Brussels, 22/12/2002 (Agence Europe) - Following the foot and mouth crisis, community provisions strengthening rules on individual imports of meats and dairy products will come into force on January 1st 2003. Travellers from certain third countries coming into the EU will no longer be allowed to transport meats, meat-based products, milk or dairy products with them or in their luggage unless the products have accompanying official veterinary documentation. The legislation will override current exceptions to import conditions and border controls whereby travellers are allowed to transport meats, milk and derived products for their personal consumption or if they are being sent to individuals. However travellers will be allowed to bring powdered milk for babies, baby food and special foodstuffs required on medical grounds, provided that 1) these products need to be refrigerated before consumption, 2) they are packaged products with the brand name showing and 3) the packaging is unopened. Importing any other personal package of meats, meat-based products, milk or dairy products will only be allowed if the products are declared on arrival and on presentation of the required official veterinary documentation and will therefore be subject to the same conditions as imports for commercial purposes. The new rules will apply to products transported from Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Norway, Andorra, Saint-Martin, Liechtenstein, Switzerland or candidate countries, with the exception of Turkey.