(1)

Directive 92/65/EEC lays down the animal health requirements governing trade in and imports into the Community of animals, semen, ova and embryos not subject to the animal health requirements laid down in the specific Community acts referred to therein. It also provides for the establishment of a list of those third countries or parts of third countries, able to provide guarantees equivalent to those referred to therein, and from which Member States may import semen, ova and embryos of the porcine species.

(2)

Part III of the Annex to Commission Decision 94/63/EC of 31 January 1994 drawing up a list of third countries from which Member States authorise imports of semen, ova and embryos of the ovine and caprine species and ova and embryos of the porcine species (2) establishes a list of third countries from which Member States are to authorise imports of ova and embryos of the porcine species, and third countries from which imports of porcine semen are authorised, in accordance with Commission Decision 2002/613/EC of 19 July 2002 laying down the importation conditions of semen of domestic animals of the porcine species (3).

(3)

Decision 94/63/EC has been amended several times to take account of new scientific and technical developments. At present, it applies to semen, ova and embryos of the ovine and caprine species and ova and embryos of the porcine species.

(4)

The Commission intends to lay down in a separate act the animal health conditions applicable to imports into the Community of semen, ova and embryos of the ovine and caprine species, including the list of third countries from which Member States are to authorise imports of those commodities.

(5)

Decision 2002/613/EC establishes a list of third countries from which Member States are to authorise imports of porcine semen. That list was set up based on the animal health status of third countries from which Member States are to authorise the imports of live pigs. As there is no scientific evidence suggesting that with regard to major exotic contagious diseases the risks arising from the health status of the donor porcine female and male could be mitigated by treatment of the embryo, it is appropriate and in the interests of consistency and coherency of Community legislation, to refer to that list in the present Decision when laying down a list of third countries from which Member States are to authorise imports of ova and embryos of that species.

(6)

For the sake of clarity of Community legislation, it is appropriate to repeal Decision 94/63/EC.

(7)

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