(1) Harmonisation of animal health requirements applicable to the
non-commercial movement of pet animals between Member
States and from third countries is necessary and only measures
adopted at Community level can enable that objective to be
achieved.
(2) This Regulation concerns the movement of live animals covered
by Annex I to the Treaty. Some of its provisions, in particular
concerning rabies, have as their direct objective the protection of
public health, while others concern solely animal health.
Article 37 and Article 152(4)(b) of the Treaty are therefore the
appropriate legal basis.
(3) Over the past 10 years the rabies situation has improved spectacularly
throughout the Community following the implementation
of programmes for the oral vaccination of foxes in regions
affected by the sylvatic-rabies epidemic that has swept through
north-eastern Europe since the 1960s.
(4) This improvement has led the United Kingdom and Sweden to
abandon the system of six months' quarantine which they applied
for decades, in favour of an alternative, less restrictive system
providing an equivalent level of safety. Provision should
therefore be made at Community level for the application of a
special system for the movement of pet animals to those Member
States for a transitional period of five years and for the
Commission, in the light of the experience gained and a scientific
opinion from the European Food Safety Authority, to present a
report in due course with appropriate proposals. Provision should
also be made for a rapid procedure to decide on a temporary
extension of the above transitional regime, particularly if the
▼B
2003R0998— EN— 20.04.2009 — 013.001— 2
(1) OJ C 29 E, 30.1.2001, p. 239 and OJ C 270 E, 25.9.2001, p. 109.
(2) OJ C 116, 20.4.2001, p. 54.
(3) European Parliament opinion of 3 May 2001 (OJ C 27 E, 31.1.2002, p. 55),
Council Common Position of 27 June 2002 (OJ C 275 E, 12.11.2002, p. 42)
and European Parliament Decision of 22 October 2002 (not yet published in
the Official Journal). European Parliament Decision of 10 April 2003 and
Council Decision of 25 April 2003.
