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Annex I  
Detailed rules on the operations to be carried out during  physical checks on animals referred 
to in Article 4(3)  
 
I. Inspection regarding fitness of the animals for further transport  
1.  An overall assessment of all animals shall  be made by visual inspection to assess their 
fitness for further transport , taking into account the length of the journey already 
undertaken, including feeding, watering and resting arrangements that had been 
provided. Account shall be taken of the length of the journey that remains to be 
undertaken including the proposed feeding , watering and resting arrangements during 
this part of journey.  
2. The means of transport of the animals and the journey log shall  be checked for 
compliance with Council Regulation (EC)  No 1/20051. 
 
II. Clinical examination  
1. The clinical examination of the  animals shall consist of a visual examination of all 
animals and shall comprise of at least the following:  
(a) a visual examination of the animal s, including an overall assessment of their 
health status, their ability to move freely, the condition of their skin and mucosae 
and any evidence of abnormal discharges;  
(b) monitoring of the respiratory and alimentary systems;  
(c) random monitoring of the body temperature in cases when abnormalities have 
been detected in accordance with  points (a) or (b);  
(d) palpation in cases when abnormalities have been detected in accordance with  
points (a), (b) or (c).  
2. Consignments of a nimals intended for breeding or production shall be subject to 
clinical examination of at least 10  % of the animals with a minimum of 1 0 animals, 
which shall  be selected so as to be representative of the whole consignment. Where the 
consignment contains less than 10 animals, the checks shall  be carried out on each 
animal in the consignment.  
3. Consignments of a nimals intended for slaughte r shall be subject to clinical 
examination of at least 5  % of the animals with a minimum of five animals, which 
shall  be selected so as to be representative of the whole consignment. Where the 
consignment contains less than five animals, the checks shall  be carried out on each 
animal in the consignment.  
 
                                                 
1 Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 of 22 December 2004 on the protection of animals during transport 
and related operations and amending Directives 64/432/EEC and 93/119/EC and Regulation (EC) 
No 1255/97 ( OJ L 3, 5.1.2005, p. 1 ). 
 2 
 4. The number of animals checked in accordance with points  2 and 3 shall  be increased 
and may reach the total  number  of animals in the consignment concerned, if the 
physical  checks carried out have not been  satisfactory.  
5. The animals listed below shall not be subject to individual clinical examination:  
 poultry,  
 birds,  
 aquaculture animals and all live fish,  
 rodents,  
 lagomorphs,  
 bees and other insects,  
 reptiles and amphibians,  
 other invertebrates,  
 certain zo o and circus animals, including ungulates, considered to be dangerous   
 fur animals.   
6. For the animals listed in point  5, clinical examination shall consist of observation of 
the state of health and behaviour of the entire group or of a representative number of 
animals. If the above  mentioned clinical examination  reveal s an anomaly, a more 
thorough clinical examination  shall be carried out, including sampling , where 
appropriate.   
7. In case of live fish, crustaceans and molluscs, and animals destined for scientific 
research centres  and having a certified specific health status, which are transported in 
sealed containers under controlled environmental conditions, a clinical examination 
and sampling shall be carried out only where it is considered that a  specific risk may 
exist because of the species involved or because of their origin, or where there are 
other irregularities.  
 
III. Sampling procedure  of ungulates  
1. Concerning consignments of ungulates, s ampling with a view to checking compliance 
with th e health requirements laid down in the accompanying official certificate s or 
documents , or electronic equivalents , shall  be undertaken as follows:  
(a) At least 3  % of the consignments shall be subject to serological sampling on a 
monthly basis , with the exception of registered horses as defined in Article 2(c) 
of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/6592, and shall be 
accompanied by an individual health certificate attesting compliance with the 
animal health requirements set out in that  Implementing Regulation. At least 
10 % of the animals in the consignment shall be sampled, with a minimum of 
four animals. Should the competent authority have reasons to suspect that this 
sampling is not conclusive, that percentage shall  be increased  and may reach 
the total number of  animals in the consignment con cerned .  
                                                 
2 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/659 of 12 April 2018 on the conditions for the entry 
into the Union of live equidae and of semen, ova and embryos of equidae (OJ L 110, 30.4.2018, p. 1) . 3 
 (b) Following a risk assessment by the official veterinarian or where provided for 
in Union legislation, the necessary samples may be taken from any animal in a 
consignment presented for official controls.  
(c) The necessary laboratory tests, performed with a view to verify ing compliance 
with animal health requirements  or, when appropriate, the existence of residues 
and contaminants, shall  be carried out without delay.  
 4 
 Annex II  
Detailed  rules  on the operations to be carried out during p hysical checks on good s referred 
to in Article 4(4)  
1. The competent authority shall carry out physical checks to verify:  
(a) that the transport conditions ensure d the proper preservation  of the go ods 
taking into account  their purpose;  
(b) that the temperature range during transport required by Union legislation was 
maintained and there were  no shortcomings or breaks in the cold chain,  by 
means of examination of records of temperature range during transport;  
(c) the integrity of the packaging material.  
2. The competent authority shall carry out physical checks to verify that the labelling of 
the ‘use by’ date complies with Regulation (E U) No 1169/2011  of the European 
Parliament and of the Council3.  
The competent authority may carry out physical checks to verify that  the labelling  
complies with other requirements laid down in the rules referred to in Article 1(2) of 
Regulation (EU) 2017/625.  
3. The competent authority shall verify that  the goods are fit to be used for the intended 
purpose  or has not altered the guaranteed conditions provided in official certificate or 
document during transport by means of : 
(a) sensory examination  of the smell, colour, consistency  or taste of the goods ; or  
(b) simple physical or chemical tests  by cutting, defrosting  or cooking  the goods ; 
or 
(c) laboratory tests .  
4. In respect of consignments of products of animal origin, germinal products, animal by -
products, derived products, hay and straw and composite products , the competent 
authority shall carry out the operations referred to in paragraph 3 as follows:  
(a) a set of items or packages , or sampl es in the case of bulk products, shall  be 
collected before carrying out  the operations referred to in paragraph 3;  
(b) the selection of samples for examination mentioned in points (a) and (b) of 
paragraph 3 shall  cover 1  % of the items or packages in a consignment , with a 
minimum of two items or packages  and up to a maximum of 10 items or 
packages . If necessary, the competent authority may increase the number of 
items or packages checked to perform more extensive checks;   
(c) the tests referred to in poi nts (b) and (c)  of paragraph 3 shall  be carried out on a 
range of samples selected so as to be representative of the entire consignment.  
                                                 
3  Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliamen t and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on 
 the provision of food information to consumers, amending Regulation s (EC) No 1924/2006 and (EC) 
 No 1925/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Commission Directive 
 87/250/EEC, Council  Directive 90/496/E EC, Commission Directive 1999/10/EC, Directive 2000/13/EC 
 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Commission Directives 2002/67/EC and 2008/5/EC and 
 Commission Regulation (EC) No 608/2004 (OJ L 304, 22.11.2011, p. 18) . 5 
 5. For the purposes of implementation of the second subparagraph of Article 4( 4), the 
competent authority shall develop a monitoring plan , with the objective of monitor ing 
the conformity with the rules referred to in Article 1(2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 , 
and in particular of detecti ng hazards by indicating the goods to be examined a nd the 
substances to be tested , and shall carry out the laboratory tests referred to in point 3(c) 
in accordance with that plan . 
Such monitoring plan shall be based on a risk assessment , taking into account all 
relevant parameters , such as  the nature of the goods , the risk they represent, the 
frequency and number of incoming consignments and the results of previous 
monitoring . 
6. In respect of  consignments of  feed and food of non -animal origin subject to measures 
provided for in the acts referred to in points (d), (e) and (f)  of Article 47(1)  of 
Regulation (EU) 2017/625 , the competent authority shall carry out physical checks in 
accordance with the following rules:   
(a) physical checks shall include laboratory tests in accordance with the acts 
referred to in points (d), (e) and (f) of Article 47(1)  of Regulation (EU) 
2017/625;  
(b) physical checks shall be carried out in such a way that it is not possible for feed 
and food business operators or their representatives to predict whether any 
particular consignm ent will be subjected to such checks ; 
(c) the results of physical checks  shall  be available as soon as technically possible;   
(d) the consignments tested must be placed under official detention pending the 
outcome of laboratory tests, unless onward transportation to the place of final 
destination is authori sed by the competent authority at the border control post in 
accordance with Article 4 of Commission Delegated Regulation  [C(2019)7003] 4.  
  
                                                 
4  Commission Delegate d Regulation (EU ) …/... of XXX supplementing Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the 
European Parliament and of the Council  as regards rules for official controls of consignments of animals and 
goods in transit, transhipment and onward transport ation , amending Regulations (EC) No 798/2008, (EC) No 
1251/2008, (EC) No  119/2009, (EU) No  206/2010, (EU) No  605/2010, (EU) No 142/2011, (EU) No  28/2012, 
(EU) 2016/759 and Decision 2007/777/EC, and repealing Decisions 2000/208/EC, 2000/571/EC and 
2011/215/E U  (OJ L …., … …. .2019, p. ….).  6 
 Annex III  
Detailed rules on the operations to be carried out during physical checks on goods 
referred to in Article 4( 5)  
1. The competent authority shall carry out physical checks of consignments and their lots 
in their entirety or on representative samples. H omogenous lot s in the consignment  
shall be identified based on the informati on provided in the official phy tosanitary 
certificate and taking into account the elements referred to in point 2.  
2. The homogeneity of a lot within the meaning of Article 2(7) of Regulation (EU) 
2016 /2031  of the European Parliament and of the Council5, shall be identified on the 
basis of the following elements, as present ed in the official phytosanitary certificate:  
 origin,  
 grower,  
 packing facility,  
 type of packaging,  
 genus, species, variety, or degre e of maturity,  
 exporter,  
 area of production,  
 regulated pests and their characteristics,   
 treatment at origin,  
 type of processing .  
3. Sampling of lots in a consignment shall include the identification of the appropriate 
independent unit for sampling ). In the case of certain plants or plant products, the unit  
shall be identified as follows:  
 fruit in the botanical sense: 1 fruit,  
 cut flower: 1 stem,  
 foliage, leafy vegetable: 1 leaf, 
 tuber s, bulb s, rhizomes : 1 tuber or bulb  or rhizome,  
 plants intended for planting: 1 plant,  
 branches: 1 branch,  
 wood and bark: to be determined on a case by case  basis , with the smallest 
piece weighing not less than 1 kg , 
 seed: one seed . 
When the unit is not definable because of the size, shape or  way of packaging, the 
smal lest package unit shall be defined as the sampling unit.  
4. Sampling for physical checks performed by visual inspection shall be carried out 
under the following  sampling schemes depending on the goods  and as referred to in 
the relevant table of the Intern ational Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No 31 
Methodologies for sampling of consignments  (ISPM31) :  
(a) rooted non -dormant  plants for planting : 
                                                 
5  Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 October 2016 on 
 protective measures against pests of plants, amending Regulations (EU) No 228/2013, (EU) 
 No 652/2014 and (EU) No 1143/2014 o f the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing 
 Council Directives 69/464/EEC, 74/647/EEC, 93/85/EEC, 98/57/EC, 2000/29/EC, 2006/91/EC and 
 2007/33/ EC (OJ L 317, 23.11.2016, p. 4.).  7 
 sampling scheme able to identify with 95 % reliability a level of presence of 
infected plants of 1 % or above ; 
(b) dormant plants for planting including tubers, bulbs and rhizomes : 
sampling scheme able to identify with 95 % reliability a level of presence of 
infected plants of 2 % or above;  
(c) seeds or plant products that comply with the specific conditions  listed in  
Article 6(2) of Commission Implementing  Regulation (EU) [C(2019)7001]6:  
sampling scheme able to identify with 80 % reliability a level of p resence of 
infected plants of 5  % or above ; 
(d) unrooted cuttings, p lants, plant products and other objects, not falling under 
points (a),  (b) and (c):  
sampling scheme able to identify with 95 % reliability a level of presence of 
infected plants of 5 % or above ; 
(e) lots of seeds and leafy vegetables of less th an or equal to 500 units:  
hypergeometric sampling scheme able to identify with 95 % reliability a level 
of presence of infected plants of 10  % or above . 
5. Any measure taken in response to non -compliance shall be related  to the lot as 
identified ahead of the physical checks . 
6. A minimum amount of s amples for laboratory tests  shall be taken  for latent infection 
detection concerning  plants for planting according to a risk analysis, in accordance 
with the following criteria:  
(a) the history of the level of Union quarantine pests intercepted and notified by the 
Member States, according to point (c) of the first paragraph of Article 11 of 
Regulation (E U) 2016/2031, including  priority pests , as defined in Article 6 (1) 
of that Regulat ion, of a third country of origin ; 
(b) the occurrence of a priority pest in the third country  of origin , according to 
available scientific information ; 
(c) information available via the IMSOC.  
                                                 
6  Commission Implementing  Regulation (EU) …/... of …  establish ing rules for the uniform application 
of frequency rates for identity checks and physical checks  on certain consignments of animals and goods 
entering the Union  (OJ L …, … 2019, p. …).  