Derogations regarding the residency period for registered horses for competition, races and cultural events
Article 12
1. By way of derogation of point (b)(i) of Article 11, equine animals other than equine animals intended for slaughter shall be regarded as complying with the residency period provided for in Table 1 of Annex III, if prior to their dispatch to the Union they have been resident during the period indicated in the second column of Table 1 of Annex III in addition to the third country or territory of origin or zone thereof also in: (a) a Member State; or (b) in case of registered horses, a listed third country or territory of intermediate residency, or zone thereof, from where the entry into the Union of registered horses is authorised for that purpose and provided that they were introduced into the third country or territory of origin, or zone thereof, in accordance with animal health requirements providing animal health guarantees at least as stringent as those applicable to the direct entry into the Union of registered horses for competition and races from that third country or territory of intermediate residence, or zone thereof. 2. By way of derogation from point (b)(ii) of Article 11, registered horses for competition, races and cultural equestrian events shall be regarded as complying with the residency requirements provided for in the third column of Table 1 of Annex III if they have been resident in the third country of origin or the third country of intermediate residence in establishments other than the establishment of origin provided that the other establishments: (a) have been under supervision of the official veterinarian in a third country or territory; (b) were not subject to national restriction measures for animal health reasons, including restrictions relating to the relevant diseases referred to in Annex I and relevant emerging diseases; (c) comply with the animal health requirements laid down in Article 23. 3. Also by way of derogation from point (b)(ii) of Article 11, registered horses for competition, races and cultural equestrian events that have had contact with equine animals which were entered into the third country, territory or zone thereof from another third country territory, or zone thereof, or from another zone in the third country or territory of origin shall be permitted to enter the Union provided that: (a) those equine animals were introduced into the third country or territory of origin or zone thereof in accordance with animal health requirements at least as stringent as those applicable to the direct entry into the Union of those equine animals; (b) the possibility of direct contact with other animals is limited to the period of the competition, races or cultural equestrian events and the related training, warm-up and pre-racing presentation.