PURPOSE: to extend, until the end of 2011, transitional measures on the non-commercial movement of pet animals.
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) No 438/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 on the animal health requirements applicable to the non- commercial movement of pet animals.
CONTENT: the Council adopted a regulation introducing technical adaptations to requirements on the vaccination and identification of pet animals and extending until the end of 2011 transitional measures existing in some Member States on non-commercial movements of pet animals.
This follows an agreement on the text with the European Parliament in first reading.
The current transitional regime, established by regulation 998/2003, authorises Finland, Ireland, Malta, Sweden and the United Kingdom to make the entry of pet animals into their territory subject to compliance with certain additional requirements until 30 June 2010, in order to prevent the risk of introducing rabies, echinococcus and ticks.
Moreover, from the opinions adopted by EFSA with regard to echinococcosis and ticks, it results that the data available did not allow EFSA to demonstrate a particular status of the five Member States applying the transitional regime with regard to certain ticks and the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis and to quantify the risk of pathogen introduction through the non-commercial movement of pet animals.
In view of the EFSA opinion and of the Community-supported programmes for the eradication of rabies in certain Member States, the transitional measure provided for in Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 should be extended until 31 December 2011.
In order to ensure the control of diseases other than rabies, likely to spread due to the movement of pet animals, the Commission should be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union in respect of preventive health measures regarding diseases other than rabies, and modifications of technical requirements for the identification of animals and for the anti-rabies vaccination as laid down in the Annexes inserted, in accordance with this Regulation, into Regulation (EC) No 998/2003. It is of particular importance that the Commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work, including at expert level.
The text contains news provisions as regards the delegation of powers, revocation of the delegation and the objections to delegated acts.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 18/06/2010.