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"BCOMMISSION DECISION
of 2 September 1992
concerning animal health conditions and veterinary certificates for the import of domestic animals
of the bovine and porcine species from Switzerland
(92/460/EEC)
(OJ L 261, 7.9.1992, p. 1)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
"M1 Commission Decision 92/518/EEC of 3 November 1992 L 325 23 11.11.1992
"M2 Commission Decision 93/469/EEC of 26 July 1993 L 218 58 28.8.1993
"M3 Commission Decision 93/504/EEC of 28 July 1993 L 236 16 21.9.1993
Corrected by:
"C1 Corrigendum, OJ L 85, 6.4.1993, p. 28 (92/460/EEC)1992D0460 — EN — 11.08.1993 — 003.001 — 1
COMMISSION DECISION
of 2 September 1992
concerning animal health conditions and veterinary certificates for
the import of domestic animals of the bovine and porcine species
from Switzerland
(92/460/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 the import of bovine,
ovine and caprine animals and swine and fresh meat or meat products
from third countries (1), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No
3763/91 (2), and in particular Article 8 and 11 thereof,
Whereas Member States shall import domestic animals of the bovine and
porcine species in accordance with the provisions of Council Directive
91/496/EEC (3) which lays down the principles governing the organiz-
ation of veterinary checks on animals entering the Community from third
countries;
Whereas the geographical proximity of Switzerland to the Community
has implications for trade in live animals;
Whereas following Community veterinary missions it appears that
animal health in Switzerland is controlled by veterinary services which
can offer satisfactory guarantees concerning diseases which might be
transmitted through the import of domestic animals of the bovine or
porcine species;
Whereas the responsible Swiss veterinary authorities have confirmed
that Switzerland has during the last 24 months been free 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 enter-
oviral 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 Swiss veterinary authorities 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
Swiss import rules concerning bovine animals or swine or the semen or
embryos thereof;
Whereas bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis have been eradicated from
Switzerland, vaccination against bovine brucellosis is not permitted and
the measures taken by the responsible Swiss authorities to prevent a
recrudescence of these diseases are sufficient to equate the status of
Swiss herds, other than those under official restriction, with that of herds
in the Community having the status of officially tuberculosis-free or
officially brucellosis-free;
Whereas the responsible Swiss veterinary authorities 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;!B
(1) OJ No L 302, 31. 12. 1972, p. 28.
(2) OJ No L 356, 24. 12. 1991, p. 1.
(3) OJ No L 268, 24. 9. 1991, p. 56.1992D0460 — EN — 11.08.1993 — 003.001 — 2
Whereas the responsible Swiss veterinary authorities 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
Switzerland unless such animals were imported in accordance with
veterinary conditions at least as strict as the relevant requirements laid
down in Directive 72/462/EEC, including any relevant subsidiary
decisions;
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, Member States shall
authorize the import from Switzerland of the following animals:
(a) domestic animals of the bovine species for breeding or production
which meet the requirements set out in the animal health certificate
in Annex A to this Decision and are accompanied by such a
certificate;
(b) domestic animals of the bovine species for slaughter which meet the
requirements set out in the animal health certificate in Annex B to
this Decision and 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 animal health certificate
in Annex C to this Decision and are accompanied by such a
certificate;
(d) domestic animals of the porcine species for slaughter which meet the
requirements set out in the animal health certificate in Annex D to
this Decision and are accompanied by such a certificate.
2. Member States may only authorize the importation from Switzerland
of the domestic animals of the bovine or porcine species indicated in
paragraph 1 which have been imported into Switzerland if such animals
were imported from the Community or from a third country included in
the list set out in the Annex to Council Decision 79/542/EEC (1) in so far
as it covers domestic animals of these species and only if the import was
effected in accordance with veterinary conditions at least as strict as the
requirements of 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 Swiss veterinarian from all cloven-
hoofed animals not forming part of a consignment intended for export to
the Community or not of equivalent health status to such animals, from
the time of the first test to the time of loading.
4. Member States may only permit the entry onto their territory from
Switzerland of bovine animals if such animals:
(a) come from herds declared by the Swiss veterinary authorities to be
enzootic bovine leukosis-free as defined in 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 according to the Protocol in Annex I to Commission
Decision 91/189/EEC (2);
or
(b) are intended for meat production, are not more than 30 months of
age, come from herds which are included in a national programme
for the eradication of enzootic bovine leukosis and in which there
has been no evidence whatever of that disease for at least two years!B
(1) OJ No L 146, 14. 6. 1979, p. 15.
(2) OJ No L 96, 17. 4. 1991, p. 1.1992D0460 — EN — 11.08.1993 — 003.001 — 3
and are permanently marked as described in Annex F to this
Decision;
or
(c) come from herds which are included in a national programme for the
eradication of enzootic bovine leukosis, are consigned directly to a
slaughterhouse and are slaughtered within three 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 necessary to
prevent contamination of indigenous herds.
5. Member States shall not authorize the import of domestic animals of
the bovine or porcine species other than as indicated in this Article.
Article 2
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, brucellosis,
foot-and-mouth disease, anthrax, rinderpest, contagious bovine pleurop-
neumonia, enzootic bovine leukosis, porcine enteroviral encephalo-
myelitis (Teschen disease), classical swine fever, African swine fever or
swine vesicular disease, Member States may apply in respect of animals
imported from Switzerland 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 "M231 December 1993 3, Member
States may apply this Article 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 3
1. Member States shall render the introduction into their territory of
bovine or porcine animals from Switzerland subject to the provision of a
guarantee that the animals to be imported have not been vaccinated
against foot-and-mouth disease.
2. Member States shall render the introduction into their territory of
pigs from Switzerland subject to the provision of a guarantee that have
not been vaccinated against classical swine fever and, in the case of pigs
intended for breeding or production, a guarantee that they have shown a
negative result to a test for the antibody produced by the virus of
classical swine fever.
Article 4
The present Decision shall apply from the 9 November 1992.
Article 5
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.!B
!M1
!B1992D0460 — EN — 11.08.1993 — 003.001 — 4
ANNEX A
ANIMAL HEALTH CERTIFICATE
for domestic animals of the bovine species for breeding and production intended for consignment to the European
Economic Community
!B1992D0460 — EN — 11.08.1993 — 003.001 — 5
"(1)C1!B1992D0460 — EN — 11.08.1993 — 003.001 — 6
!B1992D0460 — EN — 11.08.1993 — 003.001 — 7
ANNEX B
ANIMAL HEALTH CERTIFICATE
for domestic bovine animals for immediate slaughter intended for consignment to the European Economic
Community
!B1992D0460 — EN — 11.08.1993 — 003.001 — 8
!B1992D0460 — EN — 11.08.1993 — 003.001 — 9
!B1992D0460 — EN — 11.08.1993 — 003.001 — 10
ANNEX C
ANIMAL HEALTH CERTIFICATE
for domestic animals of the porcine species for breeding and production intended for consignment to the European
Economic Community
"(1)M3!B1992D0460 — EN — 11.08.1993 — 003.001 — 11
"(1)M3!B1992D0460 — EN — 11.08.1993 — 003.001 — 12
!B1992D0460 — EN — 11.08.1993 — 003.001 — 13
ANNEX D
ANIMAL HEALTH CERTIFICATE
for domestic animals of the porcine species for immediate slaughter intended for consignment to the European
Economic Community
"(1)M3!B1992D0460 — EN — 11.08.1993 — 003.001 — 14
"(1)M3!B1992D0460 — EN — 11.08.1993 — 003.001 — 15
!B1992D0460 — EN — 11.08.1993 — 003.001 — 16
ANNEX E
ENZOOTIC BOVINE LEUKOSIS-FREE HERDS AND REGIONS
1. A herd becomes established as enzootic bovine leukosis-free when:
(a) (i) there has been no evidence whatever of enzootic bovine leukosis
in the herd for a period of at least two years;
and
(ii) it has been subjected with negative result to two herd tests for
enzootic bovine leukosis at an interval of not less than four andnot more than 12 months, each herd test consisting of one of the
serological tests described in Annex I to Decision 91/189/EEC
applied to all bovine animals in the herd over 24 months of ageon the date of the test;
or
b) the region in which it is situated becomes established as an enzootic
bovine leukosis-free region, provided the status of the herd is not atthe time suspended under the terms of paragraph 5.
2. A region becomes established as enzootic bovine leukosis-free when:
(a) at least 99,8 % of bovine herds have the status of enzootic bovine
leukosis-free;
or
(b) (i) there has been no evidence whatever of enzootic bovine leukosis
in the region for a period of at least three years;
and
(ii) all bovine herds in the region have been subjected to at least one
herd test as described in paragraph 1;
and
(iii) at least 10 % of bovine herds in the region, selected on a random
basis, have been subjected with negative result to at least twoherd tests as described in paragraph 1.
3. A herd maintains its status as enzootic bovine leukosis-free as long as:
(a) there is no evidence whatever of enzootic bovine leukosis in the herd;
and
(b) all the bovine animals in the herd were born there or were introduced
from herds of enzootic bovine leukosis-free status;
and
(c) within three years of the date of its establishment as enzootic bovine
leukosis-free, and at intervals of not more than three years thereafter,it is subjected with negative result to a herd test as described inparagraph 1.
4. A region maintains its status as enzootic bovine leukosis-free as long as:
(a) each year, a proportion of the herds in the region, selected on a
random basis and sufficient in number to demonstrate, with a 99 %
confidence rating, that not more than 0,2 % of herds are infected with
enzootic bovine leukosis, have been subjected to a herd test asdescribed in paragraph 1;
or
(b) each year, a proportion of the herds in the region, sufficient to contain
at least 20 % of the bovine animals in the region over 24 months ofage, have been subjected with negative result to a herd test asdescribed in paragraph 1.
5. The enzootic bovine leukosis free status of a herd is suspended when:
(a) the conditions described in paragraph 3 cease to apply;
or
(b) one or more animals give a positive result to one of the serological
tests described in Annex I to Decision 91/189/EEC.!
B1992D0460 — EN — 11.08.1993 — 003.001 — 17
6. The enzootic bovine leukosis-free status of a region is suspended when:
(a) the conditions described in paragraph 4 cease to apply;
or
(b) enzootic bovine leukosis is detected and confirmed in more than 0,2 %
of bovine herds in the region.
7. The enzootic bovine leukosis-free status of a herd is re-established when:
(a) any reactor animal and, if the reactor is a cow, its progeny in the herd
have been removed under the supervision of the veterinary authorities
for slaughter, except that the competent authority may grant a
derogation from the requirement for the removal of the progeny of areactor cow if it is satisfied that the animal(s) was/were separatedfrom its/their dam immediately after birth;
and
(b) (i) if the suspension results from a positive test on a single animal,
the herd has been subjected with negative result and not less thanthree months after the withdrawal referred to in paragraph 7 (a) to
a herd test as described in paragraph 1;
or
(ii) if the suspension results from a positive test on more than one
animal, the herd has been subjected to two herd tests as described
in paragraph 1, the first being applied not less than three months
after the withdrawl referred to in paragraph 7 (a) and the secondnot less than four or more than 12 months later, the tests toinclude any progeny of a reactor cow retained in the herd under
the derogation referred to in paragraph 7 (a), regardless of their
age at the time of test;
and
c) an epizootological enquiry has been conducted on all herds epizoo-
tologically linked to the infected herd.
8. The enzootic bovine leukosis-free status of a region is re-established when:
(a) at least 99,8 % of bovine herds in the region have the status of
enzootic bovine leukosis-free;
and
(b) at least 20 % of bovine herds in the region have been subjected with
negative result to two herd tests as described in paragraph 1, at aninterval of not less than four and not more than 12 months.!
B1992D0460 — EN — 11.08.1993 — 003.001 — 18
ANNEX F
Mark to be applied to bovine animals in application of Article 1 (4) (b)
A permanent mark, having the dimensions indicated below, applied to and visible
on at least two places on the hind-quarters of each animal using the techniqueknown as ‘freeze-branding’.
!B1992D0460 — EN — 11.08.1993 — 003.001 — 19