2004/292/EC: Commission Decision of 30 March 2004 on the introduction of the Traces system and amending Decision 92/486/EEC (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2004) 1282)
Date: 2004-03-30
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: animal product, computer system, health certificate, import (EU), information highway, intra-EU trade, live animal, veterinary inspection

31.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 94/63

COMMISSION DECISION

of 30 March 2004

on the introduction of the Traces system and amending Decision 92/486/EEC

(notified under document number C(2004) 1282)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2004/292/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June
1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field (1), and in particular
Articles 37 and 37a thereof,

Having regard to Council Directive 90/425/EEC of 26 June
1990 concerning veterinary and zootechnical checks applicable
in intra-Community trade in certain live animals and products
with a view to the completion of the internal market (2), and in
particular Article 20(3) thereof,

Having regard to Council Decision 92/438/EEC of 13 July
1992 on computerisation of veterinary import procedures
(Shift project), amending Directives 90/675/EEC, 91/496/EEC,
91/628/EEC and Decision 90/424/EEC, and repealing Decision
88/192/EEC (3), and in particular Article 12 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

Commission Decision 91/398 of 19 July 1991 on a
computerised network linking veterinary authorities
(Animo) (4) defines the principles governing the commu-
nications network linking the veterinary units listed in
Decision 2002/459/EC (5).

Commission Decision 2003/24/EC (6) lays down that the
Traces computer system integrating the functions of the
Animo and Shift systems into a single architecture is to
be developed.

(1) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 19. Decision as last amended by Decision

2001/572/EC (OJ L 203, 28.7.2001, p. 16).

(2) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 29. Directive as last amended by Directive
2002/33/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L
315, 19.11.2002, p. 14).

(3) OJ L 243, 25.08.1992, p. 27. Decision as last amended by Decision

95/1/EC (OJ L 1, 1.1.1995, p. 113).

(4) OJ L 221, 9.8.1991, p. 30.
(5) OJ L 159, 17.6.2002, p. 27. Decision as last amended by Decision

2003/831/EEC (OJ L 313, 28.11.2003, p. 61).

(6) OJ L 8, 14.1.2003, p. 44.

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

Commission Decision 92/486/EEC of 25 September
1992 establishing the form of cooperation between the
Animo host centre and Member States (7) lays down that
the contracts between Member States and the Animo
host centre are to lapse on 31 March 2004. That date
should therefore serve as the starting point for Traces to
avoid the need for contracts to be renewed.

Some Member States are not able to use Traces from the
date set by the Commission, i.e. 1 April 2004, as they
are not yet ready to make the switch from Animo to
Traces. Provision should therefore be made for a transi-
tion period to allow those Member States to complete
their migration to Traces.

Decision 92/486/EEC should be amended to enable
contracts between those Member States availing them-
selves of a transition period and the Animo host centre
to be renewed.

The contracts between the Animo host centre and the
border inspection posts located in Germany, Austria and
Italy listed in Annex II to Commission Regulation (EC)
No 282/2004 of 18 February 2004 introducing a docu-
ment for the declaration of, and veterinary checks on,
animals from third countries entering the Community (8)
will have to be adapted to take account of the scheduled
in
inspection posts
those border
disappearance of
connection with the accession of new Member States.

To enable the first group of Member States migrating to
Traces to adjust to it, the functions of the new system
should be introduced in stages, while ensuring that as
soon as it is introduced the level of information is the
same as that achieved by the Animo system.

for products,

All the information contained in the common veterinary
entry documents provided for in Commission Regulation
(EC) No 136/2004 (9)
in the common
veterinary entry documents provided for in Regulation
(EC) No 282/2004 for animals and in the certificates for
intra-Community trade as harmonised by Commission
Regulation (EC) No 599/2004 (10) must be transmitted
via the Traces system.

(7) OJ L 291, 7.10.1992, p. 20. Decision as amended by Decision

2003/236/EC (OJ L 87, 4.4.2003, p. 12).

(8) OJ L 49, 19.2.2004, p. 11.
(9) OJ L 21, 28.1.2004, p. 11.
(10) See page 44 of this Official Journal.

L 94/64

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

31.3.2004

(9)

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

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

For the purposes of this Decision the following definitions shall
apply:

(a) ‘Animo’:

the computerised network linking veterinary

authorities, provided for in Decision 91/398/EEC;

(b) 31 December 2004 for those Member States availing them-

selves of the derogation provided for in Article 5.

Article 5

By way of derogation from Article 2, Member States which so
wish may introduce Traces no later than 31 December 2004.
In that case they must extend their contracts with the Animo
host centre. They must also authorise the Animo host centre to
provide the Commission with a copy of all the messages they
send.

Article 6

(b) ‘Traces’:

the integrated computerised veterinary system

provided for in Decision 2003/24/EC.

In Article 2a of Decision 92/486/EC the following paragraph 8
is added:

Article 2

Member States shall use the Traces system from 1 April 2004
and shall cease entering messages in the Animo system from
that date.

Article 3

1. Member States shall ensure that the following data is
entered in Traces from 1 April 2004:

(a) Part I of certificates relating to intra-Community trade in
animals and products of animal origin for which the rules
require prior notification;

(b) The common veterinary entry documents for animals
entering a Member State and destined for another Member
State, and

(c) The common veterinary entry documents for products in
transit within the Community and for products admitted
under the procedures referred to in Articles 8, 12(4) and
13 of Directive 97/78/EC.

2. Member States shall ensure that the following data is
entered in Traces from 31 December 2004:

(a) Parts I and II of health certificates relating to trade and Part

III where a check is undertaken;

(b) Common veterinary entry documents

for all animals

entering the Community, and

(c) Common veterinary entry documents for all products
entering the Community whatever the customs arrange-
ments to which they are subject.

The coordinating authorities in those Member States
‘8.
availing themselves of
the derogation provided for in
Article 5 of Decision 2004/292/EC (*) shall ensure that the
this Decision are
contracts referred to in Article 1 of
extended for
the period from 1 April 2004 to 31
December 2004 except in the case of those border inspec-
tion posts listed in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 282/
2004 for which the period shall be from 1 April 2004 to
30 April 2004.

In connection with this paragraph the following charges
shall apply:

— EUR 290 per unit
inspection post).

(central unit,

local unit, border

— EUR 32 per border inspection post listed in Annex II

to Regulation (EC) No 282/2004.

(*) OJ L 94, 31.3.2004, p. 63.’

Article 7

The Commission shall develop an IT application for recovering
messages sent by Member States participating in the Animo
system and integrating them into the Traces system.

For such development and the Commission's participation in
the Animo system the Commission shall be allocated an
amount of EUR 48 000.

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 8

Article 4

Done at Brussels, 30 March 2004.

In Community legislation any reference to Animo shall be
construed as a reference to Traces with effect from:

(a) 1 April 2004 for those Member States not availing them-

selves of the derogation provided for in Article 5;

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission