Article 12.2 of Regulation (EC) No 854/2004.

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1 1 To put in place documented procedures and relevant official controls in order to guarantee that only eligible animals are slaughtered for export to the EU and in particular, that the conditions of point II.2.2.and II 2.3. of the export certificate BOV as laid down in Commission Regulation (EU) No 206/2010 are met. Considering the importance of coordinating matters relating to compliance, the Department of Veterinary Services is to establish an inspection Official Controls/Compliance office by 30 th April. This office will be responsible for, among others, the oversight on compliance to EU requirements as well as coordination of internal auditing of the official controls. In order to fully address this recommendation, the system adopted to provide guarantees that only eligible animals are slaughtered for export to the EU, is as follows: Cattle farming involves feedlots, commercial/fenced farms and common communal grazing areas. Since majority of animals reaching slaughter facilities for export to the EU are through feedlot system, then the implementation of this recommendation comprise three phases, first feedlot holdings registration, then commercial/fenced farms and lastly the communal grazing areas. Livestock Identification and Traceback System using an RFID reticulum bolus will continue to be used, to support these controls. Register 1 Feedlot Holdings a) Enforce 6 weeks movement restriction after inserting bolus with effect from 21 st March b) Develop and implement requirements for registration of holdings by 30 th April c) Register feedlots to guarantee traceability requirement of 40/90 days residency in a holding or territory by 30 th April d) Review animal movement permit (preprinted attestations, holdings requirement) by 30 th April e) Feedlot owner to report arrivals of cattle to Office within 48 hours of arrival with effect from 30 th 1 Registration of holdings means: DVS having a database of all holdings,(i.e. their names, owner, location, capacity, status of infrastructure). DVS receiving and releasing all cattle into/leaving with a permit. Records being kept of animals, use of veterinary medicinal products, movement into/out of holding, feeds used and others. Page: 1

2 A ction Proposed by the Competent Authority April f) Develop a procedure for separation of EU and non EU eligible animals and animal products by 30 th April g) Feedlot owner(s) to keep records of on-the-farm activities( including records of veterinary medicines used) and guarantee 40/90 day residence requirement with effect from 30 th April Register Commercial/Fenced Farms/Holdings a) Enforce 6 weeks movement restriction after inserting bolus with effect from 21 st March b) Farm owner to report arrivals of cattle to Office within 14 days of arrival with effect from 30 th April c) Develop and implement farmer declaration certificate by 30 th April d) Registration of fenced/commercial farms to guarantee traceability requirement of 40/90 days residency in a holding or territory 31 st May e) Enforce the 40/90 day residency requirement on registered holdings by 31 st May f) Review certification procedures at different levels e.g. field, abattoir by 31 st May h) Develop and implement a procedure for separation of EU and non EU eligible animals and animal products by 30 th April i) Cattle keepers to keep records of on-the-farm activities (including records for use of veterinary medicines) and guarantee 40/90 day residence requirement with effect from 30 th April 2 There are Central loading facilities (CLF) that are used for issuance of livestock movement permit. These are located at exit points from a zone, on the way to slaughter facility. These will serve the exit from communal grazing areas. Fenced farms which use these would be required to place a request with the office prior to movement, indicating the animal identification for those they wish to move. This will assist to avoid substitution on the way to the CLF for permit issuance. Page: 2

3 Register 2 Communal grazing areas g) Enforce 6 weeks movement restriction after inserting bolus with effect from 21 st March h) Cattle keeper/owner to report arrivals of cattle to Office within 14 days of arrival with effect from 30 th April i) Develop and implement farmer declaration certificate by 30 th April j) Cattle keepers to keep records of on-the-farm activities (including records for use of veterinary medicines) and guarantee 40/90 day residence requirement with effect from 30 th April k) Registration of communal grazing areas to guarantee traceability requirement of 40/90 days residency in a holding or territory 30 th September l) Register all cattle keepers in communal grazing areas by 30 th September m) Enforce the 40/90 day residency requirement on registered communal grazing areas by 30 th September Legislation In order to provide for the definition and registration of holdings, and strengthening of animal identification legislation to make it mandatory to identify an animal from the age of 3 months, the Branding of Cattle Act or the regulation on LITS will be reviewed accordingly. a) Review legislation on animal identification and traceability by 30 th September b) Implement the revised animal identification legislation with effect from 1 st October 2 To ensure that establishments listed for export to the EU fulfil the requirements of The approval of establishments for export to EU is to be strengthened, to allow for ensuring that during Page: 3

4 Article 12.2 of Regulation (EC) No 854/2004. auditing by the CA and CCA, compliance to EU requirements is attained. A template used for auditing the FBO will incorporate elements from Article 12.2 of Regulation (EC) No 854/2004. The Establishment Approval office is to be strengthened. This will allow for strict oversight on the FBO to guarantee the requirements of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 as well. a) Review operations of Establishment Approval Office with effect from 30 th April b) Develop Establishment Approval procedure in accordance with Livestock and Meat Industries Act, and conditions of importing countries, such as EU regulations by 30 th April c) Develop verification procedures for evaluating FBO compliance (Livestock and Meat Industries, EU regulations) by 30 th April d) Carry out audits in establishments in line with schedule issued on 30 th April e) Issue licenses that incorporate Export status of establishments/facility i.e. slaughter floor, cutting, cold store by 31 st May f) Issue separate license for the establishments(slaughterhouse, cutting plant, cold store) by 31 st May g) Issue separate license for Meat Products plant by 16 th December. 3 To ensure that meat products produced for export to the EU are produced from fresh meat eligible for export to the EU and in particular fulfilling the conditions of points II and II.2.1 and II.2.2 of the export To ensure that the meat products plant complies with the initial structure lay out and the level of production based on its design, close supervision by the CA will be strengthened. More OVs will be posted to the establishments to help in supervision of the FBO. This will also assist in providing guarantees that meat products are produced following the Commission Decision 2007/777/EC. Page: 4

5 certificate as laid down in Annex III to Commission Decision 2007/777/EC a) Develop verification procedure for evaluating FBO compliance (Livestock and Meat Industries, EU regulations) by 30 th April b) Conduct a comprehensive audit of the meat product plant (Cannery) by 31 st May c) Ensure the FBO implements HACCP plan for the cannery by 31 st May d) Ensure the FBO implements full, comprehensive product traceability system for both fresh and meat products with effect from 31 st May e) Carry out an audit in meat products establishment to evaluate effective implementation of HACCP plan by 30 th September f) Carry out an audit in meat products establishment to evaluate effective implementation of HACCP plan by 30 th November 4 To provide the officials with adequate training relating in particular to controls on HACCP based procedures, including testing against microbiological criteria as laid down in Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005, traceability of beef and bovine animals and in particular guarantees for the 90/40 days residence requirements for cattle intended for slaughter for the EU certification procedures as laid down in the Directive 96/93/EC and the particular requirements of the BOV export certificate In order to provide the officials with skills and competences needed, training of all staff involved in the official controls, both at the field and the establishments to provide the needed guarantees when certifying certificates or movement permits or any document will be carried out. a) Ensure FBO carry out a comprehensive review of existing product traceability system by 30 th April b) Conduct consultation with stakeholders on traceability by 30 th April c) Train OV at Establishment on the reviewed system by 31 st May d) Train certifying officers on EU directives and regulation by 31 st May e) Train certifying officers on official controls by 31 st May f) Train officers at establishments on HACCP, traceability of beef and bovine animals by 10 th June. Page: 5

6 as laid down in Commission Regulation (EU) No 206/ To ensure that certifying officers comply with the requirements of Article 3 of Council Directive 96/93/EC in particular that they do not certify data of which they have no knowledge or which could not be ascertained by them 6 To ensure that records are kept on farms of treatments with veterinary medicinal products in order to provide guarantees at least equivalent to that required by Article 10 of Council Directive 96/23/EC. g) Carryout publicity campaigns for stakeholders on official controls by 30 th September. For providing guarantees that certifying officers do not certify data of which they have no knowledge or which could not be ascertained by them, and to ensure that there is compliance with Council Directive 96/93/EC, the following will be done: a) Develop and implement procedure(s) for verification of Data and records before certificates could be signed by the OV by 30 th April b) Develop procedure for appointing Certifying officers by 30 th April c) Conduct performance audits of officials controls according issued schedule with effect from 1 st May To oblige farmers to keep records of treatments with veterinary medicinal products a stockcard that was issued to extension officers and farmers, its use has been enforced through statement in the press. Legislation will also be reviewed to make it mandatory to keep farm records. Prohibition of presenting animals for slaughter before withdrawal periods are observed has been stated in the statement to the press in the month of March. OV will carry out visits to farms to evaluate the records. The following actions are planned to guarantee compliance and safety to the consumer: a) Enforce the use of the stockcards at farms/holdings by farmers/veterinarian to capture the use of veterinary medicinal products with effect from 21 st March b) Prohibit movement of cattle for slaughter before VMP withdrawal periods are respected by 21 st March c) Develop verification procedure for evaluating on-farm records by 30 th April Page: 6

7 7 Ensure in cases where there is suspicion that carcasses may contain residues of veterinary medicines that measures are put in place in order to give guarantees with an effect equivalent to those foreseen by Article 24 of Council Directive 96/23/EC. d) Review stockcards in line with Article 10 of Council Directive 96/23/EC to provide for elements not in the current stockcards by 30 th April e) Develop regulation to oblige farmers to maintain a register of animal treatments on farm by 30 th September To provide for procedures to follow in the event of a suspicion that carcasses may contain residues of veterinary medicinal products, to protect public health and to ensure that there is compliance with Article 24 of Council Directive 96/23/EC, DVS will carry out the following: a) Develop procedures to guide OV on action to take on suspicion of residues of vet medicine by 30 th April d) Develop and implement procedure(s) for verification of Data and records before certificates could be signed by the OV by 30 th April b) Expedite residues testing results from establishments to 4 weeks by 30 th April c) Keep record of events of non-compliance at all levels of official control with effect from 1 st May d) Securely Quarantine the offending animals/consignment(s) until appropriate action is taken with effect from 1 st May Page: 7