COMMISSION  DECISION
of 21 December 1984
concerning animal health conditions and veterinary certification for imports of fresh meat from Uruguay
(85/96/EEC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
Having regard to Council Directive 72/462/EEC of 12 December 1972 on health and veterinary inspection problems upon importation of bovine animals and swine and fresh meat from third countries (1), as last amended by Directive 83/91/EEC (2), and in particular Articles 16, 18 (2), 19 (a) and 28 thereof,
Whereas animal health conditions and veterinary certification requirements for imports of fresh meat from Uruguay have been established by Commission Decision 78/695/EEC (3), as last amended by Decision 84/354/EEC (4), in parallel with the Decisions relating to Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, particularly as regards foot-and-mouth disease;
Whereas up to now and by way of derogation from Article 1 (2) of Decision 78/695/EEC, the system under which masseter muscles have been imported from Uruguay has been a temporary one permitted by Commission Decision 79/277/EEC (5), as last amended by Decision 84/26/EEC (6); whereas, now, Directive 72/462/EEC authorizes Member States to allow imports into their territory of whole masseter muscles;
Whereas there should therefore be a single Decision covering animal health conditions and veterinary certification requirements for imports of fresh meat, including masseter muscles, from Uruguay and the Decision in force should be replaced by a new Decision;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Veterinary Committee,
1. Member States shall authorize the importation of fresh meat from Uruguay as follows:
(a) de-boned fresh meat of bovine animals, sheep and goats, excluding offal, from which have been removed the major accessible lymphatic glands, which present the guarantees laid down in the accompanying animal health certificate corresponding with the specimen given in Annex A;
(b) fresh meat of domestic solipeds which present the guarantees laid down in the accompanying animal health certificate corresponding with the specimen given in Annex B;
(c) the following offal of bovine animals:
- completely trimmed hearts,
- completely trimmed livers,
- completely trimmed tongues without bone, cartilage or tonsils,
which present the guarantees laid down in the accompanying animal health certificate corresponding with the specimen given in Annex C.
2. Member States may authorize the importation of completely trimmed whole masseter muscles of bovine animals from Uruguay into their territory under Article 18 (2) of Directive 72/462/EEC which present the guarantees laid down in the accompanying animal health certificate corresponding with the specimen given in Annex C.
3. Member States shall prohibit the import of categories of fresh meat from Uruguay other than those referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2.
1. By way of derogation from Article 1 (3), Member States may also authorize the importation of trimmed lungs of bovine animals which present the guarantees laid down in the accompanying animal health certificate corresponding with the specimen given in Annex C and which are to be used exclusively in the manufacture of pet food.
2. The authorization referred to in paragraph 1 shall be given only to a processing establishment approved by the national authorities and under continuous veterinary supervision and on condition that a guarantee is provided that the raw material will be used only for the specified purpose without risk of contact with any product which remains unsterilized, and that it will not leave the establishment in its original state, except in case of necessity where it is officially consigned to an animal carcase destruction plant under the control of an official veterinarian. In addition the following minimum conditions shall be met:
(a) before arrival in Community territory the raw material shall be enclosed in leak-proof containers which shall bear the mark 'Use restricted to the manufacture of pet food'. The accompanying documents shall be endorsed 'Use restricted to the manufacture of pet food', together with the name and address of the consignee;
(b) the raw material shall be transported from the point of arrival in Community territory in vehicles or containers or other means of transport which are leak-proof, duly sealed, to the processing establishment approved by the national authorities and under continuous veterinary supervision.
However, in case of necessity, the raw material may be consigned temporarily to an approved cold store which is under continuous veterinary supervision provided the above conditions are met;
(c) on arrival in the territory of the Member State of destination and before dispatch of the raw material to the approved processing establishment, notification of intending dispatch shall be made as quickly as possible to the local official veterinarian;
(d) the raw material, during manufacture, shall be sterilized in tins in such a way as to achieve a minimum Fc value of 3 and a veterinary inspection shall be made to ensure that the finished product has actually achieved that value;
(e) the vehicles and containers or any other means of transport referred to in (b) and all equipment and utensils which come into contact with the raw material before sterilization shall be cleansed and disinfected and packagings shall be destroyed in an incinerator.
3. The authorization referred to in paragraph 1 shall be notified to the competent authorities of Member States through which the raw material will pass.
While continuing to prohibit routine vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease in their territories, Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom may, in respect of the de-boned fresh meat of bovine animals, sheep and goats referred to under Article 1 (1) (a) and of the offal referred to in Article 1 (1) (c), retain the regime which they were applying to the importation of this fresh meat prior to the date of application of this Decision.
This Decision shall not apply to imports of glands and organs authorized by the country of destination for pharmaceutical manufacturing purposes.
This Decision shall apply from 1 January 1985. However, the certificates currently used, amended if necessary in accordance with the provisions of this Decision, may be used until 31 March 1985.
This Decision shall be reviewed in the light of the evolution of foot-and-mouth disease in the Community and of the measures taken to combat this disease. Article 7
Decision 78/695/EEC is hereby repealed.
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.