Commission Decision of 25 June 2004 amending Annex II to Council Decision 79/542/EEC as regards the list of third countries from which the Member States authorise imports of fresh meat (notified under document number C(2004) 1954) (Text with EEA relevance) (2004/542/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 72/462/EEC of 12 December 1972 on health and veterinary inspection problems upon importation of bovine, ovine and caprine animals and swine, fresh meat or meat products from third countries(1), and in particular, Article 14(3)(c) and (d) and Article 15 thereof,

Having regard to Council Directive 2002/99/EC of 16 December 2002 laying down the animal health rules governing the production, processing, distribution and introduction of products of animal origin for human consumption(2), and in particular Article 8(1) and (4) thereof,

Whereas

(1) Council Decision 79/542/EEC of 21 December 1979 drawing up a list of third countries or parts of third countries, and laying down animal and public health and veterinary certification conditions, for importation into the Community of certain live animals and their fresh meat(3), has been recently amended by Commission Decision 2004/212/EC(4). Pursuant to this amendment, new models of health certificates will come into force on 1 May 2004 .

(2) Commission Decision 93/402/EEC of 10 June 1993 concerning animal health conditions and veterinary certificate for imports of fresh meat from South American countries(5), still applies to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay and Uruguay and has recently been amended by Decision 2003/758/EC(6), which modified the regionalisation of Argentina; this Decision will be repealed on the 1 May 2004 by Decision 2004/212/EC.

(3) Commission Decision 1999/283/EC of 12 April 1999 concerning animal health conditions and veterinary certificate for imports of fresh meat from certain African countries(7), has recently been amended by Decision 2003/571/EC(8), which modified the regionalisation of Swaziland; this Decision will be repealed on the 1 May 2004 by Decision 2004/212/EC.

(4) Commission Decision 2000/585/EC of 7 September 2000 drawing up a list of third countries from which Member States authorise imports of rabbit meat and certain wild and farmed game meat, and laying down the animal and public health and the veterinary certification conditions for such imports(9), has recently been amended by Decision 2004/245/EC(10), which authorised Iceland for export of farmed and wild game meat of cloven-hoofed animals excluding swine.

(5) Therefore Decision 79/542/EEC must be updated to take into account the regionalisation and certification requirements concerning Argentina as laid down in Decision 2003/758/EC, concerning Swaziland as laid down in Decision 2003/571/EC and concerning Iceland as laid down in Decision 2004/245/EC.

(6) ISO codes relating to some third countries listed in part 1 of Annex II to Decision 79/542/EEC should be updated.

(7) It should be clarified that the use of the model certificates laid down in Decision 79/542/EEC is required without prejudice to specific certification requirements based on Community agreements with third countries.

(8) Part 1 of Annex II to Decision 79/542/EEC should be amended accordingly.

(9) 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

Part 1 of Annex II to Decision 79/542/EC is replaced by the Annex to this Decision.

Article 2

This Decision shall apply from 1 May 2004 .

Article 3

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 25 June 2004 .

For the Commission

David Byrne

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 302, 31.12.1972 p. 28. Directive as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 807/2003 (OJ L 122, 16.5.2003, p. 36).

(2) OJ L 18, 23.1.2003, p. 11.

(3) OJ L 146, 14.6.1979, p. 15. Decision as last amended by Decision 2004/372/EC (OJ L 118, 23.4.2004, p. 45).

(4) OJ L 73, 11.3.2004, p. 11.

(5) OJ L 179, 22.7.1993, p. 11.

(6) OJ L 272, 23.10.2003, p. 16.

(7) OJ L 110, 28.4.1999, p. 16.

(8) OJ L 194, 1.8.2003, p. 79.

(9) OJ L 251, 6.10.2000, p. 1.

(10) OJ L 77, 13.3.2004, p. 62.

ANNEX

«» .

ANNEX II (FRESH MEAT)

PART 1

>TABLE>

Specific conditions referred to in column 6

«1» : Geographic and timing restrictions

>TABLE>

«2» : Category restrictions:

No offal authorised (except bovine diaphragm and masseter muscles).