2003/559/EC: Commission Decision of 28 July 2003 amending Decision 2002/251/EC to reduce the protective measures with regard to poultrymeat and certain fishery and aquaculture products imported from Thailand (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2003) 2721)
Date: 2003-07-28
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Thailand, crustacean, health certificate, import, originating product, poultrymeat, public health, veterinary inspection

L 189/52

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

29.7.2003

COMMISSION DECISION

of 28 July 2003

amending Decision 2002/251/EC to reduce the protective measures with regard to poultrymeat
and certain fishery and aquaculture products imported from Thailand

(notified under document number C(2003) 2721)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2003/559/EC)

(4)

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

Article 2(1) of Decision 2002/251/EC is replaced by the
following:

‘1. Member States shall, using appropriate sampling
plans and detection methods, subject 20 % of consignments
of poultrymeat imported from Thailand certified from the
date of 21 September 2002, and each consignment of
shrimps and poultrymeat
imported from Thailand and
accompanied by a health certificate issued before the date
of 21 September 2002, to a chemical test in order to
ensure that the products concerned do not present a danger
to human health. This test must be carried out, in parti-
cular, with a view to detecting the presence of antimicro-
bial substances and in particular nitrofurans and their meta-
bolites.’

Article 2

This Decision shall apply from 1 August 2003.

Article 3

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 28 July 2003.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of
the
European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002
laying down the general principles and requirements of food
law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and
laying down procedures in matters of food safety (1), and in
particular Article 53(1) thereof,

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 (2), and in particular Article 22(1) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

Commission Decision 2002/251/EC of 27 March 2002
concerning certain protective measures with regard to
aquaculture
poultrymeat
certain fishery
consumption and
products
imported from Thailand (3) was adopted because of the
presence of nitrofurans in poultrymeat and shrimps
imported from Thailand.

and
intended

human

and

for

to revoke the systematic checks

This Decision has been modified by Decision 2003/477/
EC (4)
imposed to
shrimps consignments certified after 21 September
2002. This modification was based on the results of the
tests carried out by Member States and on the guarantees
provided by the Thai competent authority.

The results of the checks carried out by Member States
in poultrymeat
imported from Thailand have been
favourable. Therefore, the systematic checks imposed by
Decision 2002/251/EC on all poultrymeat consignments,
should be reduced to 20 % for those consignments certi-
fied by the Thai authority after the date of 21 September
2002 as having been submitted to a systematic pre-ship-
ment check.

(3)

Decision 2002/251/EC should therefore be amended
accordingly.

(1) OJ L 31, 1.2.2002, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 24, 30.1.1998, p. 9.
(3) OJ L 84, 28.3.2002, p. 77.
(4) OJ L 158, 27.6.2003, p. 61.