2000/208/EC: Commission Decision of 24 February 2000 establishing detailed rules for the application of Council Directive 97/78/EC concerning the transit of products of animal origin from one third country to another third country by road only across the European Community (notified under document number C(2000) 468) (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2000-02-24
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: animal product, customs inspection, health certificate, import, third country, veterinary inspection

L 64/20

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

11.3.2000

II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 24 February 2000

establishing detailed rules for the application of Council Directive 97/78/EC concerning the transit
of products of animal origin from one third country to another third country by road only across
the European Community

(notified under document number C(2000) 468)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2000/208/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 97/78/EC of 18 December
1997 laying down the principles governing the organisation of
veterinary checks on products entering the Community from
third countries (1), and in particular Article 11(4) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

It is necessary to adopt as a priority, to avoid any
unnecessary delays
the exit of
products of animal origin transiting the European
Community by road only from one third country to
another third country.

to trade,

rules

for

These rules apply in respect of Article 11(2)(e) of
Directive 97/78/EC for the procedures for crossing the
Community by road only.

It is important that the official veterinarian responsible
at a border inspection post receiving goods in transit for
exit from the Community is made aware of consign-
ments arriving at all times but especially those arriving
outside normal working hours of the border inspection
post.

is important

it
to specify the checks that must be
performed at the border inspection post of exit to verify
the provenance of the consignment.

(1) OJ L 24, 30.1.1998, p. 3.

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

It is also important to specify the category of approval
of the border inspection post of exit to ensure that the
personnel operating there are familiar with the products
that are presented for examination.

It is necessary to have a harmonised approach to the
examination of consignments so presented and to the
annotation of documents being returned to the border
inspection post of introduction.

A derogation concerning the personnel carrying out
checks has been put in place for border inspection posts
which are approved only for checks on fishery products.

This Decision will apply separately from any working
arrangements entered into by the Community with
particular third countries under accepted international
agreements.

The measures provided for in this Decision are in
accordance with the opinion of the Standing Veterinary
Committee,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

In application of Article 11 of Directive 97/78/EC and in
particular Article 11(2)(e)
the following rules shall
thereof
apply in the case of transit of products of animal origin across
the European Community by road only from one third country
to another third country.

11.3.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 64/21

Article 2

The border inspection post mentioned in Article 11(2)(e) of
Directive 97/78/EC must be:
— for fishery products, all border inspection posts appearing
on the list established by Commission Decision 97/
778/EC (1) (as amended),

— for other products of animal origin not referred to in the
first indent, all border inspection posts referred to in the
first indent with the exception of those that are approved
only for the inspection of fishery products.

Article 3

from the EC, and checks made of transiting goods, confirmed
in accordance with Article 11(2)(e) of Directive 97/78/EC’,
stamped with the stamp of the border inspection post, dated,
and then signed by the official veterinarian or in the case of
fishery products, by either the official veterinarian or the desig-
nated agent appointed by the competent authority.

Article 5

This Decision shall apply without prejudice to any arrange-
ments entered into by the Community under any internation-
ally accepted agreements with third countries.

the official veterinarian or

The official veterinarian, or in the case of fishery products
the designated agent
either
appointed by the competent authority, shall be responsible for
seeing that the necessary checks are carried out at the border
inspection post of
the
Community under this provision. The checks are to confirm
that the consignment received conforms to that despatched
from the border inspection post of introduction, and that it
matches the information given in the certificate accompanying
the consignment according to the model shown in Annex B to
Commission Decision 93/13/EEC (2).

exit on consignments

exiting

Article 6

The present Decision shall apply from 1 April 2000.

Article 7

This Decision is addressed to Member States.

Done at Brussels, 24 February 2000.

Article 4

On completion of the checks the certificate referred to in
Article 5(1) of Directive 97/78/EC accompanying the consign-
‘formalities of exit
ment must be annotated with the words,

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 315, 19.11.1997, p. 15.
(2) OJ L 9, 15.1.1993, p. 33.