L 54)2 Official Journal of the European Union 22.2.2014 REGULATIONS COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 166/2014 of 17 February 2014 amending Regulation (EC) No 798/2008 as regards certification requirements for imports into the Union of meat of farmed ratites for human consumption and the entries for Israel and South Africa in the list of third countries or territories (Text with EEA relevance) THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Having regard to Council Directive 2002/99/EC of 16 December 2002 laying down the animal health rules governing the production, processing, distribution and introduction of products of animal origin for human consumption ('), and in particular the introductory phrase of Article 8, the first paragraph of point 1 of Article 8, points 3 and 4 of Article 8 and Article 9(2)(b) thereof, Whereas: (1)  Commission Regulation (EC) No 798/2008 (3 provides that certain commodities are only to be imported into and transited through the Union from third countries, territories, zones or compartments listed in the table in Part 1 of Annex I thereto. It also lays down the veterinary certification requirements for such commod- ities. Those requirements take into account whether or not specific conditions apply and if additional guarantees are required due to the disease status of those third coun- tries, territories, zones or compartments. Specific conditions and additional guarantees that those commodities are required to comply with are set out in Part 2 of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 798/2008. (2)  Chapter III of Regulation (EC) No 798/2008 lays down the conditions for a third country, territory, zone or compartment to be considered as free from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and the requirements for the veterinary certification in that respect for commodities destined for importation into the Union. () OJ L 18, 23.1.2003, p. 11. (%) Commission Regulation (EC) No 798/2008 of 8 August 2008 laying down a list of third countries, territories, zones or compartments from which poultry and poultry products may be imported into and transit through the Community and the veterinary certification requirements (O] L 226, 23.8.2008, p. 1). (3)  South Africa has been experiencing HPAI outbreaks of the subtype H5N2 in ratite holdings in an area with a high density of ratite holdings in 2004, 2006 and since April 2011. Consequently imports of certain ratite commodities including meat of farmed ratites are currently restricted by Regulation (EC) No 798/2008 as amended by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 536/2011 (}). At present South Africa is not in a position to declare its HPAI free status. (4)  Outdoor keeping of ratites poses a specific challenge for preventing the possible introduction of avian influenza viruses into ratite flocks, in particular from the wild bird reservoir. The South African competent authority has in collaboration with the ratite industry developed a tailor made system for producing ratite meat obtained from ratites which are kept on registered closed ratite holdings approved by the competent authority. (5)  Those holdings are under official control and stringent biosecurity rules and movement controls and laboratory testing are applied. In addition surveillance is carried out for avian influenza on ratite and poultry holdings located in a defined radius around the registered closed ratite holding and on the whole South African territory. In setting up those requirements recommendations of the Community Veterinary Emergency Team (CVET) that had carried out a mission to South Africa in 2011 were duly taken into account. (6)  Pending the declaration of HPAI freedom of its whole territory and in view of providing better guarantees for the safety of ratite meat destined for future imports into the Union, South Africa on 5 May 2013 submitted a revised proposal of the system of registered closed ratite holdings requesting authorisation of imports of ratite meat into the Union produced from ratites kept on such holdings. (}) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 536/2011 of 1 June 2011 amending Annex II to Decision 2007/777[EC and Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 798/2008 as regards the entries for South Africa in the lists of third countries or parts thereof (O] L 147, 2.6.2011, p.- 1).