L 281)24 Official Journal of the European Communities 25.10.2001 COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 16 October 2001 laying down animal health conditions and veterinary certification for imports of live ratites and hatching eggs thereof from third countries including animal health measures to be applied after such importation, amending Commission Decision 95/233/EC drawing up a list of third countries from which the Member States authorise imports of live poultry and hatching eggs and amending Commission Decision 96/659/EC on protective measures in relation to Crimean Congo haemor- rhagic fever (notified under document number C(2001) 3074) (Text with EEA relevance) (2001/751/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Directive 90/539/EEC of 15 October 1990 on animal health conditions governing intra-Community trade in, and imports from third countries of poultry and hatching eggs (1), as last amended by Decision 2000/505/EC (3), and in particular Articles 21(1), 23(1), 24(2), 26(2) and 27a thereof, Having regard to Council Directive 91/496/EEC of 15 July 1991 laying down the principles governing the organisation of veterinary checks on animals entering the Community and amending Directives 89/662/EEC, 90[/425/EEC and 90/ 675/EEC (}), as last amended by the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden, and in particular Article 10 thereof, Whereas: (1)  Commission Decision 96/482[EC (%) established animal health conditions and veterinary certificates for the importation of poultry and hatching eggs thereof from third countries, excluding ratites and hatching eggs thereof due to the biological differences between these birds and other poultry species. (2) Based on the opinion of the Scientific Veterinary Committee and on the information provided by the exporting countries concerned, import conditions for ratites and hatching eggs thereof can now be laid down. () O] L 303, 31.10.1990, p. 6. () O] L 201, 9.8.2000, p. 8. () O] L 268, 24.9.1991, p. 56. (% O] L 196, 7.8.1996, p. 13. (3)  Council Regulation (EEC) No 2782/75 of 29 October 1975 on the production and marketing of eggs for hatching and of farmyard poultry chicks (%) lays down the requirements for marking of hatching eggs and its implementing Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1868/ 77 (%) laying down detailed rules of application in partic- ular concerning marking of hatching eggs and the requirements with respect to identification, shall apply to hatching eggs of ratites. (4)  Commission Decision 96/659/EC of 22 November 1996 concerning protective measures in relation to Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever (7), as last amended by Decision 97/183[EC (¥), prohibits Member States importing ratites from Asia or Africa, unless extra guar- antees are provided in relation to Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever; with a view to ensure a consistent implementation, its requirements should be integrated into this Decision. (5)  In order to avoid repetition of requirements in different legal acts, Decision 96/659/EC should be amended insofar as to exclude ratites covered by this present Decision from the scope of Decision 96/659/EC. (6)  For reasons of consistency Decision 96/659/EC should also be amended with regard to ratite meat insofar as to exclude ratite meat covered by Commission Decision 2000/609/EC (°), as last amended by Decision 2000/ 782/EC (19). OJ L 282, 1.11.1975, p. 100. OJ L 209, 17.8.1977, p. 1. OJ L 302, 26.11.1996, p. 27. OJ L 76, 18.3.1997, p. 32. OJ L 258, 12.10.2000, p. 49.