COMMISSION DECISION
of 27 July 1995
concerning animal health conditions and veterinary certification for imports of milk and milk-based products not intended for human consumption from third countries
(Text with EEA relevance)
(95/341/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Directive 92/118/EEC of 17 December 1992 laying down animal health and public health requirements governing trade in and imports into the Community of products not subject to the said requirements laid down in specific Community rules referred to in Annex A (I) to Directive 89/662/EEC and, as regards pathogens, to Directive 90/425/EEC (1), as last amended by Commission Decision 95/339/EC (2) and in particular Article 10 (2) (c) and (3) (a),
Whereas Annex I, Chapter I, of the abovementioned Directive lays down specific animal health requirements for imports of milk and milk-based products not intended for human consumption;
Whereas Commission Decision 95/340/EC (3) draws up lists of third countries from which Member States authorize imports of raw milk, heat-treated milk and milk-based products and acidified milk-based products, which are applicable to imports not intended for human consumption;
Whereas the categories of milk and milk-based products that may be imported from third countries will vary with the animal health situation in the third country or parts thereof concerned;
Whereas it is necessary to lay down the animal health conditions, treatments and certificates required for imports of milk and milk-based products not intended for human consumption from those third countries listed in the abovementioned Decision;
Whereas specific requirements must be established in order to avoid the introduction of exotic diseases through the importation of milk or milk-based products;
Whereas these requirements should take account in particular of the opinion of the Scientific Veterinary Committee;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Veterinary Committee,
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING DECISION:
Article 1
1. Member States shall authorize imports of:
(a) milk and milk-based products from third countries or parts of third countries listed in column B of the Annex to Decision 95/340/EC if they have undergone a pasteurization treatment sufficient to produce a negative phosphatase test and are accompanied by a copy of the health certificate at Annex I;
(b) milk-based products with a pH reduced to less than 6 from third countries or parts of third countries listed in column C of the Annex to Decision 95/340/EC if they have first undergone a pasteurization treatment sufficient to produce a negative phosphatase test and are accompanied by a copy of the health certificate at Annex II;
(c) milk and milk-based products from third countries or parts of third countries listed in column C of the Annex to Decision 95/340/EC if they have first undergone a sterilization process or a double heat treatment where each treatment was sufficient to produce a negative phosphatase test on its own and are accompanied by a copy of the health certificate at Annex III.
Article 2
Milk and milk-based products imported from third countries or parts of third countries where there has been an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the last 12 months or where vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease has been practised in the last 12 months must, before introduction onto Community territory, have undergone:
either:
(a) a sterilization process whereby an F° value equal to or greater than 3 is achieved; or
(b) an initial heat treatment with a heating effect at least equal to that achieved by a pasteurization process of at least 72 °C for at least 15 seconds and sufficient to produce a negative reaction to a phoshapatase test, followed by:
- a second heat treatment with a heating effect at least equal to that achieved by the initial heat treatment, and which would be sufficient to produce a negative reaction to a phosphatase test, followed, in the case of dried milk, or a dried milk-based product, by a drying process, or
- an acidification process such that the pH has been maintained at less than 6 for at least one hour.
Article 3
This Decision shall apply from 2 February 1996.
Article 4
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 27 July 1995.