2003/137/EC: Commission Decision of 27 February 2003 amending Decision 93/402/EEC as regards imports of fresh meat from Paraguay (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2003) 677)
Date: 2003-02-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Paraguay, South America, fresh meat, health certificate, health control, import, meat processing industry

L 53/54

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

28.2.2003

COMMISSION DECISION

of 27 February 2003

amending Decision 93/402/EEC as regards imports of fresh meat from Paraguay

(notified under document number C(2003) 677)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2003/137/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 22(1) thereof,

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 (2), as
last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1452/2001 (3), and in
particular Article 14(3) and Article 16 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Commission Decision 93/402/EEC of 10 June 1993
concerning animal health conditions and veterinary
certification for imports of fresh meat from South Amer-
ican countries (4), as last amended by Decision 2002/
908/EC (5), applies to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia,
Paraguay and Uruguay.

An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease was detected in
October 2002 in Paraguay in an area which is adjacent
to areas from which exports to the Community are
approved (Community-approved areas) and is close to
the border with Brazil.

In order to assess the situation as regards foot-and-
mouth disease in the area in which the outbreak
occurred and also in the Community-approved areas, an
inspection by the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) was
carried out between 4 and 14 February 2003.

The inspection has shown that the general situation in
Paraguay as regards veterinary controls on the livestock
and on the meat production does not fulfill the require-
ments for export to the Community.

It was established that there were a number of serious
deficiencies and a lack of controls on the systems put in
place by the Paraguayan authorities following earlier
FVO inspections in order to ensure that only boned and

matured meat obtained from animals coming from the
Community-approved areas of
the country could be
exported in compliance with Community requirements.

In view of the findings of the inspection, it is appro-
priate to withdraw the authorisation to Paraguay to
export boned and matured bovine fresh meat to the
Community.

However,
in the absence of clear evidence of active
disease in Paraguay, the importation into the Commu-
nity of boned and matured bovine fresh meat for human
consumption and boned meat and offal
for petfood
slaughtered, produced, certified and en route to the
Community prior
to 20 February 2003 should be
permitted. The situation should be reviewed when the
Paraguayan authorities can give sufficient guarentees that
the deficiencies found have been rectified and this has
been positively assessed by a further FVO inspection.

Decision 93/402/EEC should therefore be amended
accordingly.

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accor-
dance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on
the Food Chain and Animal Health,

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Annex II to Decision 93/402/EEC is replaced by the text in the
Annex to this Decision.

Article 2

The Member States shall amend the measures they apply to
imports so as to bring them into compliance with this Decision
and they shall give immediate appropriate publicity to the
measures adopted. They shall immediately inform the Commis-
sion thereof.

(1) OJ L 24, 31.1.1998, p. 9.
(2) OJ L 302, 31.12.1972, p. 28.
(3) OJ L 198, 21.7.2001, p. 11.
(4) OJ L 179, 22.7.1993, p. 11.
(5) OJ L 313, 16.11.2002, p. 34.

Article 3

These measures shall be reviewed within 12 months.

28.2.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 53/55

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 4

Done at Brussels, 27 February 2003.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

ANNEX

‘ANNEX II

ANIMAL HEALTH GUARANTEES REQUESTED ON CERTIFICATION (1)

Model certificate for fresh meat
excluding offal

Model certificate for offal

Country

Territory

Argentina

AR

AR-1

AR-3

BR

BR-1

BR-2

CL

CO

CO-1

CO-2

CO-3

PY

PY-1

UY

Brazil

Chile

Colombia

Paraguay

Uruguay

Species

of bovine animals

of ovines

MP

soliped

Bovine

Ovine-caprine

Porcine

Soliped

HC

—

A (4)

B (6)

—

A (3)

A (8)

B

—

A

—

A

—

A (7)

A (2)

—

—

B (6)

—

—

—

B

—

—

—

—

—

—

C (2)

—

—

—

—

—

—

H

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

1

—

—

2

—

—

3

—

—

4

—

—

—

—

B (6)

B (6)

B (6)

B (6)

B (6)

—

—

—

B

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

B

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

B

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

B

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

B

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

PF

—

F (5)

B (6)

—

F (3)

F (9)

B

—

—

—

—

—

F (7)

F

HC

—

—

PF

—

—

B (6)

B (6)

—

—

—

B

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

B

—

—

—

—

—

—

G

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

L

5
3
/
5
6

E
N

O

f
f
i
c
i
a
l

J
o
u
r
n
a
l

o
f

t
h
e

E
u
r
o
p
e
a
n
U
n
o
n

i

.

.

2
8
2
2
0
0
3

HC Human consumption.
MP Destined for heat-treated meat products industry:

1 = hearts;
2 = livers;
3 = masseter muscles;
4 = tongues.

PF Destined for the pet food industry.
(1) The letters (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H) appearing in the table, refer to the models of animal health guarantees as described in part 2 of Annex III, to be applied for each product and origin in accordance with Article 2; a dash (—) indicates that

imports are not authorised.

(2) Only to be used for boned meat from animals slaughtered after 1 November 2001.
(3) In the case of Rio Grande do Sul only to be used for boned meat from bovine animals and offal for pet food from animals slaughtered after 30 November 2001.
(4) Only to be used for boned meat from bovine animals slaughtered after 31 January 2002, except in the cases of La Pampa and Santiago del Estero for which the date is 8 March 2002 and of Córdoba for which the date is 26 March 2002.
(5) Only to be used for offal for pet food from bovine animals slaughtered after 31 January 2002 except in the cases of La Pampa and Santiago del Estero for which the date is 8 March 2002 and of Córdoba for which the date is 26 March 2002.
(6) Only to be used for fresh meat (including offal) from ovine, caprine and bovine animals slaughtered after 1 March 2002 in the provinces of Chubut, Santa Cruz, and Tierra del Fuego.
(7) Only to be used for boned meat for human consumption and boned meat and offal for pet food from bovine animals slaughtered, produced and certified after 1 September 2002 and before 20 February 2003 and en route to the Community

prior to 20 February 2003.

(8) Only to be used for boned meat from bovine animals slaughtered before 31 October 2002.
(9) Only to be used for offal for pet food from bovine animals slaughtered before 31 October 2002.’

.

.

2
8
2
2
0
0
3

E
N

O

f
f
i
c
i
a
l

J
o
u
r
n
a
l

o
f

t
h
e

E
u
r
o
p
e
a
n
U
n
o
n

i

L

5
3
/
5
7