APHIS Issues Final Rule Regarding Swine Fever Requirements on Swine/Products from the EU-15
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a final rule, effective June 19, 2006, which amends 9 CFR Parts 93, 94, and 98 in order to apply a uniform set of importation requirements related to classical swine fever (CSF) to a region consisting of all of the 15 Member States of the European Union (EU) that comprised the EU as of April 30, 2004 (the EU-15).
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Among other things, APHIS states that this final rule will prohibit for a specified period of time the importation of live swine and swine products from any area in the EU-15 that is identified by the veterinary authorities of the region as a "restricted zone for CSF".
APHIS adds that it has determined that these changes are necessary to help prevent the introduction of CSF into the U.S., while increasing U.S. responsiveness to changes in the CSF situation in the EU.
The following are "highlights" of the final rule (partial list):
EU-15 to be considered single, low-risk region for CSF. APHIS is adding new regulations to state that the EU-15 is a single region of low risk for CSF. The EU-15 is defined as the following EU Member States: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, and Northern Ireland).
"Restricted zone for CSF". APHIS is adding a new definition for "restricted zone for classical swine fever" which reads: An area, delineated by the relevant competent veterinary authorities of the region in which the area is located, that surrounds and includes the location of an outbreak of CSF in domestic swine or detection of the disease in wild boar, and from which the movement of domestic swine is prohibited.
Pork, pork products, live swine & swine semen from EU -15 to be subject to uniform set of import requirements. A uniform set of importation requirements related to CSF will apply to the EU-15 with regard to pork, pork products, live swine (breeding swine only), and swine semen. The conditions for pork and pork products are set forth in revised 9 CFR 94.25(a), the conditions for live swine (breeding swine only) are set forth in revised 9 CFR 94.25(b), and the conditions for swine semen are contained in revised 9 CFR 98.38.
Among other restrictions, APHIS provides that the (1) pork or pork products must not have been derived from swine that were in, (2) live swine must not have been in, and (3) swine semen must not have been collected from a donor boar in:
any region when the region was classified in 9 CFR 94.9(a) and 94.10(a) as one in which classical swine fever is known to exist, except for the EU-15,
a restricted zone in the EU-15 established because of the detection of CSF in domestic swine, from the time of detection until the designation of the zone as a restricted zone is removed by the competent veterinary authority of an EU-15 Member State or until 6 months following depopulation of the swine on affected premises in the restricted zone and the cleaning and disinfection of the last affected premises in the zone, whichever is later, or
a restricted zone in the EU-15 established because of the detection of CSF in wild boar, from the time of detection until the designation of the zone as a restricted zone is removed by the competent veterinary authority of the EU-15 Member State.
unless the swine were slaughtered after the above-described time periods
unless the swine were exported to the U.S. after the above-described time periods
unless the semen were collected after the above-described time periods
Certification required for swine and swine products. The pork and pork products, live swine (breeding swine only), and swine semen must be accompanied by a certificate from a veterinary officer or authority which states that the requirements of this section have been met. In the case of pork and pork products and live swine, APHIS states that the certificate must be presented by the importer to an authorized inspector at the port of arrival, upon arrival of the swine, pork, or pork products at the port.
APHIS notes that this certification may be placed on the foreign meat inspection certificate required by 9 CFR 327.4 (for pork and pork products), the certificate required by 9 CFR 93.505(a) (for live swine), or the certificate required by 9 CFR 98.35(c) (for swine semen), or may be contained in a separate document.
(See APHIS final rule for additional requirements and a discussion of comments received in response to the April 2005 proposed rule. See ITT's Online Archives or 04/13/05 news, 05041320, for BP summary of APHIS' proposed rule on the EU-15 regulations for CSF.)
APHIS Contact -Dr. Chip Wells (301) 734-4356
APHIS Final Rule (D/N 02-046-2, FR Pub 05/19/06) available athttp://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/06-4681.pdf