2000/462/EC: Commission Decision of 12 July 2000 concerning the health certification for imports of bees/hives, queens and their attendants from third countries (notified under document number C(2000) 1966) (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2000-07-12
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: animal disease, apiculture, health certificate, health control, import, third country

L 183/18

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

22.7.2000

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 12 July 2000

concerning the health certification for imports of bees/hives, queens and their attendants from
third countries

(notified under document number C(2000) 1966)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2000/462/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 92/65/EEC of 13 July 1992
laying down animal health requirements governing trade in and
imports into the Community of animals, semen, ova and
embryos not subject to animal health requirements laid down
in specific Community rules referred to in Annex A (I) to
Directive 90/425/EEC (1), as last amended by Decision 95/
176/EC (2), and in particular Articles 17 and 18 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Those third countries
from which Member States
authorise imports of bees/hives or queens (with attend-
ants) into the Community must be established in accord-
ance with the requirements of Council Directive 92/
65/EEC;
this authorisation shall apply to any third
country.

A health certification must be established for imports
into the Community of bees/hives, queens and their
attendants
in accordance with the requirements of
Council Directive 92/65/EEC.

Additional disease measures must be taken in the case of
new or exotic diseases as necessary.

Council Directive 96/93/EEC (3) lays down standards of
certification which are necessary for valid certification
and to prevent fraud; whereas it is appropriate to ensure
that the rules and principles applied to third country
certifying officers provide guarantees which are at least
equivalent to those laid down in this Directive.

(5)

(6)

Considering that a new certification regime is hereby
established, a period of time should be provided for its
implementation.

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 authorise the importation of bees (Apis
mellifera)/hives, queens and their attendants coming from any
third country, only if they comply with the guarantees laid
down in the health certificate corresponding to the specimen
drawn up in the Annex to this Decision.

This Decision is applicable from 1 November 2000.

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 3

Done at Brussels, 12 July 2000.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 268, 14.9.1992, p. 52.
(2) OJ L 117, 24.5.1995, p. 23.
(3) OJ L 13, 16.1.1997, p. 18.

22.7.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 183/19

ANNEX

SPECIMEN HEALTH CERTIFICATE FOR BEES/HIVES, QUEENS AND THEIR ATTENDANTS INTENDED FOR
CONSIGNMENT TO THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

Note for the importer: This certificate is for veterinary purposes only and must accompany the consignment until it
reaches the border inspection post.

1. Consignor (name and address in full)

HEALTH CERTIFICATE

No.

2. Country of origin

Original (1)

3. Consignee (name and address in full)

4. COMPETENT AUTHORITY

5. Address

— of holding of origin

— of holding of destination

6. Place of loading

7. Means of transport (2)

8. Species

9. Number of bees/hives or queens (with attendants) (2)

10. Batch identification

(1) A separate certificate is to be provided for each consignment and a copy of the original must accompany the consignment to the original

destination;

its period of validity is 10 days.

(2) Give registration number of vehicle or container and seal number where applicable.
(3) Delete as appropriate.

L 183/20

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

22.7.2000

11. ATTESTION (1)

I, the undersigned competent official, hereby certify:

1.

that the bees (Apis mellifera)/hives or queens with attendants referred to above:

(a) come from a breeding apiary which is supervised and controlled by the Competent authority;

(b) do not come from an area which is the subject of a prohibition order associated with an occurrence of
American foul brood, and within at least 30 days following the last recorded case and the date on which all
hives within a radius of three kilometres have been checked by the competent authority and all infected hives
burned or treated and inspected to the satisfaction of the said competent authority;

(c) are from hives or come from hives from which samples of the comb have been subjected to a test for
American foulbrood laid down in the OIE manual of diagnostic standards with negative results in the last 30
days;

(d) have been inspected this day and show no clinical signs or suspicion of disease including infestations affecting

bees;

2.

the packing material and accompanying products come directly from the exporting breeding apiary and have not
been in contact with diseased bees or brood-combs, nor with any products or equipment which are contaminated
or extraneous to the exporting apiary.

Done at . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(signature of competent official) (2)

Seal (2)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(name in capital

letters, qualifications and title)

(1) Complete with 24 hours of loading.
(2) Stamp and signature in a colour different to that of the printing.