24. 7. 98 Official Journal of the European Communities L 208/43 COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 98/51/EC of 9 July 1998 laying down certain measures for implementing Council Directive 95/69/EC laying down the conditions and arrangements for approving and registering certain establishments and intermediaries operating in the animal feed sector (Text with EEA relevance) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Directive 95/69/EC of 22 December 1995 laying down the conditions and arrange- ments for approving and registering certain establish- ments and intermediaries operating in the animal feed sector and amending Directives 70/524/EEC, 74/63/EEC, 79/373/EEC and 82/471/EEC (') hereinafter ‘Directive 95/69/EC’, and in particular Article 15 thereof, Whereas this Directive has laid down rules in respect of conditions for approving and registering these establish- ments located in the Community; whereas equivalent provisions for approving and registering establishments located in third countries must be adopted; Whereas the choice of these countries must be based on criteria of a general nature such as the rules in force in the field of production of feedingstuffs and the organisa- tion and powers of the competent authority responsible for the controls in this field,; Whereas it must be ensured that these establishments located in third countries meet at least equivalent condi- tions to those laid down for the establishments located in the Member States, in order to ensure that the products deriving from them do not pose risks for human or animal health or the environment; Whereas the possibility that experts from the Commis- sion and the Member States verify in third countries the respect of the rules laid down by the present Directive must be foreseen; Whereas the list of third countries and of their establish- ments will be made the subject of further implementing Decisions; Whereas it is necessary, in order not to interrupt the trade with third countries, to have transitional arrangements for the changeover from the old to the new import authorisa- tion system, pending the full functioning of the new regime; Whereas, pending the adoption of the lists of establish- ments located in third countries, Member States should () OJ L 332, 30. 12. 1995, p. 15. send the Commission and the other Member States the information concerning the establishments located in third countries authorised to put products into circulation within the Community which have a representative located on their territory; Whereas uniform arrangements should be adopted to define a model both for the register of approved establish- ments and intermediaries and for the list of registered establishments and intermediaries; Whereas uniform arrangements should be adopted to define the structure both for the approval number and for the registration number of the establishments and inter- mediaries; Whereas the measures provided for in this Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee for Feedingstuffs, HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: CHAPTER 1 Definitions Article 1 For the purposes of this Directive ‘competent authority’ means the Member State’s or the third country’s authority responsible for carrying out official checks in the field of animal nutrition. CHAPTER II List of third countries Article 2 1. The Commission deciding in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 16 of Directive 95/69/EC shall lay down the list referred to in Article 15(a), first indent, of the said Directive. The list may be modified or integrated in accordance with the same procedure.