Animal Health

-3.24832855.929868EH14 1TY2009-02-021999-03-312009-02-10EH141TYAnimal Health Act 1981ANIMAL HEALTH ACT 1981The City of EdinburghTSO (The Stationery Office), St Crispins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1PD, 01603 622211, customer.services@tso.co.uk265892004/114

Animal Health

Scotland General

Import Licence No: 2009/01

Rural Directorate

ANIMAL HEALTH ACT 1981

THE IMPORTATION OF ANIMALS ORDER 1977

The Scottish Ministers by this licence issued under the terms of Article 3(2) of the Importation of Animals Order 1977, hereby authorise the landing in Scotland, in accordance with the conditions set out below.

PIGS INTENDED FOR SLAUGHTER

originating in

NORTHERN IRELAND

at

ANY PORT OR AIRPORT IN SCOTLAND

Scotland General Import Licence No: 1999/01 dated 31 March 1999 is hereby revoked.

This licence is valid from the date of issue until varied or revoked by the Scottish Ministers.

Dated: 2 February 2009

On behalf of the Scottish Ministers

John Peerless

Officer of the Scottish Executive

CONDITIONS

1.  Each consignment of pigs must be accompanied by an official health certificate signed by an authorised veterinary inspector of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Northern Ireland which includes:

  *  the name and addresses of the consignor and consignee;

  *  the name and address of the holding not applicable if animals are from several holdings of origin and destination;

  *  the address and approval number of the assembly centre in Northern Ireland;

  *  the breed, age, and official identification number of each pig;

  *  the Authorisation number of transporter, a description of the means of transport, and registration number of the vehicle in which the animals were transported.

2.  The health certificate referred to in paragraph 1 above, must confirm that:

  *  the animals were inspected during the 24 hours prior to the scheduled departure of the animals from Northern Ireland and had not shown clinical signs of infectious or contagious disease at that time;

  *  the holding of origin and, where applicable, the approved assembly centre and the area in which they are situated, are not subject to any prohibitions or restrictions connected with any animal disease affecting porcine animals, in conformity with Community or national legislation;

  *  all applicable provisions of Council Directive 64/432/EC (as amended) have been fulfilled; and

  *  the animals did not remain in the assembly centre for more than 6 days….

3.  The health certificate referred to in paragraph 1 above, must also confirm that:

(a)  Aujeszky’s disease is compulsorily notifiable in Northern Ireland;

(b)  a plan for the control and eradiciation of Aujesky’s disease is in place in Northern Ireland or regions of origin of the pigs, fulfilling the criteria laid down in Article 1(2) of Commission Decision 2008/185/EC1 as amended;

(c)  the authorised veterinary inspector signing the health certificate has received an exporter’s declaration that all the pigs in question will be transported directly to the slaughterhouse of destination, and either :

-come from a holding which fulfils the conditions laid down in Article 1(3) of Commission Decision 2001/185/EC, or

-the certifying veterinarian is in receipt of an owner’s declaration that the pigs for export have been vaccinated against Aujeszky’s disease at least 15 days prior to their shipment and come from a holding of origin where:

(i) in the framework of the plan referred to in Article 2(2) of Commission Decision 2008/185/EC, Aujeszky’s disease monitoring and eradication measures have been applied regularly under the supervision of the competent authority in Northern Ireland for the previous 12 months; and

(ii) they had remained for at least 30 days according to an owner’s declaration before dispatch and where no clinical or pathological evidence of this disease has been detected at the moment of completion of the health certificate, or

- they have not been vaccinated and they come from a holding where:

(i) in the framework of the plan referred to in Article 2 (2) of Commission Decision 2008/185/EC, Aujeszky’s disease monitoring and eradication measures have been applied regularly under the supervision of the competent authority in the previous 12 months and no clinical, pathological or serological evidence of Aujeszky’s disease has been recorded in the previous six months: and

(ii) vaccination against Aujeszky’s disease and introduction of vaccinated pigs have been forbidden by the competent authority in Northern Ireland, since the holding is in process of reaching the highest status as regards Aujeszky’s disease in accordance to the plan referred to in Article 2 (b) of Commission Decision 2001/185/EC; and

(iii) they have, according to an owner’s declaration, lived for at least 90 days before dispatch.

4.  After leaving from the premises of origin, the pigs must be kept separate from animals of a lower/different health status and/or not similarly certified.

5.  The shipment of animals must be direct from Northern Ireland to Scotland.

6.  The Importer must give the local DVM responsible for the area of destination advance notification of the expected time of arrival of each consignment in writing, and at least 24 hours before arrival.

7.  In accordance with Council Regulation 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport2, an Animal Transport Certificate (ATC) is required. This can be any documents which indicate prescribed information. The information required is:

  *  Date and time of departure;

  *  Full address of place animals are loaded;

  *  Name and address of owner of animals;

  *  Name of transporter;

  *  Expected duration of intended journey.

8.  In the event of the consignment being delayed or postponed, the DVM must be advised immediately.

9.  The health certification must accompany each consignment to its final destination and the original or a copy must be retained by the holding or establishment for a minimum period of 3 years for presentation to an inspector on request.

10.  Pigs from Northern Ireland that enter Great Britain via a port or airport in England or Wales should be imported under the terms of a licence issued by DEFRA or the Welsh Assembly Government Rural Affairs Department as appropriate.

11.  Vehicles being used to transport the animals must be cleansed and disinfected with an approved disinfectant both prior to loading and as soon as possible after unloading and before carriage of other animals (unless the same consignment is reloaded after a stop for welfare purposes).

NOTES

1. All landings of pigs shall be in accordance with the provisions of the Importation of Animals Order 1977, the Animals (Post Import Control) Order 1995, the requirements of Council Regulation 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport and the provisions of this licence.

2. Each consignment must go from Northern Ireland direct to a slaughterhouse in Scotland.

3. Animals vaccinated against Aujeszky’s disease may be consigned with non vaccinated animals. It would be helpful if vaccinated animals could be so identified.

4. Once the animals arrive in Scotland, the movement from the port or airport must also meet the requirements of the Disease Control (Intermin Measures) (Scotland) Order 2002 as amended or any legislation superseding or amending the same.

CAUTION

Any breach of any conditions attached to this licence will constitute an offence under the Animal Health Act 1981, Section 73. The penalty on conviction of an offence under this section is a maximum of six months imprisonment and/or a £5000 fine.

Scottish Executive Rural Directorate

Animal Health

Pentland House, Room 350, 47 Robb’s Loan, EDINBURGH EH14 1TY.

1 On additional guarantees in intra-Community trade of pigs relating to Aujeszky’s disease, and criteria to provide information on this disease (OJ No L59, 4.3.2008, p.19).

2 As implemented by the Welfare of Animals (Transport) (Scotland) Order 2006 and parallel legislation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.