(1)

Italy will host the universal exhibition named ‘EXPO Milano 2015’ which will take place in Milan from 1 May to 31 October 2015. The central theme of this exhibition is ‘Feeding the planet — Energy for life’. It is planned that about 150 countries will participate in the ‘EXPO Milano 2015’ and, in relation with the theme, it is expected that food products, including products of animal origin, will have to be introduced into the Union from third countries.

(2)

The authorisation to export products of animal origin to the Union is granted to third countries based on a number of requirements laid down in the Union legislation, which take into account animal and public health concerns. However, not all the countries taking part in ‘EXPO Milano 2015’ are fully authorised to export products of animal origin to the Union. It is therefore opportune to establish certain derogations to the current import health requirements in order to authorise the introduction of those products exclusively for the purpose of their use in ‘EXPO Milano 2015’.

(3)

As regards the animal health aspects, the products of animal origin that give rise to a risk of introduction of animal diseases into the Union, such as fresh meat and meat products, milk and dairy products and other products of animal origin, are only allowed to be imported into the Union if all the relevant animal health guarantees provided for in the Union import legislation are fulfilled. The same applies to products of animal origin in transit through the Union on the condition that they are transported into a third country. To be authorised to be imported or transit through the Union the products of animal origin are to originate from third countries specifically listed in the relevant animal health import legislation and have undergone the specific treatments provided for in such legislation.

(4)

Therefore, in order to protect the animal health status of the Union, only products of animal origin which fulfil the Union animal health import or transit requirements should be authorised to enter the Union for the purpose of their use in ‘EXPO Milano 2015’.

(5)

Considering the risks involved with the introduction into the Union of products of animal origin not in conformity with the Union public health requirements and, at the same time, the need to protect public health, it is necessary to ensure that those products are in conformity with the public health requirements of the third country of origin and that they are fit for human consumption in that country. This would result in the same risk travellers from the Union would face while travelling and consuming such goods in the relevant third country. In addition, the competent Italian authorities have provided guarantees aimed at avoiding that the abovementioned risks can affect human health within the Union in a negative way.

(6)

Therefore, the Italian Authorities shall ensure that not any of the non-conform products are consumed and marketed outside ‘EXPO Milano 2015’.

(7)

Considering the important public health risks linked to bivalve molluscs, the introduction into the Union of bivalve molluscs in any form destined for ‘EXPO Milano 2015’ should only be allowed if those products fulfil the public health import requirements laid down in the relevant Union legislation. For that reason, those products should be exempted from the scope of this Regulation.

(8)

Taking into account the animal and public health risks represented by products of animal origin from third countries for which special protection or safeguard measures have been or will be adopted due to animal and public health concerns in accordance with Article 22 of Council Directive 97/78/EC (4), it is opportune to exempt those products from the scope of this Regulation.

(9)

In order to reduce the risks linked to the introduction into the Union of products of animal origin that do not fulfil all the animal and public health requirements of the Union, those products should be subject to strict control measures and be traceable in all stages of transport, storage, delivery and disposal of their remainder or waste and be used only for the purposes of ‘EXPO Milano 2015’, preventing their marketing in the Union.

(10)

In order to allow that those products may enter the Union while preventing at the same time their placing on the Union market, they should be placed under the temporary importation procedure in accordance with Article 576(1) of Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 (5) until they are consumed on the spot at ‘EXPO Milano 2015’ or any remainders of those products disposed of in accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council (6) as category 1 material or re-exported. Where necessary such products should be moved under the external transit procedure referred to in Article 91(1) of Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 (7) from the point where they entered the Union to Italy before they are placed under temporary importation. The consumption or destruction of such products is to be considered as re-exportation in accordance with Article 582(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93.

(11)

In addition, to ensure that those non-conform products are not placed on the Union market, they should only be transported directly to ‘EXPO Milano 2015’ or, if necessary for logistic reasons, to specifically approved customs warehouses as provided for by Articles 12 and 13 of Directive 97/78/EC for intermediate storage before their final delivery to ‘EXPO Milano 2015’.

(12)

In order to ensure the traceability of the non-conforming products of animal origin, the competent authorities should use the integrated computerised veterinary system (Traces) introduced by Commission Decision 2004/292/EC (8) (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Traces system’) for recording the relevant data pertaining to the products from the moment of their introduction into the Union until they are consumed on the ‘EXPO Milano 2015’ exhibition site or disposed of after the end of the event.

(13)

In order to inform the visitors and staff of ‘EXPO Milano 2015’ of the possible risk for consumption of any non-conform products and to ensure that those products are not consumed and marketed outside the ‘EXPO Milano 2015’ site due to the public health risk they may pose, the Italian authorities should provide information that certain products of animal origin originating from third countries do not comply with Union public health standards but only with those of the relevant third countries of origin and that the consumption and marketing of those products is prohibited outside the ‘EXPO Milano 2015’ exhibition site.

(14)

As the ‘EXPO Milano 2015’ will be a temporary event, the provisions laid down in this Regulation should only apply for a limited period of time.

(15)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,

(a)

come from a third country taking officially part in the EXPO Milano 2015 and are destined to the exhibition stand of that third country in the exhibition site of EXPO Milano 2015; and

(b)

are packaged in sealed containers or packages that do not allow any leakage of the content and are marked with the words ‘for exclusive destination EXPO Milano 2015’ in red and white and in a readable size proportionate to the dimension of those containers or packages; and

(c)

if listed in Annex II, comply with all of the following conditions:

(d)

if not listed in Annex II, comply with the all of the following conditions:

(a)

they are introduced in the Union through a border inspection post listed in Annex I to Decision 2009/821/EC or in any relevant agreement between the Union and third countries, and

(b)

they are notified to the border inspection post of entry at least two working days before their arrival.

(a)

ensure that the consignments are sent from the customs warehouse referred to in Annex I directly to the exhibition site of EXPO Milano 2015;

(b)

ensure that the consignments are transported to the exhibition site of EXPO Milano 2015 under the supervision of the competent authorities in vehicles or containers sealed by those authorities;

(c)

ensure that the official veterinarian at the customs warehouse informs the local veterinary unit Milano Città IT03603 at the exhibition site of EXPO Milano 2015, via Traces of the planned arrival of the consignment at the exhibition site of EXPO Milano 2015;

(d)

take note of and record the information received via Traces of the arrival of the consignment from the local veterinary unit Milano Città IT03603 at the exhibition site of EXPO Milano 2015;

(e)

record the data referred to in point A of Annex IV in relation to the consignment sent to the exhibition site of EXPO Milano 2015.

(a)

carry out a documentary and identity check at the time of arrival of each consignment of products referred to in Article 2 at the exhibition site of EXPO Milano 2015 and verify the integrity of the seals and the correspondence of the consignment received with the information in the CVED in Traces;

(b)

ensure that the consignment is effectively introduced in the exhibition site of EXPO Milano 2015;

(c)

inform the border inspection post of entry or the border inspection post responsible for the customs warehouse of dispatch by means of Traces of the arrival of the consignment in the exhibition site of EXPO Milano 2015 and the integrity of that consignment;

(d)

record all data referred to in point B of Annex IV pertaining to the consignments received;

(e)

ensure that the food is only used for display and/or tasting on the spot.

(1)

keep the register referred to in Article 6(d) updated with information on the use of the consignments;

(2)

ensure that the consignments do not represent evident alterations or damages which may make them unfit for their proposed use;

(3)

seize and destroy the consignments which, for any reason, cannot be considered as suitable for tasting on the spot;

(4)

identify a person at the exhibition stand where the products are destined for who is responsible for the implementation of the measures provided for in Article 8(2);

(5)

inform the responsible person referred to in point 4 of the obligations provided for in Article 8(2);

(6)

identify all the places in the exhibition site of EXPO Milano 2015, where the products of the consignment will be displayed or used for tasting on the spot;

(7)

guarantee the full traceability of the consignments within the exhibition site of EXPO Milano 2015;

(8)

guarantee that the products may only be used for display or tasting on the spot;

(9)

ensure that no product is sold or made available to EXPO Milano 2015 visitors and EXPO Milano 2015 staff for other purposes than display or tasting on the spot;

(10)

ensure that all consignments or parts thereof not used for display or tasting on the spot are collected and disposed of as category 1 material in accordance with points (a) to (c) of Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 or re-exported to a third country not later than 31 December 2015;

(11)

ensure that the special containers containing consignments or parts thereof referred to in point 10 may leave the exhibition site of EXPO Milano 2015 only if they are hermetically sealed and destined to a place of destination where the material will be disposed of in accordance with points (a) to (c) of Article 12 to Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 or re-exported to a third country not later than 31 December 2015;

(12)

at the end of the EXPO Milano 2015 and not later than 31 December 2015, inform the competent customs authorities about the consumption or disposal of the products.