L 228/22 Official Journal of the European Communities 24.8.2002 COMMISSION DECISION of 20 August 2002 amending Council Decision 98/256/EC concerning emergency measures to protect against bovine spongiform encephalopathy (notified under document number C(2002) 3097) (Text with EEA relevance) (2002/670/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Directive 90/425/EEC of 26 June 1990 concerning veterinary and zootechnical checks applicable in intra-Community trade in certain live animals and products with a view to the completion of the internal market ('), as last amended by Directive 92/118/EEC (), and in particular Article 10(4) thereof, Having regard to Council Directive 89/662/EEC of 11 December 1989 concerning veterinary checks in intra- Community trade with a view to the completion of the internal market (}), as last amended by Directive 92/118/EEC, and in particular Article 9(4) thereof, Whereas: (1)  Council Decision 98/256/EC (*) of 16 March 1998 concerning emergency measures to protect against bovine spongiform encephalopathy, as last amended by Commission Decision 98/692[EC, is preserved as a transitional measure by Annex XI to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2001 laying down rules for the prevention, control and eradication of certain transmis- sion spongiform encephalopathies (°), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 270/2002 (¥). 2)  In its opinion of 16 May 2002 on the safety of bovine embryos the Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) considers that with regard to the BSE-safety of bovine embryos, there is from a scientific point of view no need for further measures other than those prescribed by the International Embryo Transfer Society Protocols. (3)  In its opinion of 14 and 15 September 2000 on the export from the United Kingdom of bone-in veal, the SSC considers that there is no evidence that bone-in veal () O] L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 29. () O] L 62, 15.3.1993, p. 49. () O] L 395, 30.12.1989, p. 13. () O] L 113, 15.4.1998, p. 32. () O] L 328, 4.12.1998, p. 28. (9 O] L 147, 31.5.2001, p. 1. carcasses from calves of between six and nine months exported under the date-based export scheme (DBES) criteria, as provided for by Decision 98/256/EC, present a risk. (4)  Following its general session in May 2002, the Inter- national Animal Health Code Commission of the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) is amending the BSE chapter of the Animal Health Code in order to require that fresh meat of bovine origin exported from high risk countries be deboned when derived from animals over nine months and to add bovine embryos to the list of products which can be traded without restriction. (5)  In March 2002 the United Kingdom submitted a request that the DBES be amended to enable participating companies to slaughter and process DBES ineligible bovine animals as well as DBES eligible bovine animals provided that adequate separation arrangements were in place. (6) In an inspection mission carried out in Great Britain from 27 to 31 May 2002, inspectors from the Food and Veterinary Office were presented with an amended protocol for required methods and operating procedures for the DBES. Their conclusion was that the proposed protocol, if properly adhered to, would provide for appropriate official control of DBES eligible animals and goods to be carried out. Certain recommendations were made regarding improving eligibility checks on bovine animals entering the scheme. In its reply to the mission report, the United Kingdom undertook to incorporate the recommendations into the DBES protocol. (7)  Commission Decision 1999/514/EC () sets the date on which dispatch from the United Kingdom of bovine products under the date-based export scheme may commence by virtue of Article 6(5) of Decision 98/ 256[EC; for the sake of clarity, it is appropriate to introduce this provision in the later Decision and to repeal decision 1999/514/EC accordingly. () O] L 45, 15.2.2002, p. 4.