Health & Consumers Directorate General EU Veterinary Import Controls Pakistan 23 November 2011

EU Veterinary Import Controls DG SANCO European Commission Directorate General for Health & Consumers Unit G6 – Multilateral International Relations – EU Border Veterinary Import Controls Section Head of Unit: Ella Strickland Lead Officials: Patricia Langhammer & Michael Glavin

EU Veterinary Import Controls The EU is currently the biggest importer of food in the world Intra-Community trade = a single market: only possible with a high level of safety uniformly applied to both public and animal health requirements respected during production in the EU and in the importing third countries

EU Veterinary Import Controls To ensure and assist safety for the single market, a legislative framework has been developed EU Directives and Regulations are binding on all 27 Member States from the date of their adoption and subsequent implementation EU legislation covers production of animal products and animals including animal and public health import requirements and import controls

EU Veterinary Import Controls Imports of all animals and products of animal origin undergo mandatory veterinary controls at EU Border Inspection Posts (BIPs) Approval procedures for BIPs for products of animal origin are set down in EU law – Council Directive 97/78/EC Requirements for live animals are set down in Council Directive 91/496/EEC

EU Veterinary Import Controls 27 Member States – 285 BIPs EFTA (Norway and Iceland): 25 BIPs Switzerland has an Agreement with the EU and also has 2 BIPs Faroes Agreement with EU has 1 BIP

EU Veterinary Import Controls What are BIPs? Approved entry points into the EU for commercial trade of animals and their products Legal requirements to be approved based on location, infrastructure, equipment, personnel and documentation BIPs must be approved by the EU and are subject to regular audits by the Commissions’ Inspection Service of DG SANCO (Food and Veterinary Office in Ireland, Grange)

EU Veterinary Import Controls What are the principle requirements for imports of animals and products of animal origin to the EU ? For harmonised animal/product groups: Approved third country Harmonised animal and public health certification Approved establishments (listed in TRACES) Approved residues control plan

EU Veterinary Import Controls What are the principle requirements for imports of animals and products of animal origin to the EU ? For Non - harmonised groups: National Health Certification Where appropriate approved list of countries Where appropriate a list of establishments meeting EU standards or equivalent

EU Veterinary Import Controls What official controls are carried out at BIPs? Documentary check on all consignments Identity check on all consignments Physical checks on consignments at 100 % or as set down in Commission Decision 94/360/EC with the specific minimum frequency for harmonised product groups Safeguard provisions are additional to the above

EU Veterinary Import Controls Documentary - Veterinary Certification – Public and animal health: Original document Approved third country Approved establishment All correct attestation requirements according to model EU certificates Written in one of the required language of the Member State of destination and of the BIP as set down in EU law Correctly signed and stamped CVED presented prior to arrival of the consignment on EU territory

EU Veterinary Import Controls Requirements for health certificates: Certification to be completed before it leaves the country of dispatch is a legal requirement (Annex VI to Regulation 854/2004) All boxes to be completed before dispatch where appropriate Unused options to be invalidated or can be left out, if indicated as appropriate in the footnotes Each certificate is a single entity and must be signed by an authorised official when he is in control of the consignment

EU Veterinary Import Controls What do these checks consist of ? Identity - Correspondence between product and certificate: Health mark Approved third country Approved establishment Packaging and labelling

EU Veterinary Import Controls Physical checks, including sampling: Organoleptic Visual Microbiological Chemical Environmental contamination Residues and heavy metals Other checks

EU Veterinary Import Controls Physical checks including sampling: For the random sampling programme laboratory tests are requested and the consignment may be released prior to the results For consignments that laboratory testing is required due to suspicion or safeguard measures consignments may not be released or CVED issued until satisfactory test results are given to the BIP

EU Veterinary Import Controls What happens if conforming to all EU conditions ? Common Veterinary Entry Document (CVED) is issued Fees Paid for any inspection costs Consignment allowed free movement in the EU Technical/animal feed/pharmaecutical use (unless under channelling arrangements) Can be exported to third countries Original health certification remains at BIP

EU Veterinary Import Controls What happens if not-conforming to EU conditions? Consignments are rejected and options are: destruction, subjected to a specified special treatment, re-dispatched outside of the Community under specified arrangement with exporting country, alternative use to that originally specified These are all options and are at the discretion of the Member State in discussions with the importer or owner of the load.

EU Veterinary Import Controls In cases of serious or repeated infringements of EU legislation safeguard measures may be taken against third countries by way of Commission Decisions which: Apply re-enforced controls with specific sampling criteria Ban imports from an establishment Ban imports from a third country or region

EU Veterinary Import Controls Three main information tools are currently used to keep all parties notified and up to date: TRACES – used in all EU BIPs Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed FVO Inspections and Reports

EU Veterinary Import Controls DG SANCO has a Veterinary Border Control web site covering the following areas: Introduction Legislation EU approved Border Inspection Posts

EU Veterinary Import Controls Frequently asked questions and answers Ongoing initiatives Training issues News & Notes of meetings Hyperlinks to national contact details of BIPs, warehouse lists

EU Veterinary Import Controls Thank you for your attention. Any Questions ? Head of Unit: Ella Strickland Lead Officials: Patricia Langhammer, Michael Glavin Unit G6 DG SANCO Tel: