International trade: Customer Information Notes - API 08/104
Blood products derived from animals treated with substances prohibited under directive 96/22 - Imports from third countries
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Background
1.1. Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1774/2002 lays down the health rules for intra Community trade and imports from third countries of animal by products, including blood products for the manufacture of technical products.
1.2 This Regulation has been amended recently by Commission Regulation (EC) No. 523/2008 which was published in the EU’s Official Journal on 12 June. It came into force on 15 June, however, a transitional period applies for consignments certified under existing rules until 12 December provided that they are presented at the Border Inspection Post by 12 February 2009.
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Changes to Regulation (EC) 1774/2002
2.1. Regulation 523/2008 amends Regulation 1774/2002 to set out specific rules permitting imports of certain blood products to be used for the manufacture of technical products. The requirements for imports of raw blood which are set out in Chapter XI of EC Regulation 1774/2002 remain unchanged. The requirements for serum of equidae are covered by Chapter V of Annex VIII of Regulation 1774/2002. However, Regulation 523/2008 excludes other types of blood products of equidae from Chapter IV of Regulation 1774/2002. There are currently no rules for imports of these types of products.
2.2 EC Regulation 523/2008 allows imports of blood products derived from animals treated with substances, such as hormones, prohibited under Directive 96/22/EC provided that they:
a) Come from third countries that appear on the list in Part VI (A) of Annex XI of EC Regulation 1774/2002.
b) Come from a technical plant approved by the competent authority in the third country in accordance with Article 18 of Regulation 1774/2002, or from an approved technical plant via a storage plant approved by the competent authority in the third country in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation 1774/2002.
c) Are accompanied by a health certificate in accordance with the model in Chapter 4(C) or 4(D) of Annex X of Regulation 1774/2002.
2.3 Imports of blood products referred to in paragraph 2.2 derived from animals belonging to the taxa Artiodactyla, Perrisodactyla and Proboscidea (including their cross-breeds), suidae, Tayassuidae, poultry and other avian species must comply with specific health requirements set out in the Annex to Regulation 523/2008. This Annex replaces Annex VIII, Chapter IV of Regulation 1774/2002.
2.4 Regulation 523/2008 also sets out two new model certificates (replacing the existing certificate in Annex X, Chapter 4) which contain the specific health requirements for the animals and separates the blood products as ‘untreated’ (Model Chapter 4 C) and ‘treated’ (Model Chapter 4 D).
2.5 The country lists, referred to in paragraph 2.2a above, have been revised and are divided under the headings ‘treated blood products’ and ‘untreated blood products’.
3. The Importer Information Notes relating to imports of blood products will be updated shortly.
Contact point for enquiries
Please contact your local Animal Health Office.
Issued by: International Animal Health
Page published: 25 July, 2008