COMMISSION DECISION of 15 July 1994 concerning animal health conditions and veterinary certification for the importation of bovine semen from third countries (94/577/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Directive 88/407/EEC of 14 June 1988 laying down the animal health requirements applicable to intra-Community trade in, and imports of semen of domestic animals of the bovine species (1), as last amended by Directive 93/60/EEC (2), and, in particular, Articles 10 and 11 thereof,
Whereas the list of third countries from which Member States authorize importation of semen of domestic animals of the bovine species (hereinafter referred to as 'the third countries list') was established by Commission Decision 90/14/EEC (3), as amended by Decision 91/276/EEC (4);
Whereas the disease situation in Israel led to a ban on imports from that country by Commission Decision 91/277/EEC (5);
Whereas Commission Decisions 91/479/EEC (6), 91/549/EEC (7), 92/123/EEC (8), 92/124/EEC (9), 92/125/EEC (10), 92/126/EEC (11), 92/127/EEC (12), 92/128/EEC (13), 92/386/EEC (14), 92/387/EEC (15) and 92/445/EEC (16) lay down the animal health conditions and veterinary certification for the importation of bovine semen from the United States of America, Canada, Poland, Finland, New Zealand, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Hungary, Norway and Czechoslovakia respectively;
Whereas Directive 93/60/EEC which has to be implemented in the Member States before 1 July 1994 at the latest amends Directive 88/407/EEC thereby necessitating amendment to the above third country Decisions; whereas in order to simplify and clarify Community legislation in this area it is necessary to group together the above Decisions and to repeal those in force for each individual country;
Whereas, given the provisions of the European Economic Area Agreement, it is not necessary to maintain the animal health certificate for importation of bovine semen from Austria, Finland, Norway and Sweden;
Whereas in accordance with the opinion of the Scientific Veterinary Committee, an additional test for epizootic haemorrhagic disease is required;
Whereas only in respect of Canada are routine precollection tests for this disease carried out at intervals of six months; whereas therefore it is necessary to allow a transitional period for introduction of this Decision in respect of Canada to allow the Canadian veterinary authorities sufficient time to introduce the new test in their routine programme;
Whereas, moreover, following recent advances in the understanding of the epidemiology of bluetongue, importation of bovine semen from Australia may now be permitted;
Whereas it appears that the animal health situation in the countries on the third countries list is good and controlled by well-structured and organized veterinary services as regards diseases transmissible through semen;
Whereas the responsible veterinary authorities of the third countries 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 diseases contained in List A of the Office International d'Epizooties (OIE) or of any change in vaccination policy concerning any of them or, within an appropriate period, of the occurrence of diseases in List B of the OIE and any proposed change in the import rules concerning domestic animals or the semen or embryos thereof;
Whereas the responsible veterinary authorities of the countries on the third countries list have undertaken to supervise officially the issue of certificates from this Decision and to ensure that all relevant certificates, derogations and laboratory findings on which certification may have been based remain an official file for at least 12 months following the dispatch of the semen to which they refer;
Whereas the responsible veterinary authorities of the countries on the third countries list have undertaken to approve officially semen collection centres for the export of bovine semen to the European Economic Community as required by Article 9 of Directive 88/407/EEC;
Whereas animal health conditions and veterinary certification must be adapted according to the animal health situation of the third country concerned;
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
Member States shall authorize the importation of bovine semen which conforms to the conditions set out in the certificates in Part 1 of Annexes A, B, C and D and only from those third countries which appear in Part 2 of Annexes A, B, C and D respectively.
However, Member States shall authorize from Canada, imports of bovine semen collected and processed in accordance with Decision 91/549/EEC until 31 December 1994.
Article 2
Decisions 91/479/EEC, 92/123/EEC, 92/124/EEC, 92/125/EEC, 92/126/EEC, 92/127/EEC, 92/128/EEC, 92/386/EEC, 92/387/EEC and 92/445/EEC are repealed.
Decision 91/549/EEC is repealed from 1 January 1995.
Article 3
The provisions in relation to Canada referred to in the first subparagraph of Article 1 shall apply from 1 January 1995.
Article 4
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 15 July 1994.