Brussels, 22/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - Contrary to the United States and Canada, where the presence of BSE has not been ruled out, then third countries (Australia, Argentina, Botswana, Chile, Namibia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Uruguay and Swaziland) are not held to extract specified risk materials (SRMs) before exporting meat to the Community, as they are in category 1 of countries where the risk is highly unlikely. This is what the Standing Veterinary Committee (SVC) decided on Wednesday by adopting, through a qualified majority, a draft decision by the Commission. The SVC has, however, stuck to the date of 1 April, whereas the Commission had considered postponing entry into force to 1 May. Consequently, the external chapter of the Community decision of 30 June 2000 applies in a week's time to all third countries for which the Scientific Steering committee (SSC) has proved there is a risk of BSE and to those that have not yet submitted assessment files on the epidemiological status.
The decision also provides for, from 1 April 2001, the following measures applying to imports from third countries: - a ban on the import of specified risk materials (SRMs); - obligation to affix a declaration to the import of meat, meat products, minced meat and meat preparations, certifying that these do not contain SRMs nor mechanically separated meat and that they do not come from animals slaughtered by gas injection. This decision should, regarding imports, allow for "a level of protection equivalent to the one that applies to meat and meat products produced in the EU". Following the ongoing examination of certain dossiers, other exemptions could be granted, at the meeting of the SSC of 29 and 30 March 2001.