98/258/EC: Council Decision of 16 March 1998 on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Community and the United States of America on sanitary measures to protect public and animal health in trade in live animals and animal products
Date: 1998-03-16
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: United States, animal product, live animal, public health, trade agreement (EU), veterinary inspection

21.4.98

EN

Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities

L 118/1

II

(Acts  whose  publication  is  not  obligatory)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL  DECISION

of  16  March  1998

on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Community and the United States of
America  on  sanitary  measures  to  protect  public  and  animal  health  in  trade  in  live  animals  and
animal  products

(98/258/EC)

THE  COUNCIL  OF  THE  EUROPEAN  UNION,

Whereas the Agreement should be approved on behalf of
the  Community,

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the  European
Community,  and  in  particular  Article  113  in  conjunction
with  the  first  sentence  of  Article  228(2)  thereof,

HAS  DECIDED  AS  FOLLOWS:

Having  regard  to  the  proposal  from  the  Commission,

Article  1

the  Agreement  between 

Whereas 
the  European
Community and the United States of America on sanitary
measures  to  protect  public  and  animal  health  in  trade  in
live  animals  and  animal  products  provides  an  adequate
means  for  putting  into  practice  the  provisions  of  the
WTO  Agreement  on  the  application  of  sanitary  and
phytosanitary  measures  as  regards  public  and  animal
health measures;

contribute 

trade  between 

the  Agreement  will 

towards
Whereas 
the  European
facilitating  bilateral 
Community  and  the  United  States  of  America  in  live
animals  and  animal  products  through  the  progressive
recognition  of  the  equivalence  of  sanitary  measures,  the
recognition  of  animal  health  status,  the  application  of
regionalisation  and  the  improvement  of  communication
and  cooperation;

Whereas  it  is  appropriate  to  make  provisions  for  a
procedure  establishing  close  and  effective  cooperation
between  the  Commission  and  the  Member  States  within
the  Standing  Veterinary  Committee;

The  Agreement  between  the  European  Community  and
the  United  States  of  America  on  sanitary  measures  to
protect  public  and  animal  health  in  trade  in  live  animals
and animal products is hereby approved on behalf of the
Community.

The  text  of  the  Agreement  and  the  Annexes  thereto  are
attached  to  this  Decision.

Article  2

The  President  of  the  Council  is  hereby  authorised  to
designate  the  person  or  persons  empowered  to  sign  the
Agreement  in  order  to  bind  the  Community.

Article  3

The  measures  necessary  for  the  implementation  of  this
Agreement, 
fresh  meat  and
meat-based  products  guarantees  equivalent  to  those  laid

including  as 

regards 

L 118/2

EN

Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities

21.4.98

down  by  Directive  72/462/EEC (1),  shall  be  established
pursuant to the procedure laid down in Article 30 of that
Directive.

shall be adopted according to the procedure provided for
in  Article  29  of  Directive  72/462/EEC.

Article  5

This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of
the  European  Communities.  It  shall  take  effect  on  the
date  of  its  publication.

Done  at  Brussels,  16  March  1998.

For  the  Council

The  President

J.  CUNNINGHAM

Article  4

assisted 

The  Commission, 
States’
representatives,  shall  represent  the  Community  in  the
Joint  Committee  referred  to  in  Article  14(1)  of  the
Agreement.

by  Member 

The Community position with regard to the matters to be
dealt  with  by  that  Joint  Committee  shall  be  established
within  the  appropriate  Council  bodies,  in  accordance
with  the  provisions  of  the  Treaty.

Amendments to the Annexes to the Agreement which are
the  result  of  recommendations  by  the  Joint  Committee

(1) OJ  L  302,  31.12.1972,  p.  28.  Directive  as  last  amended  by

Directive  97/79/EC  (OJ  L  24,  30.1.1998,  p.  31).