2005/217/EC: Commission Decision of 9 March 2005 establishing the animal health conditions and the veterinary certification requirements for imports into the Community of bovine embryos (notified under document number C(2005) 543) (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2005-03-09
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: cattle, embryo and foetus, health certificate, health control, health legislation, import, originating product, third country

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COMMISSION DECISION

of 9 March 2005

establishing the animal health conditions and the veterinary certification requirements for imports
into the Community of bovine embryos

(notified under document number C(2005) 543)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2005/217/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

also include lists of third countries approved to use the
veterinary certificates set out in that Decision.

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Having regard to Council Directive 89/556/EEC of 25
September 1989 on animal health conditions governing intra-
Community trade in and importation from third countries of
embryos of domestic animals of the bovine species (1), and in
particular Article 7(1) and point (b) of the first subparagraph of
Article 9 (1) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

third countries

Commission Decision 91/270/EEC of 14 May 1991
drawing up a list of
from which
Member States authorise importation of embryos of
domestic animals of the bovine species (2), provides that
Member States are only to import embryos of domestic
bovine species from the third countries listed in the
Annex to that Decision.

Directive 89/556/EEC provides for a list to be drawn up
of bovine embryo collection and production teams which
store in third
are authorised to collect, process or
countries bovine embryos destined for the Community.
Commission Decision 92/452/EEC of 30 July 1992
establishing lists of
and
embryo production teams approved in third countries
for export of bovine embryos to the Community (3),
establishes that list.

embryo collection teams

Commission Decision 92/471/EEC of 2 September 1992
concerning animal health conditions and veterinary certi-
fication for importation of bovine embryos from third
countries (4), provides
that Member States may only
authorise the importation of bovine embryos conforming
to the guarantees laid down in the animal health certi-
ficates in the Annexes to that Decision. Those Annexes

(1) OJ L 302, 19.10.1989, p. 1. Directive as last amended by Regulation

(EC) No 806/2003 (OJ L 122, 16.5.2003, p. 1).

(2) OJ L 134, 29.5.1991, p. 56. Decision as last amended by Decision

2004/52/EC (OJ L 10, 16.1.2004, p. 67).

(3) OJ L 250, 29.8.1992, p. 40. Decision as last amended by Decision

2005/29/EC (OJ L 15, 19.1.2005, p. 34).

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

Directive 89/556/EEC provides that bovine embryos are
not to be sent from one Member State to another unless
they have been conceived as a result of artificial insemi-
nation or in vitro fertilisation with semen from a donor
sire standing at a semen collection centre approved by
the competent authority for the collection, processing
and storage of
semen or by semen imported in
accordance with Council Directive 88/407/EEC of 14
June 1988 laying down the animal health requirements
applicable to intra-Community trade in and imports of
deep-frozen semen of domestic animals of the bovine
species (5).

The International Embryo Transfer Society (IETS) assessed
the risk of the transmission of certain contagious diseases
via embryos as negligible, provided that embryos are
properly handled between collection and transfer. Never-
theless,
in the interests of animal health, appropriate
upstream safeguards should be taken with regard to
semen used for fertilisation.

Community requirements for imports of bovine embryos
should be at least as strict as those applicable to intra-
Community trade in bovine embryos, in particular with
regard to semen used for fertilisation. Following the
application of new stricter requirements provided for in
Decision
by Decision
as
2004/786/EC, trade problems have been encountered.

92/471/EEC,

amended

As a result of those problems, exporters and importers
have requested a transitional period to adapt to these
new stricter requirements for bovine semen used to
fertilise oocytes
to the
Community. It is therefore appropriate to allow, for a
certain period and subject
the
importation of bovine embryos collected or produced
to this
set out
under
Decision.

to certain conditions,

the conditions

in Annex III

exports of

embryos

for

(8)

In the interests of clarity of Community legislation, it is
appropriate
repeal Decisions 91/270/EEC and
92/471/EEC and replace them by this Decision.

to

(4) OJ L 270, 15.9.1992, p. 27. Decision as last amended by Decision

(5) OJ L 194, 22.7.1988, p. 10. Directive as

last amended by

2004/786/EC (OJ L 346, 23.11.2004, p. 32).

Commission Decision 2004/101/EC (OJ L 30, 4.2.2004, p. 15).

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(9)

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

Member States shall only import embryos of domestic animals
of the bovine species (the embryos) which were collected or
produced in third countries listed in Annex I to this Decision
by approved embryo collection or production teams listed in
the Annex to Decision 92/452/EEC.

(b) the following conditions:

(i)

embryos must be
1 January 2006;

collected or produced before

(ii) embryos must only be used for

implantation into
female bovine animals resident in the Member State
of destination indicated in the veterinary certificate;

(iii) embryos must not be subject to intra-Community trade.

Article 4

Article 2

Decisions 91/270/EEC and 92/471/EEC are repealed.

Member States shall authorise the importation of embryos
complying with the additional guarantees
in the
model veterinary certificate in Annex II.

set out

Article 5

This Decision shall apply from 5 April 2005.

Article 3

Article 6

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

By way of derogation from Article 2, Member States shall
authorise until 31 December 2006 the importation from third
countries listed in Annex I of embryos complying with:

Done at Brussels, 9 March 2005.

(a)

the additional guarantees set out in the model veterinary
certificate in Annex III; and

For the Commission

Markos KYPRIANOU
Member of the Commission

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ISO code

Country

Applicable veterinary certificate

Remarks

ANNEX I

AR

AU

CA

CH

HR

IL

MK

NZ

RO

US

(*)

additional

guarantees

The
in
accordance with point 11.5.2 of the
certificate in Annex II or
III are
compulsory.

Argentina

Australia

Canada

Switzerland (**)

Croatia

Israel

Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia (*)

New Zealand

Romania

United States of America

ANNEX II

ANNEX II

ANNEX II

ANNEX II

ANNEX II

ANNEX II

ANNEX II

ANNEX II

ANNEX II

ANNEX II

ANNEX III (***)

ANNEX III (***)

ANNEX III (***)

ANNEX III (***)

ANNEX III (***)

ANNEX III (***)

ANNEX III (***)

ANNEX III (***)

ANNEX III (***)

ANNEX III (***)

Provisional code that does not affect the definitive denomination of the country to be attributed after the conclusion of the negotiations currently taking place in the
United Nations.

(**) Without prejudice to specific certification requirements provided for by any relevant Community agreement with third countries
(***) Applicable until the date indicated in Article 4 of Decision 2005/217/EC.

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ANNEX II

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ANNEX III

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