2003/279/EC: Commission Decision of 15 April 2003 amending Commission Decision 93/13/EEC in respect of the certificate of veterinary checks on products from third countries (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2003) 1229)
Date: 2003-04-15
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: customs inspection, import, originating product, third country, transport document, veterinary inspection

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COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 15 April 2003

amending Commission Decision 93/13/EEC in respect of the certificate of veterinary checks on
products from third countries

(notified under document number C(2003) 1229)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2003/279/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Communities,

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 Articles 5(4), 7(6), 12(12)
and 33 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

The original requirements for veterinary checks were set
down in, or adopted on the basis of Council Directive
90/675/EEC (2), which has been repealed and replaced
by Directive 97/78/EC.

The model certificate of veterinary checks on products
introduced into the Community from third countries, as
referred to in Article 5(1) of Directive 97/78/EC, is set
out in Annex B to Commission Decision 93/13/EEC of
22 December 1992 laying down the procedures for
veterinary checks at Community border inspection posts
on products from third countries (3), as last amended by
Decision 96/32/EC (4).
It should be amended to take
account of changes to procedures for all consignments
introduced into one of the territories listed in Annex I
Directive 97/78/EC.

(1) OJ L 24, 30.1.1998, p. 9.
(2) OJ L 373, 31.12.1990, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 9, 15.1.1993, p. 33.
(4) OJ L 9, 12.1.1996, p. 9.

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

Detailed rules in respect of the use of this certificate in
case of transit by road, and concerning additional checks
that must be carried out on products not meeting
Community rules that transit across or move within the
Community under customs control, are the subject of
Commission Decisions 2000/208/EC (5) and 2000/571/
EC (6) respectively.

Pending the later revision of other rules laid down in
Commission Decision 93/13/EEC,
there is an urgent
need to amend and update firstly the certificate in Annex
B to that Decision.

in the internal market all

For the proper functioning of the system of veterinary
checks
the information
pertaining to a product introduced into the Community
should be included in a single simplified document with
a uniform format in order to reduce as far as possible
the problems associated with the use of different
languages in different Member States.

Decision 93/13/EEC should therefore be
accordingly.

amended

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,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Annex B to Decision 93/13/EEC is replaced by the text in the
Annex to this Decision.

(5) OJ L 64, 11.3.2000, p. 20.
(6) OJ L 240, 23.9.2000, p. 14.

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This Decision shall apply from 1 September 2003.

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 3

Done at Brussels, 15 April 2003.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

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ANNEX

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NOTES FOR GUIDANCE FOR THE ANNEX B CERTIFICATE (1)

Part 1: This section is for completion by the declarant or person responsible for the load as defined in Council

Directive 97/78/EC Article 2(2)(e). Notes are shown against the relevant box number

General: Complete the certificate in capitals. Where there is an option to delete a box or it is not relevant, clearly deface

or cross out the whole numbered box. To positively indicate any option, tick or mark the

sign.

This certificate is to be completed for all consignments presented to a border inspection post, whether they are for
consignments presented as meeting EU requirements and are for free circulation, consignments that will be subject to
channelling, or those consignments not meeting EU conditions and destined for transhipment, transit, or their placing in
free zones, free warehouses or customs warehouses or for ship suppliers (chandlers). Channelling refers to consignments
accepted under the conditions laid down in Article 8 of Directive 97/78/EC but that remain under veterinary control
until a specified final destination is reached, usually for further treatment.

Iso codes where indicated refer to the international standard two letter code for any country.

Box 1.

Consignor/exporter: Indicate the commercial organisation despatching the consignment (in the third country).

Box 2.

Border inspection post. If this information is not pre-printed on the document, please complete. The CVED
reference number is the unique reference number given by the border inspection post issuing the certificate
(repeated in box 25). The ANIMO unit number is unique to the border inspection post and is listed against its
name on the list of approved border inspection posts published in the Official Journal.

Box 3.

Consignee: Indicate the address of the person or commercial organisation given on the third country certifi-
cate.

Box 4.

Person responsible for the load (also agent or declarant): This is the person defined in Article 2(2)(e) of the
Directive 97/78/EC, who is in charge of the consignment when presented to the border inspection post and
makes the necessary declarations to the competent authorities on behalf of the importer: give the name,
address.

Box 5.

Importer: The importer may be remote from the actual border inspection post: give the name, address. If the
importer and agent are the same indicate ‘As box 2’.

Box 6.

Country of origin: This refers to where the final product was produced, manufactured or packaged.

Box 7.

Country from where consigned: This refers to the country where the consignment was placed aboard the
means of final transport for the journey to the EU.

Box 8.

Include the delivery address in the EU. This applies both to conforming (Box 19) and to non conforming (Box
22) products.

Box 9. Give the estimated date that consignments are expected to arrive at the border inspection post.

Box 10. Veterinary Certificate/document: date of issue: The date that the certificate/document was signed by the official
veterinarian or the competent authority. Number: give the unique official number of the certificate. For
products from an approved or registered establishment or vessel, indicate the name and approval/registration
number where appropriate. For embryos, ova or semen straws give an identity number of the approved collec-
tion team.

Box 11. Give full details of the means of arrival transport: for aircraft the flight number and airway bill number, for
vessels the ship name and bill of lading number, for road vehicles the registration number plate with trailer
number if appropriate, for railways the train identity and wagon number.

Box 12. Nature of the goods: Indicate the species of animal, the treatment undergone by the products and the number
and type of packages that comprise the load eg 50 boxes of 25 kg or the number of containers. Tick the
appropriate transport temperature.

Box 13. CN code: Give as a minimum the first four digits of the relevant Combined Nomenclature, CN code, established
under Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 as last amended. These codes are also listed in Commission Deci-
sion 2002/349/EC (and are equivalent to the HS headings). Where there is one certificate with one consign-
ment having contents with more than one commodity code, the additional codes may be annotated onto the
CVED as appropriate.

(1) Notes for guidance may be printed and distributed separately from the certificate itself.

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Box 14. Gross weight: Overall weight in kg. This is defined as the aggregate mass of the products with immediate
containers and all their packaging, but excluding transport containers and other transport equipment.

Box 15. Net weight: Weight of actual product excluding packaging in kg. This is defined as the mass of the products
themselves without immediate containers or any packaging. Use Units where a weight is inappropriate eg 100
semen straws of X ml. or three biological strains/embryos.

Box 16. Give all seal and container identification numbers where relevant.

Box 17. Transhipment. Use where a consignment is not to be imported at this border inspection post but is to travel
onward in another vessel or aircraft either for importation into the EU at a second and subsequent border
inspection post in the Community/EEA, or for a third country destination. Animo unit number — see Box 2.

Box 18. Transit: For consignments that do not conform to EU requirements and are destined for a third country by

movement across the EU/relevant EEA state by road, rail or waterway transport.

Exit BIP: Name of the border inspection post where the products are to leave the EU. Animo unit number —
see Box 2.

Box 19. Conforming products: All products that will be presented for free circulation in the internal market including
those that are acceptable but will be subjected to a ‘channelling procedure’ and those that after receiving veter-
inary clearance as acceptable for free circulation, may be stored under customs control, and receive customs
clearance at a later stage, either at the customs office on which the border inspection post is geographically
dependent, or at another location.

Non conforming products: Those products not meeting EU requirements and that are for free zones, free ware-
houses, customs warehouses, ship chandlers or ships, or transit to a third country.

Box 20. Reimport refers to consignments of EU origin that have been refused acceptance or entry to a third country,

and are being returned to the establishment of origin in the EU.

Box 21.

Internal market: This is for consignments that are being presented for distribution in the single market. Tick
the category for which the consignment is being presented. This also applies to those consignments that after
receiving veterinary clearance as acceptable for free circulation, may be stored under customs control, and
receive customs clearance at a later stage, either at the customs office on which the border inspection post is
geographically dependent, or at another location.

Box 22. Complete this box for all non EU conforming products where the consignment will be delivered to and stored

under veterinary control in a free zone, a free warehouse, a customs warehouse or a ship supplier (chandler).

NB boxes 18 and 22 refer to veterinary procedures only.

Box 23. Signature. This commits the signatory also to accepting back consignments in transit that are refused entry by

a third country.

Part 2. This section is for the completion by the official veterinarian or designated official agent (as in Commis-

sion Decision 93/352/EEC) only

For boxes 38 to 41 use a colour other than black

Box 24.

Box 25.

Box 26.

Box 27.

Previous CVED: If there has been a previous CVED issued, indicate the serial number of this certifi-
cate.

This refers to the unique reference number given by the border inspection post issuing the certificate
and is as in Box 2.

Documentary check. To be completed for all consignments.

Tick ‘seal check’ where containers are not opened and the seal only is checked according to Article
4(4)(a)(i) of Directive 97/78/EC.

Box 28.

Physical checks:

Reduced checks refers to the regime laid down in Commission Decision 94/360/EEC where the
consignment has not been selected for a physical check but is considered checked satisfactorily with
documentary and identity check only.

‘Other’ refers to: re-import procedure, channelled goods, transhipment, transit or Article 12 and 13
procedures. These destinations can be deduced from other boxes.

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Box 29.

Box 30.

Box 31.

Box 32.

‘Random’ indicates sampling where the consignment is not detained pending a result,

Complete with the category of substance or pathogen for which an investigation procedure is under-
taken.
in
which case the competent authority of destination must be notified by ANIMO message (see Article
8 of Directive 97/78/EC).
includes cases where the consignment has been detained
pending a favourable result, or tested because of a previous notification from the Rapid Alert System
for Food and Feed (RASFF), or tested because of a safeguard measure in operation.

‘Suspicion’

Complete where relevant for acceptability for transhipment. Use where a consignment is not to be
imported at this border inspection post but is to travel onward in another vessel or aircraft either
for importation into the EU at a second and subsequent border inspection post in the Community/
EEA, or for a third country destination. See Article 9 of Directive 97/78/EC and Commission Deci-
sion 2000/25/EC. ANIMO unit number — see Box 2.

Transit: Complete when it is acceptable to send consignments that do not conform to EU require-
ments to a third country across the EU/relevant EEA State by road, rail or waterway transport. This
must be carried out under veterinary control in accordance with the requirements of Article 11 of
Directive 97/78/EC and Commission Decision 2000/208/EC.

This box is to be used for all consignments approved for free circulation within the single market.
(It should also be used for consignments that meet EU requirements but for financial reasons are not
being customs cleared immediately at the border inspection post, but are being stored under
customs control in a customs warehouse or will be customs cleared later and/or at a geographically
separate destination.)

Boxes 33 and 34. Are to be used where consignments cannot be accepted for release for free circulation under veter-
inary rules, but are considered higher risk and are to be sent under veterinary and customs control
to one of the controlled destinations foreseen in the Directive 97/78/EC. Acceptance for free zones,
free warehouses and customs warehouses can only be granted when requirements laid down in
Article 12(4) of Directive 97/78/EC are fulfilled.

Box 33.

Box 34.

Box 35.

Box 36.

Box 37.

Box 38.

Box 39.

Box 40.

Box 41.

Box 42.

Box 43.

For use where consignments are accepted but must be channelled to a specific destination laid down
in Articles 8 or 15 of the Directive 97/78/EC.

Use for all non EU conforming consignments destined to be moved to or stored in warehouses
approved in accordance with Article 12.4 or to operators authorised under Article 13 of the Direc-
tive 97/78/EC.

Indicate clearly when import is refused, the subsequent process to be carried out. Give the date for
completion of the action proposed. The address of any transformation establishment should be
entered in Box 37. After rejection or a decision for transformation, the date for further action should
be also recorded in the ‘follow up action register.’

Reasons for refusal: for use as appropriate to add relevant information. Tick the appropriate box.
Item 7 is for hygiene failure not covered by 8, 9, including temperature control irregularities, putre-
faction, or dirty product.

Give approval number and address (or ship name and port) for all destinations where further veter-
inary control of the consignment is required ie for Boxes 33: Channelling, 34: Warehouse proce-
dure, 35: Transformation or destruction.

Use this box when the original seal recorded on a consignment is destroyed on opening the
container. A consolidated list of all seals that have been used for this purpose should be kept.

Put here the official stamp of the border inspection post or competent authority.

Signature of the veterinarian, or in case of ports handling fish only, of the designated official agent
as laid down in Commission Decision 93/352/EC.

This box to be used by the transit border inspection post of exit from the EU when consignments
are sent in transit across the EU and are checked outwards as laid down in Commission Decision
2000/208/EC.

For use by customs services to add relevant information (eg for the number of the customs T1 or
T5 certificate) where consignments remain under customs control for a period. This information is
normally added after signature by the veterinarian.

For use when the original CVED certificate must remain at any one location and further ‘daughter’
CVED certificates must be issued.