16.12.2008 Official Journal of the European Union L 337/41 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1251/2008 of 12 December 2008 implementing Council Directive 2006/88/EC as regards conditions and certification requirements for the placing on the market and the import into the Community of aquaculture animals and products thereof and laying down a list of vector species (Text with EEA relevance) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Directive 2006/88/EC of 24 October 2006 on animal health requirements for aquaculture animals and products thereof, and on the prevention and control of certain diseases in aquatic animals (1), and in particular Article 17(2), Articles 22 and 25 and Article 61(3) thereof, Whereas: ( 1) Directive 2006/88/EC lays down the animal health requirements to be applied for the placing on the market and the import and the transit through the Community of aquaculture animals and products thereof. Directive 2006/88/EC repeals and replaces Council Directive 91/67/EEC concerning the animal health conditions governing the placing on the market of aquaculture animals and products () from 1 August 2008. According to Directive 2006/88/EC aquaculture animal means any aquatic animal, including ornamental aquatic animals, at all its life stages, including eggs and sperm/ gametes, reared in a farm or mollusc farming area, including any aquatic animal from the wild intended for a farm or mollusc farming area. Aquatic animals mean fish, molluscs and crustaceans. Commission Decision 1999/567/EC of 27 July 1999 laying down the model of the certificate referred to in Article 16(1) of Directive 91/67[EEC () and Commission Decision 2003/390/EC of 23 May 2003 establishing special conditions for placing on the market of aqua- culture animals species considered not susceptible to certain diseases and the products thereof (¥) lay down certain rules for the placing on the market of aquaculture animals, including certification requirements. Commission Decision 2003/804/EC of 14 November 2003 laying down the animal health conditions and certification requirements for imports of molluscs, their eggs and gametes for further growth, fattening, relaying 328, 24.11.2006, p. 14. 46, 19.2.1991, p. 1. 216, 14.8.1999, p. 13. 135, 3.6.2003, p. 19. or human consumption (°), Commission Decision 2003/858EC of 21 November 2003 laying down the animal health conditions and certification requirements for introduction of live fish, their eggs and gametes intended for farming, and live fish of aquaculture origin and  products  thereof intended for  human consumption (9) and Commission Decision 2006/656EC of 20 September 2006 laying down the animal health conditions and certification requirements for imports of fish for ornamental purpose () lay down conditions for imports of aquaculture animals into the Community. Those Decisions implement Directive 91/67[EEC. Directive 2006/88/EC provides that the placing on the market of aquaculture animals is to be subject to animal health certification when the animals are introduced into a Member State, zone or compartment declared disease- free in accordance with that Directive or subject to a surveillance or eradication programme. Accordingly, it is appropriate to lay down certification requirements and harmonised model animal health certificates in this Regulation to replace the certification requirements laid down under Directive 91/67/EEC and the Decisions im- plementing that Directive. Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin (%) lays down specific rules on the hygiene of food of animal origin for food business operators, including packaging and labelling requirements. The animal health certifi- cation requirements provided for in the present Regu- lation for the placing on the market and import of aqua- culture animals and products thereof intended for further processing before human consumption should not apply to those animals and products packed and labelled in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 853/2004, subject to certain conditions. Directive 2006/88/EC provides that Member States are to ensure that the placing on the market of ornamental aquatic animals does not jeopardise the health status of aquatic animals with regard to non-exotic diseases listed in Part II of Annex IV thereto. 302, 20.11.2003, p. 22. 324, 11.12.2003, p. 37. () O] L () OJL () O] L 271, 30.9.2006, p. 71. () OJL 139, 30.4.2004, p. 55.