The Trade in Animals and Related Products Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011

Explanatory note

Reproduced verbatim from the instrument as published on legislation.gov.uk (Crown Copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0). The note is prepared by the responsible government department and is not part of the instrument itself.

These Regulations revoke and replace the Regulations specified in regulation 42 .

They establish a system for trade between member States in live animals and genetic material (Part 2) and for the importation of live animals, genetic material and products of animal origin from outside the European Union (Part 3).

The European Union legislation required to be complied with before animals or goods can be released from control at the port of importation (the “border inspection post”) is listed in Schedule 2.

As before, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is empowered (in Part 4) to prohibit importation into Northern Ireland of any animal or product in the event of a disease outbreak outside the United Kingdom.

The Regulations are enforced by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Agency and the district council in the circumstances set out in regulation 32 .

The Regulations establish various offences, punishable on summary conviction to a fine up to the statutory maximum or on conviction on indictment to an unlimited fine (or in the case of disclosure relating to customs information imprisonment for up to three months)

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors is foreseen.