Bird & Poultry Imports [EU]

Poultry

A Directive on the EU trade in poultry and hatching eggs applies to poultry including foul, turkeys, chickens, ducks geese, ostriches, day-old chicks i.e. less than 72 hours and hatching eggs

Establishments producing poultry and hatching eggs must obtain approval to conduct trade within EU.  This is granted by the Commission after examining the position.  They must satisfy conditions with regard to facilities and operations.

States must designate their own reference laboratory.  Poultry and hatching eggs which are the subject of EU trade must satisfy health conditions laid down in the directive.  They must come from groups of healthy animals and originate from approved establishments, not the subject of any animal health restrictions applicable to poultry.

The transportation of poultry and hatching eggs must comply with specific conditions relating to containers, packages, boxes, crates, cages and vehicles.  Poultry and hatching eggs must be accompanied by a veterinary certificate, conforming to the model in the directive.

Poultry and hatching eggs may be imported from outside the EU provided they have originated in an approved third country.  In order to be registered in the list of approved countries, they must guarantee compliance with health conditions at least equivalent to those in the EU.  In particular, they must

• satisfy conditions applicable to groups of animals under the establishment of origin.
• provide for rapid warning systems of contagious diseases
• preventive control of contagious diseases
• comply with rules in relation to health and veterinary services
• guarantee compliance with community rules

States must require compulsory notification of certain diseases including avian influenza and Newcastle’s disease.

Poultry and hatching eggs must be accompanied by a certificate signed by an official veterinarian of the exporting country during transport.  On the spot inspections may be carried out.

Ovine and Caprine

An  EU directive lays provides for pure-bred breeding sheep and goat, their ova, embryos and semen.

There is provision for flock books which cover any book, register, file or medium maintained by an officially approved breeder’s organization or association.  States may not prohibit, restrict, or impede on zootechnical grounds intra-EU trade.

The EU has set out criteria for recognizing breeder’s organization which establish or maintain flock books.

• criteria for entry or registration in a flock book.
• methods for monitoring performance and assessment of genetic value.
• criteria for approval of breeding animals.

The directive on EU trade in ovine and caprine animals defines animal health conditions.  They may only be traded within the EU provided they meet the following conditions.

• no clinical sign of disease during veterinary inspection prior to loading.
• not intended for slaughter under a disease eradication scheme.
• do not originate from a holding subject to prohibitions on health grounds.
• not subject to animal health measures in EU legislation
• have not been vaccinated against foot and mouth disease
• born and reared in the EU or come from an EU state appearing on approved list
• fulfill certain minimum criteria in respect of time spent in the holding
• dispatched as directly and quickly as possible in order to reduce the risk of contamination

Assembly centres where ovine and caprine animals are separated into consignments must follow animal health conditions and be inspected regularly.  The registration and approval scheme for animal dealers must ensure adequate sanitary conditions during trading and during time spent on their own premises.

The transportation of animals particularly vehicle hygiene, isolation of transported animals and animal health certificates must comply with the criteria in the directive.

Various

There is an EU directive on the intra-community trade and import of animals and semen, ova and embryo.  This covers animals not covered by other specific legislation such as that for cattle and swine, horses, sheep and goats, poultry and hatching eggs and live ungulates.

The directive lays down animal health requirements applicable to trade in zoo animals, ungulates and birds not covered by other directives including pet animals such as cats and dogs. Cats and dogs must meet the conditions provided in EU regulations on the non-commercial movement of pet animals.  Ireland, UK, and certain other countries require additional guarantees including national quarantine rules for animals susceptible to rabies.

Checks are carried out in accordance with EU directive applicable to EU trade.

Live Birds

Community provisions in the area of health policy governing the trade in birds from third countries with the aim of promoting the harmonious development of imports of certain species in the Community and preventing the risk of disease.

Commission Regulation (EC) No 318/2007 of 23 March 2007 laying down animal health conditions for imports of certain birds into the Community and the quarantine conditions thereof (Text with EEA relevance)

This Regulation governs imports of certain species of birds and fixes the quarantine conditions applicable to these imports.

Scope

This Regulation covers birds, with the exception of poultry which is governed by Directive 90/539/EEC.

The following are excluded from the scope of the said Regulation:

• birds imported for conservation programmes;
• pets;
• birds intended for zoos, circuses, amusement parks or experiments;
• birds intended for approved bodies, institutes or centres
• racing pigeons which are introduced into the Community to be released in order to fly back to the place where they are normally kept in the third country;
• birds imported from Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and the Vatican City State.

Import conditions

Imports of birds are limited to animals from breeding establishments approved by the competent authority in the third country, subject to the conditions set out in Annex II of the Regulation.

Birds imported into the Community must satisfy the following conditions:

• be captive bred birds;
• originate from third countries as per Annex I;
• negative results following a detection test for avian influenza and Newcastle disease virus carried out one to two weeks prior to their shipment;
• not have been vaccinated against avian influenza;
• be accompanied by an animal health certificate in accordance with the model set out in Annex III;
• be identified using either a leg-ring or a microchip;
• the leg-ring or microchip must include an identification number appearing on the animal health certificate;
• be transported in new containers bearing the identification number indicated on the animal health certificate.

Transport to quarantine facilities

Birds shall be transported directly from the border inspection post to an approved quarantine facility as listed in Annex V.

The transport of birds is to be carried out in vehicles sealed by the competent authorities. The total journey time must not exceed nine hours.

Quarantine provisions

The birds are to stay in quarantine for at least thirty days. At the beginning and the end of quarantine, an official veterinarian shall inspect the health condition of each consignment of birds. Further inspections may take place if the disease situation so requires.

During quarantine, the official veterinarian shall carry out tests for avian influenza and Newcastle disease (described in Annex VI). The tests are to be carried out on sentinel birds * or on at least sixty birds per consignment.

The official veterinarian at the quarantine centre is the only person authorised to lift the quarantine.

When the presence of avian Influenza or Newcastle disease is suspected or confirmed during quarantine, the following measures will be taken by the competent authorities:

• In case of suspicion
  • the facility is officially examined;
  • samples for virological examination are taken (Annex VI, point 2)
  • no birds are to enter or leave the facility before the suspicion is lifted.
• If the case is confirmed:
  • all birds are killed and destroyed;
  • the facility is cleaned and disinfected;
  • no birds shall enter the facility during the twenty-one days following the final cleaning and disinfection;
  • samples from birds in other units of the quarantine centre are taken for the purposes of serological or virological examination (Annex VI, point 2);
  • if the results of examinations reveal that birds from other units are infected, birds must not leave the quarantine centre.

If it is suspected that psittaciformes (parrots, parakeets and cockatoos) are infected with chlamydiosis, all birds in the consignment are to be treated according to a method approved by the competent authority. The quarantine period is extended for at least two months following the last recorded case of disease.

Member States must inform the Commission within twenty-four hours following the outbreak of a case of avian influenza or Newcastle disease in a quarantine centre.