Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1371/2011 of 21 December 2011 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No 961/2011 imposing special conditions governing the import of feed and food originating in or consigned from Japan following the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power station Text with EEA relevance
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1371/2011of 21 December 2011amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No 961/2011 imposing special conditions governing the import of feed and food originating in or consigned from Japan following the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power station(Text with EEA relevance)THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safetyOJ L 31, 1.2.2002, p. 1., and in particular Article 53(1)(b)(ii) thereof,Whereas:(1)Article 53 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 provides for the possibility to adopt appropriate Union emergency measures for food and feed imported from a third country in order to protect public health, animal health or the environment, where the risk cannot be contained satisfactorily by means of measures taken by the Member States individually.(2)Following the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power station on 11 March 2011, the Commission was informed that radionuclide levels in certain food products originating in Japan such as milk and spinach exceeded the action levels in food applicable in Japan. Such contamination may constitute a threat to public and animal health in the Union and therefore Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 961/2011OJ L 252, 28.9.2011, p. 10. was adopted.(3)The Japanese authorities monitor the presence of radioactivity in feed and food and it can be observed from the reported analytical results that certain feed and food in prefectures close to the Fukushima nuclear power station continue to contain levels of radioactivity above the maximum levels. It is therefore appropriate to extend the date of applicability of the measures by three additional months.(4)A significant number of samples taken by the Japanese authorities from feed and food produced in the Nagano prefecture show that the production of feed and food in that prefecture is only to a very limited extent affected by the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power station as only one sample of mushrooms of more than 1800 samples of feed and food from Nagano had non-compliant levels of radioactivity. In particular, nearly all samples had non-detectable levels of radioactivity and only in few samples significant levels of radioactivity were detected. Therefore, it is appropriate to remove that prefecture from the zone, where a testing of all feed and food originating from those prefectures is required before export to the Union.(5)The analytical results of import controls performed by the competent authorities of the Member States are so far very favourable and indicate that the control measures imposed on feed and food for export to the EU are correctly and efficiently applied by the Japanese authorities. Therefore, it is appropriate to consider at the next review of the measures a reduction of the frequency of import controls.(6)Given that the half-life of iodine-131 is short (about 8 days) and that no new releases of iodine-131 to the environment have been recently reported, the presence of iodine-131 is no longer observed in feed and food or the environment. As the possibility of new releases of iodine-131 are very minimal, it is appropriate to no longer require the analysis for the presence of iodine-131.(7)To facilitate the issuance of attestations, it is appropriate to authorise the competent authority to appoint an instance which is authorised to sign in certain cases the attestations under the authority and supervision of the competent authority of Japan.(8)It is therefore appropriate to amend Implementing Regulation (EU) No 961/2011 accordingly.(9)The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: