Following a Commission mission carried out in November 2000 it appears that controls by the Bulgarian veterinary services and the general animal health situation have considerably improved.

Following a Commission mission carried out in July 2001 it appears that the controls by the competent veterinary services of Romania and the animal health situation with regard to Brucella melitensis are satisfactory.

This examination showed that the competent veterinary authorities of Argentina have addressed most of the concerns including those identified during previous missions, and that the disease situation has now stabilised in a number of provinces.

In the face of further difficulties with this programme, identified in the course of a mission to the United States of America by the Commission's Food and Veterinary Office, the programme was suspended in July 1999 and relaunched in September 1999, in an enhanced form as the non-hormone-treated cattle programme.

Whereas, following a recent Commission veterinary mission, it appears that the Bulgarian veterinary services control satisfactorily the whole country;

(4) In May 2003 the Commission carried out a veterinary mission to assess the animal health situation in Slovenia.

In July 2002 a Commission veterinary mission visited Slovakia to assess the animal health situation, and in particular the classical swine fever situation.

Whereas, following a Community veterinary mission, it appears that the animal health situation in Cuba is good, particulary as regards diseases transmissible through meat;

Whereas following a Community veterinary mission it appears that the animal health situation in Honduras is good, stable and completely controlled by well-structured and organized veterinary services, particularly as regards diseases transmissible through meat;

Whereas following a Community veterinary mission it appears that the animal health situation in Iceland is excellent, stable and completely controlled by well structured and organized veterinary services, particularly as regards diseases transmissible through meat;

Whereas, following a Community veterinary mission, it appears that the animal health situation in Belize is excellent, stable and completely controlled by well structured and organized veterinary services, particularly as regards diseases transmissible through meat;

Whereas, following a Community veterinary mission and information supplied by the Turkish veterinary authorities, it appears that the animal health situation of domestic solipeds in Turkey is generally satisfactory particularly as regards diseases transmissible through meat;

Whereas, following a Community veterinary mission, it appears that the animal health situation in the United States of America is excellent, stable and completely controlled by well-structured and organized veterinary services, particularly as regards diseases transmissible through meat;

(1) Following a Community veterinary mission, it appears that the animal health situation in New Caledonia compares favourably with that in Member States particularly as regards diseases transmissible through meat.

Whereas, following a Community veterinary mission, it appears that the animal health situation in the Falkland Islands compares favourably with that in Community countries particularly as regards disease transmissible through meat;

Whereas, following a Community veterinary mission, it appears that the animal health situation in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia compares favourably with that in Community countries particularly as regards disease transmissible through meat;

Whereas, following a Community veterinary mission to the State of Qatar it appears that the animal health situation is generally satisfactory and controlled by well-structured and organized services, in particular as regards diseases in equidae;

Whereas, following a Community veterinary mission to Macau, Malaysia (peninsula) and Singapore it appears that the animal health situation in these countries is satisfactory as regards diseases in equidae and controlled by well-structured and organized services;

A Community veterinary mission has show, that the structure and organisation of the competent authority responsible for the approval of the establishments are sufficient and that the powers available to that competent authority guarantees that it can provide the implementation of Community rules;

Following a Commission veterinary inspection mission to the Republic of Korea the animal health situation appears to be under the satisfactory control of the veterinary services.

Whereas a Community veterinary mission has shown that the structure and organization of the competent authority responsible for the approval of the establishments are sufficient and that the powers available to that competent authority guarantees that it can provide the implementation of Community rules; whereas these checks included on-the-spot inspection in establishments appearing on the list which have shown that the hygiene standards of these establishments are sufficient;

Whereas following a Commission veterinary inspection mission to Syria the animal health situation appears to be under the satisfactory control of well structured and organized veterinary services;

Whereas following a Commission veterinary inspection mission to Egypt the animal health situation as regards diseases in equidae appears to be under satisfactory control by well structured and organized veterinary services;

(4) The Food and Veterinary Office concluded in its mission report(5) that the implementation and enforcement of this action plan were carried without important deficiencies.

Missions to Madagascar carried out by the Commission services in 1997 revealed serious deficiencies in the structure of the veterinary services and their control and certification duties.

(4) Following a Commission mission carried out in July 2001 it appears that the controls by the competent veterinary services of Romania and the animal health situation with regard to Brucella melitensis are satisfactory.

In an inspection mission carried out in Great Britain from 27 to 31 May 2002, inspectors from the Food and Veterinary Office were presented with an amended protocol for required methods and operating procedures for the DBES.

Member States shall be kept informed by the Commission during meetings of the Standing Veterinary Committee of the situation in third countries including matters of residues checking and animal health and of its planned missions.

Whereas following a Commission veterinary inspection mission to Morocco and after receiving a comprehensive report on the control measures taken by the competent authorities of Morocco, the equine health situation appears to be under the satisfactory control of well structured and organized veterinary services;

On the basis of the mission report and further information provided by the Slovakian Competent Veterinary Authorities, the health status of swine in Slovakia appears to be satisfactory as regards classical swine fever in domestic swine;

(5) The Commission's Food and Veterinary Office (`FVO` ) carried out a mission in Brazil from 25 January to 9 February 2003 to assess the control systems in place to prevent aflatoxin contamination levels in Brazil nuts intended for export to the Community.

An inspection mission was carried out in October 1999 by the Commission in China and has shown that significant improvement has been achieved by the Chinese veterinary services and written assurances have been given so that the above mentioned suspension can be repealed.

A mission has been carried out by the European Commission's Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) in Egypt from 2 to 6 September 2001 to assess the facilities and measures in place for the determination of aflatoxin levels in peanuts intended for export into the European Union.

On the basis of information collected in the United States of America during a mission carried out by the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) in March 2000, and supplied by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, it appears that new infestations of Xanthomonas campestris, strains pathogenic to Citrus were detected in Broward, Hendry and Hillsborough Counties in Florida;

Following a mission of the Food and Veterinary Office of the Commission and exchange of information between the Commission and the Republic of Korea, the Commission has established that on the basis of available information there is no risk of spreading harmful organisms with the import of naturally or artificially dwarfed plants of Chamaecyparis Spach, Juniperus L. and Pinus L., provided that specific conditions are satisfied.

Whereas, following a Community veterinary mission, it appears that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is covered by sufficiently well-structured and organized veterinary services;

Whereas, following a Community veterinary mission, it appears that notwithstanding the animal health situation, Tunisia is covered by sufficiently well-structured and organized veterinary services;

Whereas, following a Community veterinary mission, it appears that notwithstanding the animal health situation, Bahrain is covered by sufficiently well-structured and organized veterinary services;

In May 2001 a Commission veterinary mission was carried out to assess the animal health situation in Poland, and in particular concerning the classical swine fever situation.

Whereas, following a Community veterinary mission to Thailand it appears that the animal health situation in this country is satisfactory as regards diseases in equidae and controlled by well-structured and organised services;

Whereas certain Member States import live sheep for immediate slaughter from Albania, and it is necessary, as an interim measure to authorize direct imports of these animals to the Member States concerned until the Commission has carried out a veterinary mission;

Whereas a Community veterinary mission has shown that the structure and organization of the competent authority responsible for the approval of the establishments are sufficient and that the powers available to that competent authority guarantees that it can provide the implementation of Community rules;

Whereas following a Commission veterinary inspection mission to Lebanon the animal health situation initially appeared insufficiently under control of the veterinary services;

Following Community veterinary missions, it appears that New Caledonia and the Islands of St Pierre and Miquelon are covered by sufficiently well-structured and organised veterinary services.

Whereas following a Commission veterinary inspection mission to Kyrgyzstan the animal health situation with regard to equidae appears to be under the satisfactory control of the veterinary services;

Whereas following a Commission veterinary inspection mission to South Africa the animal health situation appears to be under the satisfactory control of well structured and organized veterinary services;

Following a Commission veterinary inspection mission to the Falkland Islands the animal health situation and in particular the equine health situation appears to be under the satisfactory control of the veterinary services.

The Food and Veterinary Office concluded in its mission report(5) that the implementation and enforcement of this action plan were carried without important deficiencies.

This examination showed that the competent veterinary authorities of Brazil have addressed the concerns identified during previous missions, and that the disease situation has now stabilised.

Whereas following a second Commission veterinary inspection mission to the United Arab Emirates the animal health situation appears to be under the satisfactory control of the veterinary services and in particular the movement of equidae and their health status are sufficiently controlled;