18.6.2013

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 164/22

(1)

Commission Decision 2009/821/EC of 28 September 2009 drawing up a list of approved border inspection posts, laying down certain rules on the inspections carried out by Commission veterinary experts and laying down the veterinary units in Traces (1) lays down in its Annex I the list of border inspection posts approved in accordance with Council Directives 91/496/EEC (2) and 97/78/EC (3) and in its Annex II the list of central units, regional units and local units in the integrated computerised veterinary system (Traces).

(2)

Decision 2009/821/EC, adopted by the Commission, remains valid beyond 1 July 2013 and therefore requires adaptation to the accession of Croatia. The necessary adaptations are not provided for in the Act of Accession for Croatia (4) and thus need to be adopted before accession with this Decision so as to be applicable as from accession.

(3)

The process of enlargement will result in significant modification of the land border of the new Union with neighbouring third countries, with the extension of the coastal border to include more sea coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and with the addition of one international airport.

(4)

The proposed locations put forward as border inspection posts with third countries in Croatia have been the subject of audits by the Commission audit service (formerly referred to as Commission inspection service), the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO). It is considered that these locations will be completed to Union requirements by accession. Therefore the proposed locations in Croatia should be added to the list of approved border inspection posts in Member States set out in Annex I to Decision 2009/821/EC.

(5)

At the same time as a result of the accession of Croatia, certain Member States notably Hungary and Slovenia will cease to have borders with third countries. As a result certain land border inspection posts in these Member States will become redundant. Therefore the list of approved border inspection posts in these two Member States set out in Annex I to Decision 2009/821/EC should be amended accordingly.

(6)

Furthermore, the process of enlargement will result in the addition of local veterinary units in Croatia for the use of Traces. Therefore these local veterinary units must be added to the list of local units in Traces for Member States, laid down in Annex II to Decision 2009/821/EC.

(7)

Decision 2009/821/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

(8)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,