PURPOSE : to lay down animal health rules for the importation into the Community of certain live ungulate animals, and amending Directives 90/426/EEC and 92/65/EEC.
PROPOSED ACT : Council Decision.
CONTENT : the outbreaks of disease within the European Union in particular of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and also classical swine fever (CSF) in recent years have prompted a thorough review of Community measures to prevent and combat these animal diseases. As part of the response to the threat of possible future outbreaks, the Commission is proposing to rationalise, strengthen and update the legislation governing the importation into the Community of wild and domestic animals of species susceptible to either or both FMD and CSF.
The proposal will bring 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 proposed Directive will:
- consolidate, in a single legal act the animal health import requirements relating to all cloven-hoofed animal species and;
- clarify the conditions for granting authorisation to a third country for the exportation of equidae (e.g. horses) to the EU and;
- amend Directives 90/426/EEC and 92/65/EEC accordingly.
The new legal base will bring EU basic legislation more into line with the new recommendations of the Office International des Epizooties (OIE).�