14.1.2012 Official Journal of the European Union L 12/1 (Non-legislative acts) REGULATIONS COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 28/2012 of 11 January 2012 laying down requirements for the certification for imports into and transit through the Union of certain composite products and amending Decision 2007/275/EC and Regulation (EC) No 1162/2009 (Text with EEA relevance) THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, 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 3(5) 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 Article 8(5) thereof, Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin (}), and in particular the first paragraph of Article 9 thereof, Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 of the European Parliament and the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption (%), and in particular the first paragraph of Article 16 thereof, Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 (°) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules and in particular Article 48(1) and the first subparagraph of Article 63(1) thereof, () O] L 24, 30.1.1998, p. 9. () O] L 18, 23.1.2003, p. 11. () O] L 139, 30.4.2004, p. 55. (4 O] L 139, 30.4.2004, p. 206. () O] L 165, 30.4.2004, p. 1. Whereas: (1) Directive 97/78/EC provides that veterinary checks on products from third countries introduced into the Union are to be carried out by Member States in accordance with that Directive and with Regulation (EC) No 882/2004. (2)  Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 lays down general rules for the performance of official controls to verify compliance with rules aiming, in particular, at preventing, eliminating or reducing to acceptable levels risks to humans and animals, either directly or through the environment. (3)  Directive 2002/99/EC lays down the general animal health rules governing all stages of the production, processing and distribution within the Union and the introduction from third countries of products of animal origin and products obtained intended for human consumption. 4 Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 lays down specific rules on the hygiene of food of animal origin for food business operators. Article 6(4) of that Regulation provides that food business operators importing food containing both products of plant origin and processed products of animal origin (composite products) are to ensure that the processed products of animal origin contained in such food satisfy certain public health requirements laid down therein. In addition, Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 provides that food business operators must be able to demonstrate that they have done so, for example through appropriate documentation or certifi- cation. (5)  Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 applies from 1 January 2006. However, the application of a number of measures laid down therein with immediate effect from that date would have presented practical difficulties in certain cases.