2005/60/EC:#Commission Decision of 20 January 2005 amending Commission Decision 2003/881/EC concerning the animal health and certification conditions for importation of bees (Apis mellifera & Bombus spp.) from certain third countries as regards the United States of America (notified under document number C(2004) 5567)Text with EEA relevance
Date: 2005-01-20
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: United States, animal disease, apiculture, health certificate, import

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II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 20 January 2005

amending Commission Decision 2003/881/EC concerning the animal health and certification
conditions for importation of bees (Apis mellifera & Bombus spp.) from certain third countries as
regards the United States of America

(notified under document number C(2004) 5567)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2005/60/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

(3)

Having regard to Council Directive 92/65/EEC (1) of 13 July
1992 laying down animal health requirements governing
trade in and imports into the Community of animals, semen,
ova and embryos not subject to animal health requirements laid
down in specific Community rules referred to in Annex A (I) to
Directive 90/425/EEC, and in particular Article 17(2) (b) and (3)
(a), and Article 19(b) thereof,

protection measures on importation of live bees have
been laid down by Decision 2003/881/EC.

Given the characteristics of
these diseases and the
absence of an OIE. compulsory notification standard
live queen
for them, the importation requirements of
bees into the EU provide for a declaration of notifiablity
of the small hive beetle and Tropilaelaps mite throughout
the territory of the exporting third country. The USA
competent authority (APHIS-Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service) has
informed the Commission
services that this is not the case in all the USA States.
For this reason, they asked the Commission to provide a
derogation authorising the exportation of live queen bees
from Hawaii, that is geographically separated from all the
other States of the Union, and where the diseases are
notifiable.

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

Commission Decision 2003/881/EC (2)
lays down the
animal health and certification conditions for imports
of bees (Apis mellifera & Bombus spp.)
from certain
third countries.

The small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) and Tropilaelaps
mite (Tropilaelaps spp.) are exotic pests affecting honey
bees that have spread to a number of third countries,
creating serious problems to the apiculture industry. To
these pests into the EU,
prevent

the introduction of

(1) OJ L 268, 14.9.1992, p. 54. Directive as last amended by Directive
2004/68/EC (OJ L 139, 30.4.2004, p. 320; corrected in OJ L 226,
25.6.2004, p. 128).

(2) OJ L 328, 17.12.2003, p. 26.

(4)

(5)

regards

The USA competent authority has transmitted all the
necessary information as
the animal health
situation of bees in Hawaii, highlighting that no bees
have been imported into their territory since 1985 and
survey programs for detection of bee diseases including
the small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) and Tropilaelaps
mite (Tropilaelaps spp.) are carried out routinely.

Taking account of the particular geographical situation of
Hawaii and its health status as regards bee diseases, a
regionalisation mechanism for isolated territories should
be established allowing for appropriate derogations, and
such a derogation should be granted to Hawaii in order
to allow the importation of
live queen bees and live
queen bumble bees exclusively from that part of the
USA.

(6)

Article 1 and the Annexes to Commission Decision
2003/881/EC should be amended accordingly.

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(7)

The measures provided for
accordance with
Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

in this Decision are in
Standing
the

opinion

the

of

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Commission Decision 2003/881/EC is amended as follows:

1. Article 1 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 1

1. Member States shall authorise the importation of bees
(Apis mellifera & Bombus spp.) as foreseen by Directive
92/65/EEC provided
are
complied with:

requirements

following

the

By way of derogation, imports of bees shall be authorised
from a geographically and epidemiologically isolated part of
a third country listed in part 2 of Annex III. When such a
derogation is applied, imports of bees from all other parts of
the territory of that third country not listed in part 2 of
Annex III shall be automatically excluded.

3.
At the designated destination, where the hives shall be
put under official control, the queens shall be transferred to
new cages before being introduced to local colonies.

4.
The cages, attendants, and other material that accom-
panied the queens from the third country of origin shall be
sent to a laboratory for examination for the presence of the
small hive beetle, their eggs or larvae and signs of the Tropi-
laelaps mite. After laboratory examination, all material shall
be destroyed.’

— they come from third countries or parts thereof listed in

part 1 of Annex III,

2. Annex I is replaced by Annex I to this Decision.

3. Annex II to this Decision is inserted as a new Annex III.

— they

are

accompanied by

in
accordance with the specimen set out in Annex I and
comply with the guarantees laid down in this specimen,
and

a health certificate

— the consignments are limited to a maximum of 20
to one queen bee in one

accompanying attendants
single queen bee cage.

2. Member States shall only authorise the importation of
bees (Apis mellifera & Bombus spp.) referred to in paragraph 1
from a third country if the presence of American foulbrood,
the small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) and the Tropilaelaps
mite
diseases/pests
are
throughout the whole territory of that third country.

(Tropilaelaps

notifiable

spp.)

Article 2

This Decision shall apply from 7 February 2005.

Article 3

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 20 January 2005.

For the Commission

Markos KYPRIANOU
Member of the Commission

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ANNEX I

‘ANNEX I

Specimen Health Certificate for queen bees and queen bumble bees (Apis mellifera & Bombus spp.), and their
attendants, intended for consignment to the European Community

Note for the importer: This certificate is for veterinary purposes only and must accompany the consignment until it reaches the border
inspection post.

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ANNEX II

«ANNEX III

Part 1:

Part 2:

List of third countries authorised in principle as fulfilling basic animal health conditions for the export of
queen bees to the EC:
— countries listed in Part 1 of Annex II to Council Decision 79/542/EEC (as last amended).

Regions of a third country geographically and epidemiologically isolated for American foulbrood, small hive
beetle and Tropilaelaps mite, and fulfilling these diseases/pests notification requirements, allowed for exports of
queen bees to the EC.
— the State of Hawaii (USA.).»