PURPOSE : to protect animal health by laying down animal health rules for the importation into the Community of certain live ungulate animals.
LEGISLATIVE ACT : Council Directive 2004/68/EC.
CONTENT : the Council unanimously adopted a Council Directive laying down animal health rules for the importation into the Community of certain live ungulate animals. This was to be done in the follow-up to the outbreaks of disease within the European Union, in particular foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) as well as classical swine fever (CSF).
The Directive brings together the import conditions and requirements for FMD susceptible species currently contained in two separate Directives one covering domestic species (Council Directive 72/462/EEC) and the other covering wild species (Council Directive 92/65/EEC). Directive 90/426/EEC and Directive 92/65/EEC should therefore be amended accordingly.
The final text of the Directive, to be transposed into national law 18 months after its date of entry into force, took on board several amendments of the European Parliament, including the extension of the scope of the Directive so as to cover not only imports, but also the transit of live ungulates in the Community. Derogations as regards imports from authorised third countries where certain diseases are present and/or vaccination against those diseases is carried out should be made only on a case-by-case basis.
ENTRY INTO FORCE : 20/05/2004.
TRANSPOSITION : 20/11/2004.