G/SPS/N/EU/128
22 May 2015
(15-2696) Page: 1/3
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original: English
NOTIFICATION
1. Notifying Member: EUROPEAN UNION
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible: European Commission, Health and Food Safety Directorate-
General
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in
addition, where applicable): Bovine meat and meat products (fresh meat, minced
meat, meat preparations, meat products, rendered animal fat, greaves, gelatine and
collagen other than derived from hides and skins, treated intestines), bovine byproducts
(rendered fats intended to be used as organic fertilisers or soil improvers,
bones and bone products, petfood, blood products, processed animal protein, gelatine
and collagen other than from hides and skins, and other category 3 material and derived
products except for hides and skins, gelatine and collagen derived from hides and skins,
fat derivatives)
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:
[ ] All trading partners
[X] Specific regions or countries: Non-EU countries with controlled or
undetermined BSE risk status which are authorised for import of the above
mentioned commodities into the European Union
5. Title of the notified document: Commission Regulation (EU) No 2015/728 of
6 May 2015 amending the definition of specified risk material set out in Annex V to
Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down
rules for the prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform
encephalopathies Language(s): English, French and Spanish Number of pages: 2
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2015/SPS/EEC/15_2106_00_e.pdf
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2015/SPS/EEC/15_2106_00_f.pdf
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2015/SPS/EEC/15_2106_00_s.pdf
6. Description of content: Regulation (EU) No 2015/728 facilitates trade by
approximating the EU list of Specified Risk Materials (SRM) as regards bovine intestine
with the relevant international standard.
In line with international standards, the EU SRM list applies only for import into the
European Union from non-EU countries with controlled or undetermined BSE risk status.
As far as bovine intestines are concerned, the EU SRM list comprised so far the entirety
of bovine intestines and mesentery. With Regulation (EU) No 2015/728, the EU SRM list,
as far as bovine intestines are concerned, comprises only the last four meters of the
small intestine (i.e. the ileum and a small part of the jejunum), the caecum and the
mesentery.
Regulation (EU) No 2015/728 is based on a scientific opinion of the European Food
Safety Authority (http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/3554.htm) which
indicates that, in BSE infected cattle, the BSE infectivity in the bovine intestines and
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mesentery is concentrated in the last four meters of the bovine intestines, in the caecum
and in the mesentery.
7. Objective and rationale: [X] food safety, [X] animal health, [ ] plant protection,
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from
other damage from pests.
8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial number of Codex
standard or related text)
[X] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic
Animal Health Code, chapter number) Article 11.4.14 of the OIE Terrestrial
Animal Health Code
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)
[ ] None
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?
[ ] Yes [X] No
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the
international standard: There is a slight deviation from international standard, based
on scientific evidence. Regulation (EU) No 2015/728 is indeed directly based on a
scientific opinion of the European Food Safety Authority
(http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/3554.htm) which indicates that, in BSE
infected cattle, the BSE infectivity in the bovine intestines and mesentery is
concentrated in the last four meters of the bovine intestines, in the caecum and in the
mesentery.
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/3554.htm
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy): 6 May 2015
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy): 7 May 2015
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication,
and/or (dd/mm/yy): 27 May 2015
[X] Trade facilitating measure
12. Final date for comments: [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy): Not applicable
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X] National Notification
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address
(if available) of other body:
European Commission
DG Health and Food Safety, Unit G6-Multilateral International Relations
Rue Froissart 101
B-1049 Brussels
Tel: +(32 2) 29 54263
Fax: +(32 2) 29 98090
E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu
G/SPS/N/EU/128
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13. Text(s) available from: [X] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry
Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:
European Commission
DG Health and Food Safety, Unit G6-Multilateral International Relations
Rue Froissart 101
B-1049 Brussels
Tel: +(32 2) 29 54263
Fax: +(32 2) 29 98090
E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu