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Fishery products, live bivalve molluscs and by-products thereof: rules for imports from Greenland

2010/0097(CNS)

PURPOSE: to lay down rules regarding imports into the EU from Greenland of fishery products, live bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates, marine gastropods and by-products thereof.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision 2011/408/EU laying down simplified rules and procedures on sanitary controls of fishery products, live bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates, marine gastropods, by-products thereof and products derived from these by-products coming from Greenland.

CONTENT: the Council adopted a decision laying down simplified rules and procedures on sanitary controls of fishery products, live bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates, marine gastropods, by- products thereof and products derived from these by-products coming from Greenland or introduced into Greenland from third countries and thereafter imported from Greenland into the Union.

With a view of an arrangement between Greenland and the EU on sanitary controls on several fishery and seafood products which would facilitate trade in these commodities from Greenland, this country has to transpose EU sanitary and, where appropriate, animal health rules on these products

As Greenland is one of the overseas countries and territories (OCT) of the EU, the strengthening of the relationship and the cooperation between this country and the EU implied by this arrangement involves the EU, on the one hand, and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark on the other.

The Decision stipulates that Member States shall not apply the veterinary checks applicable on products covered by this Decision. The products coming from Greenland shall be placed on the internal market under the sanitary rules applicable within the Union, provided that Denmark and Greenland ensure, in particular, the full respect of the following conditions:

(a) the effective transposition and implementation in Greenland of the applicable rules laid down in legal acts of the Union concerning animal health and food safety, relating to the products;

(b) the drawing-up and keeping up to date by the competent authorities in Denmark and Greenland of a list of feed and food business operators which have been registered in accordance with Article 31 of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004;

(c) the conformity of consignments of products dispatched to the Union from Greenland with the applicable rules laid down in legal acts of the Union concerning animal health and food safety.

The Decision also lays down rules concerning:

  • monitoring plans for aquaculture animals;
  • checks on products introduced into Greenland from third countries;
  • general rules concerning sanitary controls of the products between the Union and Greenland;
  • information system of data on movements of, and trade in the products to and from Greenland;
  • identification mark: cconsignments of the products dispatched to the Union from Greenland shall be marked with the identification mark for Greenland, ‘GL’.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 01.08.2011. It shall apply from the date of listing in Commission Decision 2009/821/EC of the first border inspection post in Greenland. Denmark and Greenland shall provide written confirmation to the Commission that the necessary measures for the application of this Decision have been taken.