2001/322/EC: Commission Decision of 20 April 2001 amending Decision 2001/276/EC in order to take account of the animal health situation in Argentina (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2001) 1133)
Date: 2001-04-20
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Argentina, South America, fresh meat, health certificate, health control, import

21.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 112/17

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 20 April 2001

amending Decision 2001/276/EC in order to take account of the animal health situation in
Argentina

(notified under document number C(2001) 1133)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2001/322/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 72/462/EEC of 12
December 1972 on health and veterinary inspection problems
upon importation of bovine, ovine and caprine animals and
swine, fresh meat or meat products from third countries (1), as
last amended by Council Directive 97/79/EC (2), in particular
Articles 3 and 14 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

The animal health conditions and veterinary certification
for imports of fresh meat from Colombia, Paraguay,
Uruguay, Brazil, Chile and Argentina are laid down by
Commission Decision 93/402/EEC (3), as last amended
by Decision 2001/276/EC (4).

Imports have been suspended from Argentina by
Decision 2001/276/EC until 15 April 2001 as a precau-
tionary measure until more detailed information can be
obtained following changes in the health situation in
Argentina and the suspension by Argentina of
their
exports of fresh meat to Canada, Chile and the USA.

Following this decision the competent authority of
Argentina itself suspended exports to the Community of
fresh meat from species susceptible to foot-and-mouth
disease,
introduced a reorganisation of the veterinary
services and a completely new strategic plan including
regionalisation to control foot-and-mouth is being devel-
oped. At least until these changes can be properly eval-
uated it is necessary to prolong this suspension.

The suspension of imports from Argentina was imple-
mented through the replacement by Decision 2001/
276/EC of the Annexes to Decision 93/402/EEC; for the
sake of legal certainty it shall be necessary to adopt a

new measure updating fully these Annexes and therefore
it is not appropriate to limit in the meantime the validity
of the current Annexes excluding Argentina. However
the decision to suspend imports of meat from Argentina
will be reviewed within 2 months of its notification.

Argentina stopped certifying consignments from 13
March 2001 and for the sake of legal certainty consign-
ments produced and certified on or prior to this date
should be accepted.

Decision 2001/276/EC should be amended accordingly.

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

(5)

(6)

(7)

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Article 2 of Decision 2001/276/EC is replaced by the following
wording:

‘Member States shall accept consignments produced and
certified on or before 13 March 2001.’

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 20 April 2001.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 302, 31.12.1972, p. 28.
(2) OJ L 24, 30.1.1998, p. 31.
(3) OJ L 179, 22.7.1993, p. 11.
(4) OJ L 95, 5.4.2001, p. 41.