Animal health requirements: bovine semen, trade and imports (amend. Directive 88/407/EEC)

PURPOSE : to present a proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 88/407/EEC laying down the animal health requirements applicable to intra-Community trade in and imports of semen of domestic animals of the bovine species. CONTENT : Council Directive 88/407/EEC lays down the animal health requirements applicable to intra-Community trade in, and imports of semen of domestic animals of the bovine species. This Directive needs to be amended. The purpose of this proposal is: - to allow the storage of semen at other premises than the Artificial Insemination centre where semen was collected. - to amend, in the light of the new scientific data available and the new provisions laid down in the Office International des Epizooties (OIE), the animal health conditions applicable to entry of bulls into AI centres, in particular concerning infectious bovine rhinothracheitis (IBR/IPV) and bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD/MD). - to simplify, at the Community level, the procedure for the agreement and listing of AI centres in third countries. These lists are frequently modified on the basis of the information sent by the competent authorities of third countries (address, name, new establishment, etc.). - to allow the Commission to amend, following the comitology procedure, the annexes of Directive 88/407/EEC as they cover technical points relating to approval of centres and conditions of admission of bulls onto centres. The proposal has no financial impact on Community budget.�