Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Products of Animal Origin (Third Country Imports) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005; and come into operation on 9th December 2005.

(2) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(3) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Amendments to the Products of Animal Origin (Third Country Imports) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004

2.—(1) Amend Part VIII of Schedule 1 to the Products of Animal Origin (Third Country Imports) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004(4) in accordance with this regulation.

(2) In section A (General) after paragraph 3 insert—

Commission Decision 2005/760/EC concerning certain protection measures in relation to highly pathogenic avian influenza in certain third countries for the import of captive birds (O.J. No. L285, 28.10.2005, p. 60) (in so far as it relates to products derived from those birds), as amended by Commission Decision 2005/862/EC (O.J. No. L317, 3.12.2005, p. 19).”.

(3) In section E (Animal by-products) for paragraph 1 substitute—

Regulation (EC) No. 1774/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down health rules concerning animal by-products not intended for human consumption (OJ No. L273, 10.10.2002, p. 1) as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No. 416/2005 (O.J. No. L66, 12.3.2005, p. 10), and as read with Commission Decision 2005/760/EC, as amended by Commission Decision 2005/862/EC (O.J. No. L317, 3.12.2005, p. 19).”.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend Part VIII of Schedule 1 to the Products of Animal Origin (Third Country Imports) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004 (“the 2004 Regulations”). The 2004 Regulations implement Council Directive 97/78/EC laying down the principles governing the organisation of veterinary checks on products entering the Community from third countries (O.J. No. L24, 30.1.98, p. 9).

Part VIII of Schedule 1 is amended in order to give effect to the restrictions on the importation of products derived from birds contained in Commission Decision 2005/760/EC concerning certain protection measures in relation to highly pathogenic avian influenza in certain third countries for the import of captive birds (O.J. No. L285, 28.10.2005, p. 60) as amended by Commission Decision 2005/862/EC (O.J. No. L317, 3.12.2005, p. 19). References to Commission Decision 2005/760/EC (as amended) are inserted at section A paragraph 4 and section E paragraph 1 of Part VIII of Schedule 1.

Schedule 1 to the 2004 Regulations lists the Community instruments that lay down conditions for the importation of products of animal origin into the Community. Regulation 15 of the 2004 Regulations prohibits the introduction into Northern Ireland of products of animal origin that do not comply with these import conditions.