7 Rabies: non-commercial movement of
pet animals
| (a)
(28991)
13705/07
COM(07) 572
|
Draft Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 on the animal health requirements applicable to the non-commercial movements of pet animals as regards the extension of the transitional period
|
| (b)
(28992)
13718/07
COM(07) 578
|
Commission Report in connection with Article 23 of Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 on the animal health requirements applicable to the non-commercial movement of pet animals
|
| Legal base | (a) Articles 37 and 152(4)(b)EC; co-decision; QMV
|
| Document originated | 8 October 2007
|
| Deposited in Parliament | 17 October 2007
|
| Department | Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
|
| Basis of consideration | EM of 18 October 2007
|
| Previous Committee Report | None, but see footnote 25
|
| To be discussed in Council | Before April 2008
|
| Committee's assessment | Politically important
|
| Committee's decision | Cleared, but further information requested
|
Background
7.1 Regulation 998/2003[24]
harmonised the Community's rules governing the non-commercial
movement of pet animals, and, among other things, relaxed the
rabies restrictions hitherto imposed by the UK (as well as by
Ireland, Sweden, Finland and Malta) on imports of cats and dogs
from other Member States and from specified third countries. Thus,
such animals may now be imported without undergoing quarantine,
provided they have been vaccinated and are properly identified.
However, the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Finland and Malta were permitted
— subject
to a transitional period, which was due to expire on 3 July 2008
— to require that
the animals in question should be subjected to additional conditions,
notably post-rabies vaccination blood testing and treatment against
certain parasites (tapeworm (Echinococcus) and ticks).
At the same time, the Commission was required to present by 1
February 2007 a report on the subsequent need for these additional
controls.
The current documents
7.2 The Commission has only now produced this report,
and, in order to allow sufficient time for proper consideration
to be given to it, it has proposed (document (a)) that the current
transitional arrangements should be extended until 1 September
2009.
7.3 The Report itself (document (b)) notes that the
majority of Member States believe that the additional requirements
maintained by UK, Ireland, Sweden, Finland and Malta cause confusion
among travellers, and that they are no longer justified, whereas
(with the exception of Sweden) the countries concerned —
including the UK — consider that Regulation 998/2003 provides
a popular and successful alternative to quarantine, which has
enabled owners to travel with their pets with minimal difficulty.
They would therefore like the additional measures in question
to be continued on a permanent basis.
7.4 The Commission also notes that the European Food
Safety Authority has examined the case for retaining these measures,
and has advised that, provided protective immunity against rabies
has been established and maintained by the approved administration
of an authorised vaccine, this should be the sole requirement
for pets to travel to all Member States; that, although the risk
in the case of tapeworms can be reduced if pets are treated before
movements take place, the absence of reliable data makes it difficult
to estimate the precise risk; and that, although there appeared
to be no correlation between the geographical distribution of
ticks and the mobility of dogs and cats, there was again a lack
of sufficient evidence to assess the justification for the additional
measures in question.
7.5 Against this background, the Commission has simply
noted that it is currently considering four policy options —
the continuation of the present pre-entry conditions for UK, Ireland,
Sweden, Finland and Malta on a permanent basis; an extension of
the current transitional period; a lifting of those measures,
and an adjustment to the current rules — and that it will
be putting forward further proposals in due course.
The Government's view
7.6 In his Explanatory Memorandum of 18 October 2007,
the Minister for Sustainable Food and Farming and Animal Welfare
at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord
Rooker) merely notes that, until the Commission publishes its
further proposals, these two documents would leave the present
situation in place until 1 September 2009, but offers no comment
on the analysis in the Commission's Report.
Conclusion
7.7 As our predecessors noted when considering
the proposals[25]
which led to the adoption of Regulation (EC) 998/2003, the measures
in question — although
welcomed by the UK — were
of some political importance, in that they represented a significant
change to the UK's long-standing approach to preventing the introduction
of rabies. To the extent that the additional safeguards now under
review comprise part of those new arrangements, we think it right
to draw these two documents to the attention of the House.
7.8 In particular, we note that the Commission's
Report highlights the views of the European Food Safety Authority,
and identifies the various policy options which the Commission
itself is currently considering. Since it has said that it will
be putting forward further proposals, we see no need to withhold
clearance of the current documents, but, as the options under
review include a weakening (and indeed possible removal) of the
additional safeguards currently applied by the UK, we would be
interested to have the Minister's comments on this possibility.
24 OJ No. L.146, 13.6.03, p.1. Back
25
(21634) 11596/00 and (22752) 12488/01: see HC 23-xxviii (1999-2000),
para 12 (1 November 2000), HC 28-iv (2000-01), para 4 (24 January
2001), HC 152-iii (2001-02), para 4 (31 October 2001), HC 152-xxi
(2001-02), para 4 (13 March 2002), HC 152-xxiv (2001-02), para
2 (17 April 2002) and HC 152-xxvi (2001-02), para 1 (23 April
2002) Back
|
