Directive 2004/68 - Animal health rules for the importation into and transit through the EC of certain live ungulate animals - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 139/321

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 (4) ensures a high level of animal health protection by laying down the general sanitary requirements for certain imports from third countries.

It is necessary to rationalise and update the animal health provisions concerning international trade in animals provided for in Directive 72/462/EEC due to the evolution of the international standards of the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) and the adoption by this Office of new standards, together with their implications in the framework of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and its Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.

In addition, 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 (5) replaces the requirements for meat and meat products provided for in Directive 72/462/EEC. It is therefore necessary and appropriate to lay down similar and updated animal health provisions for imports of live ungulate animals into the Community in this Directive.

In order to protect animal health, these new provisions should be extended to cover other ungulate animals that may present a similar risk of disease transmission. However, their application to such animals should be without prejudice to Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 of 9 December 1996 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein (6).

Under Council Directive 90/426/EEC of 26 June 1990 on animal health conditions governing the movement and import from third countries of equidae (7), imports into the Community of equidae are allowed only from third countries appearing on a list drawn up in accordance with Directive 72/462/EEC. The provisions for establishing lists of third countries for imports of such equidae should be included in Directive 90/426/EEC.

Scientific knowledge concerning the susceptibility and testing of certain animals to diseases changes regularly. A procedure should therefore be established so that the scope of the list of animal species and the diseases to which they are susceptible can be rapidly updated in response to such developments.

In the interests of animal welfare and consistency of Community legislation, the general requirements of Council Directive 91/628/EEC of 19 November 1991 on the protection of animals during transport (8), in particular as regards watering and feeding should be taken into account in this Directive.

In the interests of the protection of animal health and consistency of Community legislation, Council Directive 91/496/EEC of 15 July 1991 laying down the principles governing the organisation of veterinary checks on animals entering the Community from third...