15.11.2007 Official Journal of the European Union L 296/29 COMMISSION DECISION of 9 November 2007 amending Annex II to Council Decision 79/542[EEC as regards the list of third countries and parts thereof from which imports into the Community of certain fresh meat is authorised (notified under document number C(2007) 5365) (Text with EEA relevance) (2007/736/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, 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 from third countries and amending Directives 89/662/EEC, 90/425/EEC and 90/675[EEC ('), and in particular Article 18(7) thereof, Having regard to Council Directive 97/78/EC of 18 December 1997 laying down the principles governing the organisation of veterinary checks on products entering the Community from third countries (%), and in particular Article 22(6) thereof, Having regard to Council Directive 2002/99/EC of 16 December 2002 laying down the animal health rules governing the production, processing, distribution and intro- duction of products of animal origin for human consumption (%), and in particular the introductory phrase of Article 8, the first subparagraph of Article 8(1) and Article 8(4) thereof, Whereas: (1)  Part 1 of Annex II to Council Decision 79/542EEC of 21 December 1976 drawing up a list of third countries or parts of third countries, and laying down animal and public health and veterinary certification conditions, for importation into the Community of certain live animals and their fresh meat (%) sets out a list of third countries and parts thereof from which Member States are authorised to import fresh meat of certain animals. (") OJ L 268, 24.9.1991, p. 56. Directive as last amended by Directive 2006/104/EC (O] L 363, 20.12.2006, p. 352). () OJ L 24, 30.1.1998, p. 9. Directive as last amended by Directive 2006/104/EC. () OJ L 18, 23.1.2003, p. 11. (*) OJ L 146, 14.6.1979, p. 15. Decision as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1791/2006 (OJ L 363, 20.12.2006, p. 1). 2 That Annex indicates the time periods for which impor- tation into the Community is authorised or not authorised, in relation to dates of slaughter or killing of the animals from which the meat was obtained. Those periods are indicated in order to allow the impor- tation of fresh meat produced before the animal health restrictions were applied to certain third countries or parts thereof. However, to guarantee a high level of health protection in the Community, it is appropriate to provide that imports of fresh meat obtained in a third country from animals slaughtered on or before the date of application of restrictive measures are only allowed for a limited period of time, namely 90 days. In case of consignments certified on or before the date of application of an import ban and transported on high seas at the moment in which the ban enters into force, that period should be 40 days. The date from which imports into the Community of fresh meat from a certain third country or parts thereof are authorised, or banned, should be inserted in Annex II to Decision 79/542[EEC in order to avoid imports of fresh meat produced in a period in which an animal health risk was present in such country or part thereof. The existing indications of time periods in that Annex have also created practical problems, both as regards the Community border inspection posts when checking the health certificates for imports of such meat and for the competent services in the exporting third countries when preparing those certificates. As a consequence, in order to achieve a high level of protection of health and in order to ensure clarity, coherence and transparency as regards the list of third countries from which imports of fresh meat into the Community are authorised, it is appropriate to amend Annex II to Decision 79/542[EEC and to delete the references to those periods. In addition, entries concerning certain countries, in particular Paraguay and Brazil, should be updated.