(1)

Article 77(1)(a), (b) and (k) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 empowers the Commission to adopt rules for the performance of specific official controls for certain categories of animals and goods entering the Union and on measures to be taken in case of non-compliance.

(2)

In the interest of ensuring efficient official controls of consignments of unskinned, furred wild game introduced into the Union, specific control requirements should be laid down where physical controls are finalised at the establishment of destination since complete physical checks and sampling cannot be performed at border control posts.

(3)

In the interest of ensuring efficient official controls of fresh fishery products directly landed in Union ports, it should be allowed for official controls to be performed in ports designated by Member States in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008 (2).

(4)

Article 77(1)(k) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 empowers the Commission to adopt rules for the performance of specific official controls for animals and goods referred to in Article 48(h) of that Regulation posing a low risk or no specific risk and exempted from official controls at border control posts, when such an exemption is justified.

(5)

Where official controls are not performed at border control posts, conditions, such as adequate control arrangements, should be established to ensure that no unacceptable risks to public, animal and plant health are incurred where such animals and goods enter the Union.

(6)

In the case of frozen tuna posing low risk or no specific risk in accordance with Article 48(h) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625, official controls may be carried out at the processing establishment of destination, which is to be approved by the customs authorities for the temporary storage of non-Union goods in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3).

(7)

In the case of fishery products posing low risk or no specific risk in accordance with Article 48(h) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 caught by vessels flying the flag of a Member State and introduced into the Union after being unloaded in third countries, as referred to in Article 72 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/627 (4), measures should be taken in case of suspected non-compliance.

(8)

Animals and goods entering the Union through certain Greek islands and through certain French territories pose a low risk given that such animals and goods are not placed on the market outside these islands or territories. Adequate official control requirements and measures should be established to ensure that such animals and goods are not placed on the market outside these islands or territories.

(9)

In order to rationalise and simplify the application of the legislative framework the rules on official controls under Article 77(1)(k) and Article 48(h) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 should be adopted together with the rules on official controls on other categories of goods listed in Article 77(1)(a) and (b) of that Regulation.

(10)

These rules are substantially linked and many are intended to be applied in tandem. In the interest of simplicity and transparency, as well as to facilitate their application and avoid a multiplication of rules, they should therefore be laid down in a single act rather than in a number of separate acts with many cross-references and the risk of duplication.

(11)

Given that this Regulation lays down rules covered by Commission Decision 94/641/EC (5) and Commission Implementing Decision 2012/44/EU, (6) those legal acts should be repealed.

(12)

Since Regulation (EU) 2017/625 applies from 14 December 2019, this Regulation should also apply from that date,

(1)

‘IMSOC’ means the information management system for official controls referred to in Article 131 of Regulation (EU) 2017/625;

(2)

‘fresh fishery products’ means fresh fishery products as defined in point 3.5 of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council (7);

(3)

‘frozen tuna’ means tuna kept in compliance with the requirements set out in point (2) of Chapter VII of Section VIII of Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004.

(a)

the official controls are carried out by the competent authority of the nearest border control post;

(b)

the processing establishment of destination is approved by the customs authorities for the temporary storage of non-Union goods in accordance with Article 147(1) and Article 148 of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013;

(c)

the frozen tuna is dispatched from the vessel to the processing establishment of destination in sealed vehicles or transport containers, under the supervision of the competent authority carrying out the official controls and under the relevant customs procedure in accordance with Articles 134, 135, 140, 141 and Article 148(5) of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013;

(d)

prior to the arrival of the consignment at designated Union ports, the operator responsible for the consignment has notified the competent authority referred to in point (a) of this Article of the arrival of the consignment by submitting in the IMSOC a completed Common Health Entry Document (CHED) as referred to in Article 56 of Regulation (EU) 2017/625.

(a)

notify the competent authority of the authorised point of entry of the arrival of the consignment by submitting a completed CHED in the IMSOC prior to the arrival of the consignment at the authorised point of entry;

(b)

keep a register approved by the competent authority of the authorised point of entry showing if applicable the quantities of animals, products of animal origin and composite products for placing on the market and the names and addresses of the purchaser(s);

(c)

inform the purchaser(s) that:

(d)

in the case of the French overseas departments of Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique and Mayotte, inform the purchaser(s) that: