Commission Decision
of 4 May 2001
amending Decision 97/467/EC drawing up provisional lists of third country establishments from which Member States authorise imports of rabbit meat and farmed game meat, with respect to imports of ratite meat
(notified under document number C(2001) 1173)
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2001/396/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Decision 95/408/EC of 22 June 1995 on the conditions for drawing up, for an interim period, provisional lists of third country establishments from which Member States are authorised to import certain products of animal origin, fishery products or live bivalve molluscs(1), as amended by Council Decision 2001/4/EC(2), and in particular Article 2(1) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) The list of countries from which Member States are authorised to import ratite meat, the animal health conditions and veterinary certification required for import of this meat into the Community have been established in Commission Decision 2000/609/EC of 29 September 2000 laying down animal and public health conditions and veterinary certification for imports of farmed ratite meat amending Decision 94/85/EC drawing up a list of third countries from which the Member States authorise imports of fresh poultry meat(3).
(2) Commission Decision 1997/467/EC(4) as last amended by Decision 2000/691/EC(5), draws up a provisional list of establishments from which the Member States may authorise imports of rabbit meat and farmed game meat.
(3) The Annex to Decision 97/467/EC concerned rabbit meat and farmed game meat but did not include establishments producing ratite meat.
(4) However, Article 1(2a) of the aforementioned Decision authorised a possibility for Member States to continue trade on a bilateral basis until 30 April 2001.
(5) There is a need to repeal this possibility and to establish a distinct list for the meat of ratites.
(6) All third countries on the list authorised on animal health grounds for the import of ratite meat into the European Community have been contacted to ascertain whether there are any establishments in that country wishing to export to the European Community, and which fulfil the necessary Community health standards laid down in the appropriate Directives.
(7) The Commission has received from certain third countries lists of establishments with guarantees that they fully meet the appropriate Community health requirements, and that should any establishment fail to do so, its export activities to the European Community will be suspended.
(8) A provisional list of third country establishments from which Member States may authorise importation of ratite meat can thus be drawn up.
(9) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Veterinary Committee,
1. Article 1(2a) of Decision 97/467/EC is repealed.
2. The Annex to Decision 97/467/EC becomes Annex I to that Decision, and the following title is added: "List of establishments authorised for import of rabbit meat and game meat (other than ratites)".
3. The Annex to the present Decision is inserted as Annex II to Decision 97/467/EC with the following title: "List of establishments authorised for import of ratite meat".
4. Imports from the establishments listed in the Annex shall remain subject to the Community veterinary provisions adopted elsewhere.
This Decision shall apply from 1 May 2001.
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.