2003/541/EC: Commission Decision of 17 July 2003 amending Decisions 92/260/EEC, 93/197/EEC and 97/10/EC as regards the temporary admission and imports into the European Union of registered horses from South Africa (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2003) 1212)
Date: 2003-07-17
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: South Africa, equidae, health certificate, health control, import (EU), originating product, temporary admission

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COMMISSION DECISION

of 17 July 2003

amending Decisions 92/260/EEC, 93/197/EEC and 97/10/EC as regards the temporary admission
and imports into the European Union of registered horses from South Africa

(notified under document number C(2003) 1212)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2003/541/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 90/426/EEC of 26 June
1990 on animal health conditions governing the movement
and imports from third countries of equidae (1), as last amended
by Commission Decision 2002/160/EC (2), and in particular
Article 12(2), Article 13(2), Articles 14, 15, 16 and Article
19(i) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Commission Decision 92/260/EEC (3), as last amended
by Decision 2002/635/EC (4),
lays down the animal
health conditions
certification for
temporary admission of registered horses.

and veterinary

Commission Decision 93/197/EEC (5), as last amended
by Decision 2002/841/EC (6),
lays down the animal
health conditions and veterinary certification for imports
of registered equidae and equidae for breeding and
production.

to Commission Decision 97/10/EC of 12
Annex I
December 1996 amending Council Decision 79/542/
EEC and Commission Decisions 92/160/EEC, 92/260/
EEC and 93/197/EEC in relation to the temporary admis-
sion and imports into the Community of registered
horses from South Africa (7), as last amended by Deci-
sion 2001/622/EC (8), provides for additional guarantees
which apply to the regionalisation of South Africa for
imports of registered horses into the European Union.

Those additional guarantees require a specific period of
residence of registered horses within the African horse
sickness-free zone and lay down conditions under which
the registered horses intended for transport by air to the
European Union must be transported to the airport situ-
ated in the surveillance zone under vector-protected
conditions.

(1) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 42.
(2) OJ L 53, 23.2.2002, p. 37.
(3) OJ L 130, 15.5.1992, p. 67.
(4) OJ L 206, 3.8.2002, p. 20.
(5) OJ L 86, 6.4.1993, p. 16.
(6) OJ L 287, 25.10.2002, p. 42.
(7) OJ L 3, 7.1.1997, p. 9.
(8) OJ L 216, 10.8.2001, p. 26.

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

required isolation in an
Taking into account
the
it
approved and vector-protected quarantine station,
appears justified to require the same minimum residence
period in the African horse sickness-free zone for regis-
tered horses temporarily admitted and imported into the
European Union.

Due to changes in the schedules of airlines, the transport
of registered horses in standard cargo aircraft appears to
be impossible, leaving the transport of registered horses
by sea the only realistic alternative.

It is necessary to lay down the conditions under which
registered horses may be transported without compro-
mising the health status of those animals during the
journey by sea from the port of Cape Town situated in
the free zone to a harbour in the European Union
approved as border inspection post in accordance with
Council Directive 91/496/EEC of 15 July 1991 laying
down the principles governing the organisation of veter-
inary checks on animals entering the Community from
third countries and amending Directives 89/662/EEC,
90/425/EEC and 90/675/EEC (9), as last amended by
Directive 96/43/EC (10).

Decisions 92/260/EEC, 93/197/EEC and 97/10/EC
should 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,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

In Annex II to Decision 92/260/EEC the animal health certifi-
cate F is replaced by the text in Annex I to this Decision.

(9) OJ L 268, 24.9.1991, p. 56.
(10) OJ L 162, 1.7.1996, p. 1.

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Article 2

Article 4

In Annex II to Decision 93/197/EEC the animal health certifi-
cate F is replaced by the text in Annex II to this Decision.

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 3

Done at Brussels, 17 July 2003.

Decision 97/10/EC is amended as follows:

1. Annex I is amended in accordance with Annex III to this

Decision.

2. The text in Annex IV to this Decision is added as Annex IV.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

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ANNEX I

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ANNEX II

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Annex I to Decision 97/10/EC is amended as follows:

1. Point 7.1 is replaced by the following:

ANNEX III

‘7.1. Registered horses intended for permanent imports into the European Union must have been resident in the
country of dispatch for at least 90 days, or since birth, if they are less than 90 days old, or since entry, if they
are imported directly from the European Union during the 90 days prior to certification for export to the
European Union and they must have remained in the free area for at least 60 days or since birth, if they are less
than 60 days old, or since entry, if they are imported directly into the free area from the European Union
during the 60 days prior to certification for export to the European Union.’

2. Point 11 is replaced by the following:

‘11.

If registered horses are transported by air, the transport of the horses from the quarantine station into the
aircraft is performed under vector-protected conditions and these conditions are maintained throughout the
journey.’

3. The following point 12 is added:

‘12.

If registered horses are transported by sea, then the following conditions shall apply:
Vessels transporting registered horses from the port of Cape Town to a port in the European Union approved
in accordance with Council Directive 91/496/EEC as a border inspection post for veterinary checks on regis-
tered horses, shall at no time between departure and arrival at destination call into a port situated on the terri-
tory or part of the territory of a third country not approved for imports into the European Union of equidae.
The master of the vessel shall provide proof of compliance with these conditions by completing the declaration
included in Annex IV.’

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ANNEX IV

‘ANNEX IV