Article 9

Where reference is made to this Article, the competent authorities of the United Kingdom shall ensure that the commercial document required by Community legislation for intra-Community trade be endorsed by the attachment of a copy of an official certificate stating that the production process has been audited and found in compliance with the appropriate requirements in Community legislation and suitable to destroy the foot-and-mouth disease virus or that the products concerned have been produced from pre-processed materials which had been certified accordingly, and provisions are in place to avoid possible re-contamination with the foot-and-mouth disease virus after treatment.

Such verifying certification of the production process shall bear a reference to this Decision, shall be valid for 30 days, shall state the expiry date and shall be renewable after inspection of the establishment.

In case of products for retail sale to the final consumer, the competent authorities of the United Kingdom may authorize consolidated loads of products other than fresh meat, minced meat, mechanically separated meat and meat preparations, each of which is eligible for dispatch in accordance with this Decision, to be accompanied by a commercial document endorsed by the attachment of a copy of an official veterinary certificate confirming that the premises of dispatch has in place a system to ensure that goods can only be dispatched if they are traceable to documentary evidence of compliance with this Decision, and that this system has been audited and found satisfactory. The verifying certification of the traceability system shall bear a reference to this Decision, shall be valid for 30 days, shall state the expiry date and shall be renewable only after the establishment had been audited with satisfactory results. The competent authorities of the United Kingdom shall communicate to the other Member States and the Commission the list of establishments they have approved in application of these provisions.