Prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs)

ACT:  Commission Regulation 650/2003/EC amending Regulation 999/2001/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the import of live ovine and caprine animals.

CONTENT:  this implementing act has been introduced following the introduction of new Community rules for the eradication of scrapies following confirmed cases in a small ruminant holding. To recall, the Commission changed the rules for intra-Community trade in breeding sheep in order to remove scrapie-related restrictions from trade in sheep of the ARR/ARR prion protein genotype. Similarly, rules for the import of live ovine and caprine animals were amended in Annexes VII, VIII and XI.

The specific purpose of this act is to amend Annex IX of Regulation 999/2001 to allow this Annex to become compatible with the new rules. More specifically speaking, Regulation 999/2001 and Chapter E of Annex IX on the “Import of ovine and caprine animals” now states that: as from 1 October 2003 the import of ovine and caprine animals into the Community will be subject to the presentation of an animal health certificate. This certificate must certify that animals were born in and continuously reared on holdings in which a case of scrapie has never been diagnosed. In the case of ovine and caprine animals for breeding they must now satisfy certain specific requirements stated elsewhere in the Annexes. Alternatively, the certificate must certify that the sheep being imported are of the ARR/ARR prion protein genotype and come from a holding where no case of scrapie has been reported in the last six months.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 1 May 2003. It applies as from 1 October 2003.