Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Decision 97/132/EC of 17 December 1996 on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Community and New Zealand on sanitary measures applicable to trade in live animals and animal products^f1, and in particular Article 4 thereof,

Whereas:

The Agreement between the European Community and New Zealand on sanitary measures applicable to trade in live animals and animal products^f2 (the Agreement) provided for the possibility of recognising the equivalence of the New Zealand control and certification systems for fresh meat and meat based products and for other animal products.

Commission Decision 2003/56/EC^f3 lays down the certification requirements and provides models for official health certificates to be used for the importation from New Zealand of live animals and animal products. In cases where full equivalence of sanitary measures has been determined, simplified certificates may be used, models for which are set out in Annexes II to V to that Decision.

Account should be taken of recent acknowledgements of equivalence of the disease status and of sanitary measures for trade in live honey bees and bumble bees. Simplified veterinary certification was agreed for this category. An appropriate model certificate should be set out.

Other certification provisions need to be updated to take account of the changes in relevant Community legislation.

Decision 2003/56/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: