COMMISSION DECISION of 28 July 1993 concerning animal health conditions and veterinary certificates for the importation of domestic animals of the bovine and porcine species from New Zealand
(93/491/EEC)THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
Having regard to Council Directive 72/462/EEC of 12 December 1972 on health and veterinary inspection problems upon importation of bovine, ovine and carpine animals and swine, fresh meat or meat products from third countries (1), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1601/92 (2), and in particular Article 8 and 11 thereof,
Whereas Member States authorize imports of domestic animals of the bovine and porcine species in accordance with the provisions of Council Directive 91/496/EEC (3), as last amended by Decision 92/438/EEC (4), which laid down the principles governing the organization of veterinary checks on animals entering the Community from third countries;
Whereas following Community veterinary missions is appears that the animal health situation in New Zealand is controlled by veterinary services which can offer satisfactory guarantees concerning diseases which might be transmitted through the importation of domestic animals of the bovine or porcine species;
Whereas the responsible veterinary authorities of New Zealand have confirmed that New Zealand has during the last 24 months been from foot-and-mouth disease and during the last 12 months been free from rinderpest, contagious bovine pleuro-pneumonia, vesicular stomatitis, bluetongue, classical swine fever, African swine fever, porcine enteroviral encephalomyelitis (Teschen disease), swine vesicular disease and vesicular exanthema and that no vaccinations have been carried out against any of those diseases during the past 12 months;
Whereas the responsible veterinary authorities of New Zealand 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 abovementioned diseases or of the adoption of vaccination against any of them or, within an appropriate period, of any proposed changes in the New Zealand import rules concerning bovine animals or swine or the semen or embryos thereof;
Whereas bovine brucellosis has been eradicated from New Zealand, whereas vaccination against bovine brucellosis is not permitted and whereas the measures taken by the responsible authorities of New Zealand to prevent a recrudescence of this disease are sufficient to equate the status of New Zealand herds, other than those under official restriction, with that of herds in the Community having the status of officially brucellosis-free;
Whereas, bovine tuberculosis is controlled by a national eradication scheme which equates herds, other that those under official restriction, with those of the Community having the status of officially brucellosis-free;
Whereas the responsible veterinary authorities of New Zealand have undertaken to supervise officially the issue of certificates arising from this Decision and to ensure that all relevant certificates, declarations and statements on which export certification may have been based remain on official file for at least 12 months following the dispatch of the animals to which they refer;
Whereas the responsible veterinary authorities of New Zealand have undertaken not to permit the issue of the certificates described in the Annexes to this Decision in respect of animals which have been imported into New Zealand unless such animals were imported in accordance with veterinary conditions at least as strict as the relevant requirements of Directive 72/462/EEC, including any relevant subsidiary decisions;
Whereas given the distance between New Zealand and the Community and therefore the necessity for the means of transport carrying animals for importation to call at ports or airports outside the Community, it is necessary for Member States to ensure that the location of such ports of call does not compromise the animal health status of the consignment;
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. Without prejudice to paragraphs 2 and 4 of this Article. Member States shall authorize the importation from New Zealand of the following animals:
(a) domestic animals of the bovine species for breeding or production which meet the requirements set out in the health certificate in Annex A and which are accompanied by such a certificate;
(b) domestic animals of the bovine species for slaughter which meet the requirements set out in the health certificate in Annex B and which are accompanied by such a certificate;
(c) domestic animals of the porcine species for breeding or production which meet the requirements set out in the health certificate in Annex C and which are accompanied by such a certificate;
(d) domestic animals of the porcine species for slaughter which meet the requirements set out in the health certificate in Annex D and which are accompanied by such a certificate.
2. Member States shall authorize the importation from New Zealand of the domestic animals of the bovine or porcine species referred to in paragraph 1 which have been imported into New Zealand only if such animals were imported from the Community or from a third country included in the list annexed to Council Decision 79/542/EEC (5) in so far as it covers domestic animals of these species and only if the importation was made in accordance with veterinary conditions at least as strict as the requirements laid down in Chapter II of Directive 72/462/EEC, including any relevant subsidiary decisions.
3. Member States shall require that animals which are submitted to tests in application of this Decision are continuously isolated, under conditions approved by an official veterinarian of New Zealand, from all cloven-hoofed animals not intended for export to the Community or not of equivalent health status to such animals from the time of the first of such tests to the time of loading.
4. Member States shall permit the entry onto their territory from New Zealand of bovine animals only if such animals:
(a) come from herds declared by the veterinary authorities of New Zealand to be enzootic bovine leukosis free within the meaning of Annex E to this Decision and have been subjected, within 30 days before export and with negative result, to an individual test for enzootic bovine leukosis carried out in accordance with the Protocol in Annex I to Commission Decision 91/189/EEC (6);
or
(b) are intended for meat production, are not more than 30 months of age and come from herds in which there has been no evidence whatever of enzootic bovine leukosis for at least two years and are permanently marked as described in Annex F;
or
(c) are consigned directly to a slaughterhouse and are slaughtered within five working days of their arrival there.
In the case of the animals referred to at (b) and (c), Member States shall ensure, by inspection, that such animals are clearly identified, shall supervise them until slaughter and shall take all measures to prevent contamination of indigenous herds.
5. Member States shall prohibit the importation of domestic animals of the bovine or porcine species other than as indicated in paragraphs 1 to 4.
Article 2
To ensure that the health status of the animals is maintained throughout the journey Member States shall agree the itinerary in advance. The location of the proposed ports of call shall not present an animal health risk.
Article 3
Pending the entry into force of any measures adopted by the Community for the eradication, prevention or control of a contagious or infectious bovine or porcine disease other than rabies, tuberculosis, burcellosis, foot-and-mouth disease, anthrax, rinderpest, contagious bovine pleuro-penumonia, enzootic bovine leukosis, porcine enteroviral encephalomyelitis (Teschen disease), classical swine fever, African swine fever or swine vesicular disease, Member States may apply, in respect of animals imported from New Zealand, such additional health conditions as they apply to other animals within the framework of a national programme, submitted to and approved by the Commission, for the eradication, prevention or control of such disease.
As a temporary measure until 31 December 1993, Member States may apply the first paragraph in respect of national programmes which have been submitted to but not yet approved by the Commission, but in that case they must, without delay, provide the Commission and the other Member States with details of the relevant health conditions.
Article 4
This Decision shall apply from the thirtieth day following its notification.
Article 5
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 28 July 1993.