(1)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 318/2007 (3) lays down the animal health conditions for imports of certain birds other than poultry into the Community and the quarantine conditions applicable to such birds after import.

(2)

It is appropriate to explicitly state that only imports of captive bred birds is authorised under Regulation (EC) No 318/2007. For the sake of clarity, it should also be explicitly stated that birds may only be imported into the Community under Regulation (EC) No 318/2007 if they come from approved breeding establishments.

(3)

After imports, the imported birds are to be transported directly to an approved quarantine facility or centre in a Member State, where they must remain until infection with avian influenza or Newcastle disease virus is ruled out.

(4)

Regulation (EC) No 318/2007 provides that in case avian influenza or Newcastle disease is suspected in an approved quarantine facility or in a unit of an approved quarantine centre, all birds in the quarantine facility or unit of a quarantine centre are to be killed and destroyed before the suspicion is confirmed by laboratory testing.

(5)

However, because these birds suspected to be infected by avian influenza or Newcastle disease are kept in an approved quarantine facility or in a unit of an approved quarantine centre, there is no risk of the disease spreading further.

(6)

Therefore, it is appropriate to wait until the suspicion is confirmed to rule out any other cause of disease symptoms before commencing to kill and destroy the birds in the affected premises.

(7)

Annex V to Regulation (EC) No 318/2007 sets out a list of quarantine facilities and centres approved by the competent authorities of the Member States for import of certain birds other than poultry. Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom have reviewed their approved quarantine facilities and centres and have sent an updated list of those quarantine facilities and centres to the Commission. The list of approved quarantine facilities and centres set out in Annex V to Regulation (EC) No 318/2007 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(8)

Regulation (EC) No 318/2007 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(9)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

1.

in Article 4, the introductory phrase is replaced by the following:

‘Approved breeding establishments shall comply with the following conditions:’;

2.

Article 5 is amended as follows:

3.

Article 13 is replaced by the following:

4.

in Article 14(1), the first subparagraph is replaced by the following:

5.

Annex V is replaced by the text in the Annex to this Regulation.