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"B COMMISSION DECISION
of 12 July 1996
laying down animal health conditions and veterinary certificates for the importation of poultry and
hatching eggs other than ratites and eggs thereof from third countries including animal health measures to
be applied after such importation
(Text with EEA relevance)
(96/482/EC)
(OJ L 196, 7.8.1996, p. 13)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
"M1 Commission Decision 2000/505/EC of 25 July 2000 L 201 8 9.8.20001996D0482 — EN — 01.10.2000 — 001.001 — 1
COMMISSION DECISION
of 12 July 1996
laying down animal health conditions and veterinary certificates for the
importation of poultry and hatching eggs other than ratites and eggs
thereof from third countries including animal health measures to be
applied after such importation
(Text with EEA relevance)
(96/482/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Directive 90/539/EEC of 15 October 1990 on
animal health conditions governing intra-Community trade in, and importsfrom, third countries, of poultry and hatching eggs (
1), as last amended by the
Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden, and in particular Articles
23 (1), 24 and 26 (2) thereof,
Having regard to Council Directive 91/496/EEC of 15 July 1991 laying down
the principles governing the organization of veterinary checks on animalsentering the Community and amending Directives 89/662/EEC, 90/425/EEC
and 90/675/EEC (
2), as last amended by the Act of Accession of Austria,
Finland and Sweden, and in particular Article 10 thereof,
Whereas Commission Decision 95/233/EC (3) established a list of third
countries from which importation of live poultry and hatching eggs is
authorized in principle;
Whereas the countries or parts thereof appearing on this list have given
sufficient guarantees to be considered as free from avian influenza and
Newcastle disease according to Commission Decision 93/342/EEC (4)a s
amended by Decision 94/438/EC (5);
Whereas the general and special animal health conditions and the veterinary
certificates required for the importation of poultry or hatching eggs have to be
laid down; whereas also the sampling and testing procedures have to be laid
down; whereas all these requirements have to be at least equivalent to thoselaid down by Directive 90/539/EEC and any implementing Decision forintra-Community trade;
Whereas a list of third countries entitled to use the certificates laid down in
this Decision is established by Commission Decision 96/483/EC (
6);
Whereas furthermore the conditions, and therefore the certificates, can be
different for small consignments of poultry; whereas the conditions and the
certificates for such small consignments should be established in a separateDecision;
Whereas therefore the general health situation of the third countries must be
taken into account; whereas certain third countries appearing on the
abovementioned list are only to be authorized for imports of certaincategories of poultry and hatching eggs;
Whereas it is necessary, in respect of imports of ratites and hatching eggs
thereof, and because of the biological differences between those birds and the
other poultry species, to postpone the establishment of animal healthconditions and veterinary certification until the Scientific VeterinaryCommittee has given an opinion as to the risks involved in such imports;
Whereas, with regard to the category of products concerned and to the need to
avoid any deterioration of the health status on the territory of the Community,it is necessary to establish an isolation and observation period followed by
clinical examination;!B
(1) OJ No L 303, 31. 10. 1990, p. 6.
(2) OJ No L 268, 24. 9. 1991, p. 56.
(3) OJ No L 156, 7. 7. 1995, p. 76.
(4) OJ No L 137, 8. 6. 1993, p. 24.
(5) OJ No L 181, 15. 7. 1994, p. 35.
(6) See page 28 of this Official Journal.1996D0482 — EN — 01.10.2000 — 001.001 — 2
Whereas the Commission may review this Decision at any time if the animal
health status of the countries concerned is changed;
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. The provisions of this Decision shall apply to imports of poultry and
hatching eggs as defined in points 1 and 2 of Article 2 of Directive
90/539/EEC with the exception of ratites and hatching eggs thereof.
2. The provisions of this Decision shall not apply to imports of single
consignments of fewer than 20 units of poultry or hatching eggs.
3. For the purpose of this Decision the definitions contained in Article 1 of
Decision 93/342/EEC shall apply as necessary.
Article 2
1. Member States shall authorize imports of:
(a) breeding and productive poultry, confirming to the requirements laid
down in the model animal health certificate set out as Model A in AnnexI and coming from third countries or parts thereof listed in column A ofthe Annex to Decision 96/483/EC;
(b) hatching eggs, conforming to the requirements laid down in the model
animal health certificate set out as Model B in Annex I and coming from
third countries or parts thereof listed in column B of the Annex to
Decision 96/483/EC;
(c) day-old chicks, conforming to the requirements laid down in the model
animal health certificate set out as Model C in Annex I and coming fromthird countries or parts thereof listed in column C of the Annex to
Decision 96/483/EC;
(d) slaughter poultry, and poultry for restocking game supplies, conforming
to the requirements laid down in the model animal health certificate set
out as Model D in Annex I and coming from third countries or parts listedin column D of the Annex to Decision 96/483/EC;
provided that they are accompanied by the relevant certificate, duly
completed and signed.
2. Breeding and productive poultry, hatching eggs and day-old chicks must
come from establishments which have been approved by the competent
authority of the third country concerned according to requirements which are
at least equivalent to those laid down in Annex II to Directive 90/539/EEC,where the approval of those establishments has not been suspended orwithdrawn.
Article 3
1. After importation, breeding or productive poultry or day-old chicks shall
be kept on the holding(s) of destination either for a period of at least six weeks
from the day of arrival or until the day of slaughter if they are slaughtered
before the six weeks have elapsed.
After their importation as hatching eggs, the poultry hatched from those eggs
shall be kept for a period of at least three weeks from the day of hatching inthe holding(s) to which they have been sent after hatching.!B1996D0482 — EN — 01.10.2000 — 001.001 — 3
!M1
If the day-old chicks are not reared in the same Member State which imported
the hatching eggs, they shall be directly transported to and kept on the holding
of destination referred to in point 9.2 in the animal health certificated Model 2of Annex IV of Council Directive 90/539/EEC for a period of at least threeweeks from the day of hatching.
2. During the periods mentioned in paragraph 1 and during the hatching of
the eggs, the imported poultry or eggs and the poultry hatched from such eggs
shall be kept separately from non-imported ones. Therefore, poultry shall be
kept in poultryhouses where no other flooks are present and the eggs must behatched in separate incubators and hatchers.
By way of derogation from the first subparagraph, Member States may
authorize imported poultry or eggs to be added to poultry or eggs respectively
which are already present in the poultryhouse or incubator/hatcher. In that
event, the periods specified in paragraph 1 start running from the introductionof the last imported bird or egg respectively.
The poultry must undergo a clinical examination by an authorized
veterinarian and where necessary samples must be taken to monitor theirstate of health, at least at the end of the periods specified in paragraph 1.
The periods mentioned in paragraph 1 shall be extended if suspicion of avian
influenza or Newcastle disease cannot be ruled out.
Article 4
If the poultry, the hatching eggs and day old chicks and/or their flocks of
origin are to be submitted to testing according to the requirements of the
certificates laid down in Annex I, the sampling for testing and the testing
itself must be executed according to the protocols laid down in Annex II.
Article 5
This Decision shall apply from 1 October 1996.
Article 6
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.!B1996D0482 — EN — 01.10.2000 — 001.001 — 4
ANNEX I
MODEL A
!B1996D0482 — EN — 01.10.2000 — 001.001 — 5
!B1996D0482 — EN — 01.10.2000 — 001.001 — 6
!B1996D0482 — EN — 01.10.2000 — 001.001 — 7
MODEL B
!B1996D0482 — EN — 01.10.2000 — 001.001 — 8
!B1996D0482 — EN — 01.10.2000 — 001.001 — 9
!B1996D0482 — EN — 01.10.2000 — 001.001 — 10
MODEL C
!B1996D0482 — EN — 01.10.2000 — 001.001 — 11
!B1996D0482 — EN — 01.10.2000 — 001.001 — 12
!B1996D0482 — EN — 01.10.2000 — 001.001 — 13
MODEL D
!B1996D0482 — EN — 01.10.2000 — 001.001 — 14
!B1996D0482 — EN — 01.10.2000 — 001.001 — 15
!B1996D0482 — EN — 01.10.2000 — 001.001 — 16
ANNEX II
Protocols for the standardization of materials and procedures for veterinary tests
in connection with the import of poultry and hatching eggs from third countries
1. Newcastle disease
The sampling and testing methods have to comply with the methods described
in the Annex to Commission Decision 92/340/EEC on testing of poultry for
Newcastle disease prior to movement, in application of Article 12 of Council
Directive 90/539/EEC.
2. Salmonella pullorum
— The sampling methods have to comply with the methods described in
Annex II, Chapter III of Directive 90/539/EEC.
— The testing methods have to comply with the methods described in the
Manual of Standards for diagnostic tests and vaccines, edited by OIE inParis (B67).
3. Salmonella gallinarum
— The sampling methods have to comply with the methods described in
Annex II, Chapter III of Directive 90/539/EEC.
— The testing methods have to comply with the methods described in the
Manual of Standards for diagnostic tests and vaccines, edited by OIE inParis (B62).
4. Salmonella arizonae
Serological examination: 60 birds have to be sampled at the point of lay. Testing
has to be carried out in accordance with the methods described in the Manual of
Standards for diagnostic tests and vaccines, edited by OIE in Paris (B31, B47).
5. Mycoplasma gallisepticum
— The sampling methods have to comply with the methods described in
Annex II, Chapter III of Directive 90/539/EEC.
— The testing methods have to comply with the methods described in the
Manual of Standards for diagnostic tests and vaccines, edited by OIE inParis (B65).
6. Mycoplasma meleagridis
The sampling methods have to comply with the methods described in Annex II,
Chapter III of Directive 90/539/EEC.!
B1996D0482 — EN — 01.10.2000 — 001.001 — 17