Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2001 laying down rules for the prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies

CHAPTER I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1

Scope

This Regulation shall not apply to:

(a) cosmetic or medicinal products or medical devices, or to their starting materials or intermediate products;

(b) products which are not intended for use in human food, animal feed or fertilisers, or to their starting materials or intermediate products;

(c) products of animal origin intended for exhibition, teaching, scientific research, special studies or analysis, provided those products are not eventually consumed or used by humans or by animals other than those kept for the research projects concerned;

(d) live animals used in or intended for research.

Article 2

Separation of live animals and of products of animal origin

In order to avoid cross-contamination or substitution between the live animals or of the products of animal origin referred to in Article 1(1) and the products of animal origin referred to in Article 1(2)(a), (b) and (c), or the live animals referred to in Article 1(2)(d), they shall be kept separate at all times unless such live animals or products of animal origin are produced under at least the same conditions of health protection in respect of TSEs.

Rules for the implementation of this Article shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 24(2).

Article 3

Definitions

For the purposes of this Regulation the following definitions shall apply:

(a) TSEs: all transmissible spongiform encephalopathies with the exception of those occurring in humans;

(b) placing on the market: any operation the purpose of which is to sell live animals or products of animal origin covered by this Regulation to a third party in the Community, or any other form of supply against payment or free of charge to such a third party or storage with a view to supply to such a third party;

(c) products of animal origin: any product derived from or containing a product derived from any animal covered by the provisions of Directive 89/662/EEC (¹) or Directive 90/425/EEC (²);

(d) starting materials: raw materials or any other product of animal origin out of which, or with the help of which, the products referred to in Article 1(2)(a) and (b) are produced;

(e) competent authority: the central authority of a Member State competent to ensure compliance with the requirements of this Regulation or any authority to which that central authority has delegated that competence, in particular for the control of feedingstuffs; it shall also include, where appropriate, the corresponding authority of a third country;

(f) category: one of the classification categories referred to in Chapter C of Annex II;

(g) specified risk material: the tissues specified in Annex V; unless otherwise indicated, it does not include products containing or derived from those tissues;

(h) animal suspected of being infected by a TSE: live, slaughtered or dead animals, which show or have shown neurological or behavioural disorders or a progressive deterioration of the general condition linked to impairment of the central nervous system and for which the information gathered on the basis of a clinical examination, response to treatment, a post-mortem examination or an ante or post-mortem laboratory analysis do not allow an alternative diagnosis to be established. Bovine spongiform encephalopathies (BSE) shall be suspected in bovine animals which have produced a positive result from a rapid test specifically for BSE;

(i) holding: any place in which animals covered by this Regulation are held, kept, bred, handled or shown to the public;

(j) sampling: the taking of samples, ensuring a statistically correct representation, from animals or their environment, or from products of animal origin, for the purpose of establishing a disease diagnosis, familial relationships, for health surveillance, or for the monitoring of the absence of microbiological agents or of certain materials in products of animal origin;

(k) fertilisers: any substance containing products of animal origin utilised on land to enhance growth of vegetation; it may include digestion residues from bio-gas production or composting;

(l) rapid tests: the screening methods listed in Annex X, for which the results are known within 24 hours;

(m) alternative test: the tests referred to in Article 8(2) which are used as an alternative to the withdrawal of specified risk material;

(n) mechanically separated meat or ‘MSM’: the product obtained by removing meat from flesh-bearing bones after boning, using mechanical means resulting in the loss or modification of the muscle fibre structure;

(o) passive surveillance: the reporting of all animals suspected of being infected by a TSE and, where TSE cannot be excluded by clinical investigation, the laboratory testing of such animals;

(p) active surveillance: the testing of animals not reported as suspected of being infected by a TSE, such as emergency slaughtered animals, animals with observations at ante mortem inspection, fallen stock, healthy slaughtered animals and animals culled in connection with a TSE case, in particular in order to determine the evolution and prevalence of TSE in a country or region thereof.

Article 4

Safeguard measures

CHAPTER II

DETERMINATION OF BSE STATUS

Article 5

Classification

The BSE status of Member States or third countries or regions thereof (hereinafter referred to as ‘countries or regions’) shall be determined by classification into one of the following three categories:

— negligible BSE risk as defined in Annex II,

— controlled BSE risk as defined in Annex II,

— undetermined BSE risk as defined in Annex II.

The BSE status of countries or regions may be determined only on the basis of the criteria set out in Annex II, Chapter A. These criteria shall include the outcome of a risk analysis on the basis of all the potential factors for the appearance of bovine spongiform encephalopathy as defined in Annex II, Chapter B, and their development over time, as well as comprehensive active and passive surveillance measures taking into account the risk category of the country or region.

Member States, and third countries wishing to be retained on the list of third countries approved for the export to the Community of the live animals or of the products covered by this Regulation, shall submit to the Commission an application for their BSE status to be determined, accompanied by the relevant information on the criteria set out in Annex II, Chapter A, and on the potential risk factors specified in Annex II, Chapter B, and their development over time.

This decision shall be taken within six months of the submission of the application and of the relevant information referred to in the second subparagraph of paragraph 1. If the Commission finds that the supporting evidence does not include the information laid down in Annex II, Chapters A and B, it shall ask for additional information to be provided within a period to be specified. The final decision shall then be taken within six months of the submission of all information.

After the International Office of Epizootic Diseases (OIE) has established a procedure for the classification of countries by category and if it has placed the applicant country in one of those categories, a re-assessment of the Community categorisation of the country concerned in accordance with the first subparagraph of this paragraph may be decided, if appropriate, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 24(2).

Such a risk analysis must include a conclusive statistical survey of the epidemiological situation regarding TSEs in the applicant Member State or third country, on the basis of the use, in a screening procedure, of rapid tests. The Commission shall take into account the classification criteria used by the OIE.

The rapid tests shall be approved for that purpose in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 24(3) and entered on a list set out in Annex X, Chapter C, point 4.

Such screening procedure may also be used by Member States or third countries which wish to have the classification they carried out on that basis approved by the Commission — in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 24(2).

The cost of such screening procedure shall be borne by the Member State or third country concerned.

The eligibility of third countries to export to the Community live animals, or products of animal origin for which this Regulation provides specific rules, under conditions based on their category as established by the Commission, shall be conditional upon their undertaking to notify the latter in writing as soon as possible of any epidemiological or other evidence which might lead to a change in BSE status.

CHAPTER III

PREVENTION OF TSE

Article 6

Monitoring system

Rapid tests shall be approved for that purpose in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 24(3) and listed in Annex X.

The annual monitoring programme referred to in paragraph 1 shall cover as a minimum the following subpopulations:

(a) all bovine animals above 24 months of age sent for emergency slaughter or with observations at ante mortem inspections;

(b) all bovine animals above 30 months of age slaughtered normally for human consumption;

(c) all bovine animals above 24 months of age not slaughtered for human consumption, which have died or been killed on the farm, during transport or in an abattoir (fallen stock).

Member States may decide to derogate from the provision under point (c) in remote areas with a low animal density, where no collection of dead animals is organised. Member States making use of this possibility shall inform the Commission and submit a list of the areas concerned together with a justification for the derogation. The derogation shall not cover more than 10 % of the bovine population in a Member State.

At the request of a Member State which can demonstrate the improvement of the epidemiological situation of the country, according to certain criteria to be laid down in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 24(3), the annual monitoring programmes for that particular Member State may be revised.

The Member State concerned shall provide proof of its capability to determine the effectiveness of the measures in place and ensure protection of human and animal health based on a comprehensive risk analysis. In particular, the Member State shall demonstrate:

(a) a clearly declining or consistently low BSE prevalence, based on up-to-date testing results;

(b) that it has implemented and enforced for at least six years a full BSE testing scheme (Community legislation on traceability and identification of live animals and BSE surveillance);

(c) that it has implemented and enforced for at least six years Community legislation on total feed ban for farmed animals.

Article 6a

Breeding Programmes

Article 7

Prohibitions concerning animal feeding

The Commission may decide in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 24(3), based on a scientific assessment of the dietary needs of young ruminants and subject to the rules adopted for the implementation of this Article provided for in paragraph 5 of this Article, and following an assessment of the control aspects of this derogation, to allow the feeding of young animals of ruminant species with proteins derived from fish.

Third countries, or regions thereof, with an undetermined BSE risk shall not be permitted to export to the Community feed intended for farmed animals which contains protein derived from mammals or feed intended for mammals, except feed for dogs, cats and fur animals, which contains processed protein derived from mammals.

At the request of a Member State or third country a decision in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 24(2) may be taken, following detailed criteria to be laid down in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 24(3), to grant individual exemptions from the restrictions in this paragraph. Any exemption shall take account of the provisions provided for in paragraph 3 of this Article.

Article 8

Specified risk material

The Member States which authorise the use of an alternative test pursuant to this paragraph shall inform the other Member States and the Commission.

Article 9

Products of animal origin derived from or containing ruminant material

The Commission shall thereupon present a communication to the European Parliament and the Council on the future necessity and use of MSM in the Community, including the information policy towards consumers.

Article 10

Education programmes

CHAPTER IV

CONTROL AND ERADICATION OF TSEs

Article 11

Notification

Without prejudice to Directive 82/894/EEC (⁸), the Member States shall ensure that any animal suspected of being infected by a TSE is notified immediately to the competent authorities.

Member States shall regularly inform each other and the Commission of the cases of TSE notified.

The competent authority shall without delay take the measures laid down in Article 12 of this Regulation, together with any other necessary measures.

Article 12

Measures with respect to suspect animals

If a TSE is officially suspected in a bovine animal at a holding in a Member State, all other bovine animals at that holding shall be placed under an official movement restriction until the results of the examination are available. If a TSE is officially suspected in an ovine or caprine animal at a holding in a Member State, all other ovine and caprine animals at that holding shall be placed under an official movement restriction until the results are available.

However, if there is evidence that the holding where the animal was present when the TSE was suspected is unlikely to be the holding where the animal could have been exposed to the TSE, the competent authority may decide that only the animal suspected of being infected shall be placed under an official movement restriction.

If considered necessary, the competent authority may also decide that other holdings or only the holding of exposure shall be placed under official control depending on the epidemiological information available.

In accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 24(2) and by way of derogation from the official movement restrictions provided for in this paragraph, a Member State may be exempted from implementing such restrictions if it applies measures offering equivalent safeguards based on an appropriate assessment of the possible risks for human and animal health.

Article 13

Measures following confirmation of the presence of a TSE

When the presence of a TSE has been officially confirmed, the following measures shall be applied as soon as possible:

(a) all parts of the body of the animal shall be disposed of in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002 except for material retained for records in accordance with Annex III, Chapter B, of this Regulation.

(b) an inquiry shall be carried out to identify all animals at risk in accordance with Annex VII, point 1;

(c) all animals and products thereof at risk, as listed in Annex VII, point 2, of this Regulation, identified by the inquiry referred to in point (b) of this paragraph shall be killed and disposed of in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002.

At the request of a Member State and based on a favourable risk assessment taking particularly into account the control measures in that Member State, a decision may be taken in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 24(2) to allow the use of bovine animals referred to in this paragraph until the end of their productive lives.

By way of derogation from this paragraph, a Member State may apply other measures offering an equivalent level of protection based on a favourable risk assessment pursuant to Articles 24a and 25, taking particularly into account the control measures in that Member State, if those measures have been approved for that Member State in accordance with the regulatory procedure referred to in Article 24(2).

If there is evidence that the holding where the affected animal was present when the TSE was confirmed is not likely to be the holding where the animal was exposed to the TSE, the competent authority may decide that both holdings or only the holding of exposure shall be placed under official control.

Article 14

Contingency plan

CHAPTER V

PLACING ON THE MARKET AND EXPORT

Article 15

Live animals, their semen, embryos and ova

Article 16

Placing on the market of products of animal origin

The following products of animal origin derived from healthy ruminants shall not be subject to restrictions on placing on the market or, if need be, export pursuant to this Article, to Annex VIII, Chapters C and D, and to Annex IX, Chapters A, C, F and G:

(a) products of animal origin covered by Article 15, in particular semen, embryos and ova;

(b) milk and dairy products, hides and skins, and gelatine and collagen derived from hides and skins.

Food products of animal origin containing material obtained from bovine animals originating in a country or region with an undetermined BSE risk shall not be placed on the market unless they come from animals which:

(a) were born eight years after the date from which the prohibition on the feeding to ruminants of animal protein derived from mammals was effectively enforced; and

(b) were born, raised and have stayed in herds with a certified history of freedom from BSE for at least seven years.

Furthermore, food products of ruminant origin shall not be dispatched from a Member State or a region thereof with an undetermined BSE risk to another Member State or be imported from a third country with an undetermined BSE risk.

This prohibition shall not apply to products of animal origin listed in Annex VIII, Chapter C, and fulfilling the requirements of Annex VIII, Chapter C.

They must be accompanied by an animal health certificate issued by an official veterinarian certifying that they have been produced in conformity with this Regulation.

Article 17

Under the procedure referred to in Article 24(2), the health certificates referred to in Annex F to Directive 64/432/EEC, Models II and III in Annex E to Directive 91/68/EEC and the appropriate health certificates laid down by Community legislation relating to trade in the semen, embryos and ova of bovine, ovine or caprine animals shall be supplemented, where necessary, by a reference to the category specifying the classification of the Member State or region of origin given in accordance with Article 5.

Appropriate commercial documents relating to trade in products of animal origin shall be supplemented, where necessary, by a reference to the category of the Member State or region of origin given by the Commission in accordance with Article 5.

Article 18