Introductory text

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Directive 96/23/EC of 29 April 1996 on measures to monitor certain substances and residues thereof in live animals and animal products and repealing Directives 85/358/EEC and 86/469/EEC and Decisions 89/187/EEC and 91/664/EEC^f1, and in particular the fourth subparagraph of Article 29(1) and Article 29(2) thereof,

Whereas:

Article 29(1) of Directive 96/23/EC requires that third countries from which Member States are authorised to import animals and animal products covered by that Directive submit residue monitoring plans providing required guarantees (‘the plans’). The plans should cover at least the groups of residues and substances listed in Annex I to that Directive.

Commission Decision 2011/163/EU^f2 approves the plans submitted by certain third countries concerning specified animals and animal products listed in the Annex to that Decision (‘the list’).

Bosnia and Herzegovina has submitted to the Commission a plan for aquaculture, which only covers finfish. Therefore, a specification limiting the approval for aquaculture to finfish only should be added to the list.

Botswana is included in the list for cattle, horses and farmed game. However, that third country informed the Commission that it will no longer export live horses and farmed game meat to the Union. The entry for Botswana for equine and farmed game should therefore be removed from the list.

Iran has submitted to the Commission a plan for aquaculture, which only covers crustaceans. Therefore, a specification limiting the approval for aquaculture to crustaceans only should be added to the list.

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar has submitted to the Commission a plan for honey. That plan provides sufficient guarantees and should be approved. An entry for Myanmar for honey should therefore be included in the list.

New Caledonia is included in the list for cattle, aquaculture, wild game, farmed game and honey. However, that third country informed the Commission that it will no longer export bovine meat and wild game to the Union and that the aquaculture plan only covers crustaceans. The entry for New Caledonia for cattle and wild game should therefore be removed from the list and a specification limiting the approval for aquaculture to crustaceans only should be added to the list.

Sierra Leone has submitted to the Commission a plan for honey. That plan provides sufficient guarantees and should be approved. An entry for Sierra Leone for honey should therefore be included in the list.

Suriname is included in the approval list for aquaculture. However, Suriname informed the Commission that it will no longer export aquaculture products to the Union. The entry for Suriname for aquaculture should therefore be removed from the list.

Tunisia is currently included in the approval list for poultry, aquaculture and wild game. That third country has submitted to the Commission a plan for poultry that does not provide sufficient guarantees and a plan for aquaculture, which only covers finfish. Therefore, the entry for Tunisia concerning poultry should be deleted from the list and a specification limiting the approval for aquaculture to finfish only should be added to the list.

While Kosovo^f3 has not provided a plan for poultry, Kosovo has provided guarantees in respect of poultry raw material originating either from Member States or from third countries which are approved to export such raw material to the European Union. An entry for Kosovo for poultry with the appropriate footnote should therefore be added in the list.

Decision 2011/163/EU should therefore be amended accordingly.

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: