Health & ConsumersDirectorate 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 developedEU Directives and Regulations are binding on all 27 Member States from the date of their adoption and subsequent implementationEU legislation covers production of animal products and animals including animal and public health import requirements and import controls

EU Veterinary Import ControlsImports 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 Controls27 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 ControlsWhat 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 ControlsWhat are the principle requirements for imports of

animals and products of animal origin to the EU ?

For harmonised animal/product groups:

Approved third countryHarmonised animal and public health certification Approved establishments (listed in TRACES)Approved residues control plan

EU Veterinary Import ControlsWhat are the principle requirements for imports of

animals and products of animal origin to the EU ?

For Non - harmonised groups:

National Health CertificationWhere appropriate approved list of countries Where appropriate a list of establishments meeting EU standards or equivalent

EU Veterinary Import ControlsWhat official controls are carried out at BIPs?

Documentary check on all consignments Identity check on all consignmentsPhysical 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 ControlsDocumentary - Veterinary Certification – Public and animal health:

Original documentApproved third countryApproved establishmentAll correct attestation requirements according to model EU certificatesWritten in one of the required language of the Member State of destination and of the BIP as set down in EU lawCorrectly signed and stampedCVED presented prior to arrival of the consignment on EU territory

EU Veterinary Import ControlsRequirements 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 footnotesEach 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 ControlsPhysical checks, including sampling:

OrganolepticVisual MicrobiologicalChemicalEnvironmental contamination Residues and heavy metalsOther checks

EU Veterinary Import ControlsPhysical 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 ControlsWhat happens if conforming to all EU conditions ?

Common Veterinary Entry Document (CVED) is issuedFees Paid for any inspection costs Consignment allowed free movement in the EUTechnical/animal feed/pharmaecutical use (unless under channelling arrangements)Can be exported to third countries Original health certification remains at BIP

EU Veterinary Import ControlsWhat 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 infringementsof EU legislation safeguard measures may be taken against third countries by way ofCommission Decisions which:

Apply re-enforced controls with specific sampling criteriaBan imports from an establishmentBan 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 BIPsRapid Alert System for Food and FeedFVO 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 ControlsFrequently asked questions and answers

Ongoing initiatives

Training issues

News & Notes of meetings

Hyperlinks to national contact details of BIPs, warehouse lists

http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/bips/index_en.htm

EU Veterinary Import ControlsThank you for your attention.

Any Questions ?

Head of Unit: Ella StricklandLead Officials: Patricia Langhammer, Michael Glavin

Unit G6DG SANCOEmail Patricia.Langhammer@ec.europa.euTel: 00 322 298 1025