The Regulations make the following principal amendments:
1. Regulation 2 amends the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995. It provides that, where meat is obtained in circumstances where animal health restrictions in connection with certain specified diseases apply, the health mark must be overstamped. Meat which has been overstamped or which has not been produced separately from overstamped meat may not be traded with other EEA States.
2. Regulation 3 amends the Poultry Meat, Farmed Game Bird Meat and Rabbit Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995. It provides that, where poultry meat is obtained in circumstances where animal health restrictions apply in connection with any disease to which poultry is susceptible -specifically avian influenza and Newcastle disease - the health mark must be overstamped. Meat which has been overstamped or which has not been produced separately from overstamped meat may not be traded with other EEA States. In addition, meat from a bird which has been vaccinated against Newcastle disease within 30 days of slaughter may not be traded with other EEA States.
3. Regulation 4 amends the Meat Products (Hygiene) Regulations 1994. It prohibits the use of overstamped meat in meat products which are to be traded with other EEA States, unless the meat products undergo one of the forms of treatment specified in regulation 4(5) (which amends Part VIII of Schedule 2 to those Regulations). Such meat products must be prepared under veterinary supervision and must be accompanied by a health certificate which confirms that they have been treated in accordance with the Regulations. All meat products are now required to be accompanied during transportation by commercial documentation, in addition to the requirement for a health certificate in specified circumstances.
4. Regulation 5 amends the Minced Meat and Meat Preparations (Hygiene) Regulations 1995. It restricts the use of overstamped meat in minced meat and meat preparations. Regulation 6 (made under section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972 (c. 68)) makes a number of consequential amendments to the Products of Animal Origin (Import and Export) Regulations 1996 (S.I. 1996/3124, as already amended).
All the Regulations amended by these Regulations extend to Great Britain only, but are amended only insofar as they extend to England.