S.L. 437.41 Art. 19Diseases referred to in Schedule II of the Veterinary Services Act. Cap. 437. Cap. 437.

(1) If, in the territory of a third country, a disease referred to in Schedule II of the Veterinary Services Act, a zoonosis or other disease or any other phenomenon or circumstance liable to present a serious threat to animal or public health manifests itself or spreads, or if any other serious animal health or public health reason so warrants, in particular in the light of the findings of its veterinary experts or in the checks carried out in a border inspection post, the Veterinary Services shall, acting on its own initiative or at the request of a Member State, adopts one of the following measures without delay, depending on the gravity of the situation:

(a) suspend imports from all or part of the third country concerned, and where appropriate from the third country of transit,

(b) set special conditions in respect of products coming from all or part of the third country concerned,

(c) draw up, on the basis of actual findings, requirements for appropriate checks, which may include specifically looking for risks to public or animal health and, depending on the result of those checks, increase the frequency of the physical checks.

(2) If any one of the checks provided for in these regulations indicates that a consignment of products is likely to constitute a danger to animal or human health, the Veterinary Services shall immediately take the following measures:

(a) it shall seize and destroy the consignment in question,

(b) it shall immediately inform the other border inspection posts of the territory of Malta and Member States and the Commission of the findings and of the origin of the products.

(3) In the case provided for in subregulation (1), the Veterinary Services may take provisional safeguard measures in respect of products covered by regulations 10, 11 and 12.

(4) When such safeguard measures have been taken in respect of a third country or an establishment in a third country under this regulation, the Veterinary Services shall inform the Member States and the European Commission on these measures.

(5) Decisions to amend, repeal or extend measures decided on under subregulations (1), (2), (3) and (4) shall be taken in accordance with the procedure laid down in the Veterinary Services

Act and according to European Community rules.

CHAPTER III Inspection and checks