;
Whereas the animal health certificate is adapted to cater for the animal health situation in individual third countries;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Veterinary Committee,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
1. Member States shall authorize the importation of bovine embryos conforming to the guarantees laid down in the animal health certificate in accordance with Annex A, Part I. This certificate must accompany consignments of embryos coming from third countries or parts of third countries listed in Annex A, Part II.
2. Member States shall authorize the importation of bovine embryos conforming to the guarantees laid down in the animal health certificate in accordance with Annex B, Part I. This certificate must accompany consignments of embryos coming from third countries or parts of third countries listed in Annex B, Part II.
Article 2
This Decision is addressed to the Member States. Done at Brussels, 2 September 1992.