L_2006011EN.01002101.xml

COMMISSION DECISION

of 5 January 2006

amending Annex B to Council Directive 88/407/EEC and Annex II to Decision 2004/639/EC as regards import conditions for semen of domestic animals of the bovine species

(notified under document number C(2005) 5840)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2006/16/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 88/407/EEC of 14 June 1988 laying down the animal health requirements applicable to intra-Community trade in and imports of semen of domestic animals of the bovine species (1), and in particular the first subparagraph of Article 10(2), Article 11(2) and the second paragraph of Article 17 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)	Council Directive 2003/43/EC (2) amended Directive 88/407/EEC, which made it necessary to recast Commission Decisions relating to the animal health conditions for imports into the Community of semen of domestic animals of the bovine species.

(2)	The Commission therefore adopted Decision 2004/639/EC of 6 September 2004 laying down the importation conditions of semen of domestic animals of the bovine species (3), which brought together the rules on imports of semen of domestic animals of the bovine species within a single act.

(3)	However, problems have arisen with imports of bovine semen from third countries owing to missing or incorrect information in Annex B to Directive 88/407/EEC and in Annex II to Decision 2004/639/EC, which should therefore be amended accordingly.

(4)

In order to enable economic operators to adapt to the new conditions set out in this Decision, it is appropriate to provide for a transitional period in which under certain conditions semen of domestic animals of the bovine species complying with the conditions set out in the model veterinary certificate applicable before the date of application of this Decision may be imported into the Community.

(5)	The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Annex B to Directive 88/407/EEC is amended in accordance with Annex I to this Decision.

Article 2

Annex II to Decision 2004/639/EC is replaced by Annex II to this Decision.

Article 3

For a transitional period ending 31 March 2006, Member States shall authorise the importation of semen of domestic animals of the bovine species provided that such semen:

(a)	complies with the conditions set out in the model veterinary certificate in Annex II to Decision 2004/639/EC that was applicable before the date of application of the present Decision; and

(b)	is accompanied by such a certificate duly completed.

Article 4

This Decision shall apply from 1 January 2006.

Article 5

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 5 January 2006.

For the Commission

Markos KYPRIANOU

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 194, 22.7.1988, p. 10. Directive as last amended by Commission Decision 2004/101/EC (OJ L 30, 4.2.2004, p. 15).

(2) OJ L 143, 11.6.2003, p. 23.

(3) OJ L 292, 15.9.2004, p. 21. Decision as amended by Decision 2005/290/EC (OJ L 93, 12.4.2005, p. 34).

ANNEX II

‘ANNEX II

Model veterinary certificates for imports

PART 1

SEMEN OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS OF THE BOVINE SPECIES FOR IMPORT, COLLECTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 88/407/EEC AS AMENDED BY DIRECTIVE 2003/43/EC

The following model certificate is applicable to imports of semen collected in accordance with Council Directive 88/407/EEC, as amended by Directive 2003/43/EC.

Text of image

Text of image

COUNTRY Domestic bovine semen

II. Health information

II.a. Certificate reference number

II.b. Local reference number

I, the undersigned, official veterinarian, hereby certify that:

1.1.

(Name of exporting country) (3)

was free from rinderpest and foot-and-mouth disease during the 12 months immediately prior to collection of the semen for export and up until its date of dispatch and no vaccination against these diseases took place during that period;

1.2. The centre at which the semen to be exported was collected or stored:

1.2.1. meets the conditions laid down in Chapter I of Annex A to Directive 88/407/EEC;

1.2.2. is operated and supervised in accordance with the conditions laid down in Chapter II of Annex A to Directive 88/407/EEC;

1.3. The centre at which the semen to be exported was collected was free from rabies, tuberculosis, brucellosis, anthrax and contagious bovine pleuropneumonia during the 30 days prior to the date of collection of the semen to be exported and the 30 days after collection (in the case of fresh semen, until the day of dispatch);

1.4. The bovine animals standing at the semen collection centre:

1.4.1. come from herds and/or were born to dams which satisfy the conditions in paragraph 1(b) and (c) of Chapter I of Annex B to Directive 88/407/EEC;

1.4.2. underwent the tests required in accordance with paragraph 1(d) of Chapter I of Annex B to Directive 88/407/EEC in the 28 days preceding the quarantine isolation period;

1.4.3. have satisfied the quarantine isolation period and testing requirements laid down in paragraph 1(e) of Chapter I of Annex B to Directive 88/407/EEC;

1.4.4. have undergone at least once a year the routine tests referred to in Chapter II of Annex B to Directive 88/407/EEC;

1.5. The semen to be exported was obtained from donor bulls which:

1.5.1. satisfy the conditions laid down in Annex C to Directive 88/407/EEC;

1.5.2. either were resident in the exporting country during the six months immediately prior to collection of the semen for export (1);

were imported from (3) after spending less than six months in the exporting country and at the time of import satisfied the animal health conditions applying to donors the semen of which is intended for export to the Community (1);

1.5.3. fulfil the import conditions for bovine semen laid down in the Bluetongue Chapter of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the OIE, depending on the status of the country or zone of residence; ****

1.5.4. were resident in the country of export in which the following serotypes of epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) exist: ; and tested negative on two occasions not more than 12 months apart to an agar-gel immuno-diffusion test (4) and to a virus neutralisation test for all above-listed serotypes of EHD, carried out in an approved laboratory on samples of blood taken prior to and not less than 21 days following collection of the semen; ***

Part II: Certification