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DEFINITION of 'European Union - EU'

The European Union (EU) is a group of 28 countries that operates as a cohesive economic and political block. Nineteen of the countries use the euro as their official currency. The EU grew out of a desire to form a single European political entity to end the centuries of warfare among European countries that culminated with World War II, which decimated much of the continent. The European Single Market was established by 12 countries in 1993 to ensure the so-called four freedoms: the movement of goods, services, people and money.

The EU had its beginning in the European Coal and Steel Community, which was founded in 1950 and had just six members: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. It became the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1957 under the Treaty of Rome, and subsequently became the European Community (EC). The early focus of the Community was a common agricultural policy as well as the elimination of customs barriers. The EC first expanded in 1973 when Denmark, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Greece and Spain joined. A directly elected European Parliament took office in 1979.

In 1986, the Single European Act solidified the principles of foreign policy cooperation and extended the powers of the community over the members. It also formalized the idea of a single European market. The Maastricht Treaty took effect on Nov. 1, 1993, and the EC was replaced by the EU. The Treaty provided for the creation of the euro, which is intended to be the single currency for the EU. It debuted on Jan. 1, 1999. Denmark and the United Kingdom negotiated "opt out" provisions that permitted them to retain their own currencies. Several newer members of the EU have not yet met the criteria for adopting the euro. In 2014, the GDP of the EU totaled $13.8 billion, which is larger than that of the United States.

The EU and the European Central Bank (ECB) have struggled since the global financial market collapse of 2008 to deal with very high sovereign debt and collapsing growth in Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain. Greece and Ireland received financial bailouts from the community in 2009, which were accompanied by fiscal austerity. Portugal followed in 2011, along with a second Greek bailout. Multiple rounds of interest rate cuts and economic stimulus failed to resolve the problem. Northern countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands increasingly resent the financial drain from the south. Repeated rumors that Greece would be forced to withdraw from the euro failed to materialize amid disagreement as to whether the move was legally possible as it was not covered in the Maastricht Treaty.

As the situation moved to stagnation from crisis, the government of the United Kingdom announced it would hold a referendum on June 23, 2016, on whether the country should remain in the EU. The UK has retained its own currency.

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European Union (EU) Definition | Investopedia

The European Union (EU) is a customs union of 27 member nations. France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg formed the EU by signing the Treaty of Rome in 1957 to stimulate the economic integration and recovery of Western Europe. The United Kingdom, Ireland, and Denmark joined in 1973; Greece joined in 1981; and Spain and Portugal in 1986. East Germany was unified with West Germany in 1989. Austria, Finland, and Sweden joined in 1995 to form the EU-15. Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus, and Malta joined in May 2004 to form the EU-25. Bulgaria and Romania joined on January 1, 2007, bringing the total to 27 member states. General criteria for EU membership require that a country be governmentally democratic, geographically European, and economically viable. A country joining the union must also adopt the acquis communautaire, the body of laws and rules that apply to EU members.

The EU began as a compact between sovereign nations that created a successful customs union for industrial goods. Control of most economic policy except for agriculture was formally retained by the national governments. The economies of EU member nations became more closely linked with the enactment of legislation in 1993 to form a single market that eliminated border controls between member states. Diverse economies, language, cultural differences, and historical barriers have complicated economic and political integration. Nevertheless, the EU Commission, appointed by the member states' governments, represents the EU-27 in various international forums such as the World Trade Organization.

The EU took a major step toward deeper economic integration in 1999 with the adoption of a single currency by 11 members (16 in 2009). The EU's monetary union integrates national economies through a common monetary policy and a common currency, the euro. A single currency was seen as a necessary step in creating a unified European market to ultimately allow the free flow of capital, goods, services, and people. The current members are Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Ireland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Portugal, Spain, Malta, Cyprus, Finland, and Greece.

The EU is a major political and economic force. With a population of nearly 500 million in 2008, the EU has about 200 million more people than the United States. Population density in the EU-27 in 2007 was nearly four times the U.S. level, at 290 inhabitants per square mile compared with 80 inhabitants per square mile in the United States. The EU's economy, measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in purchasing power parity (PPP), which adjusts for living standards and costs, was $14.7 trillion in 2007 compared with the U.S. figure of $13.8 trillion. In per capita terms, U.S. GDP was $43,444 in 2007, compared with $33,482 for the EU-27.

EU agricultural production is dominated by livestock products (including dairy), grains, vegetables, wine, fruits, and sugar. Major export commodities include grains (wheat and barley), dairy products, poultry, pork, fruit, vegetables, olive oil, and wine. Most agricultural imports are products not well suited to the climate of northern Europe and include soybeans and soybean products, cotton, tobacco, tropical products, off-season fruits and vegetables, coffee, cocoa, tea, and spices. CAP reforms of 2003-05 have transformed the EU from a net exporter of beef and sugar to a net importer. The EU imports large quantities of animal feed to supplement domestically produced supplies.

The EU is the world's largest importer, and, at times, the largest exporter of agricultural commodities in competition with the United States. It is also the largest agriculture importer from developing countries due to numerous trade preferences granted to former colonies. However, these preferences are being reexamined to conform to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules on reciprocity. The United States is the EU's largest single trading partner.

EU farms are, on average, considerably smaller than U.S. farms. In 2007, the average farm size in the EU-15 was 46.2 acres, whereas the average farm size in the United States was 418 acres. The addition of 12 new member states with smaller farm sizes than the EU-15 makes U.S. average farm size more than 12 times that of the average EU-27 farm of 34.1 acres. However, farm size varies greatly by country, ranging from an average of 171 acres in the United Kingdom to 7.2 acres in Hungary.

Responsibility for agricultural policy is centralized in the European Commission and the Council of Agricultural Ministers, while some discretionary power over the budget can be exercised by the European Parliament. The Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), the cornerstone of EU agricultural policy, helped change the EU into a major food exporter (although it remains the world's largest food importer). CAP is based on three principles: common prices, common financing, and community preference. EU agriculture has thrived under a system of generous support to farmers. These high subsidies led EU farmers to overproduce, building up large surpluses of grain, butter, skim milk powder, beef, olive oil, wine, and other products. According to estimates by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), EU-27 subsidies and other transfers from governments of member nations accounted for 25 percent of farm revenue in 2008, compared with 7 percent in the United States. A series of CAP reforms in 2003-05 has led to more reliance on direct payments to farmers rather than support through high prices. Agricultural tariffs remain high to protect community preference.

CAP is a large component of the EU's budget. In 2003, the EU member governments agreed to limit increases in CAP expenditures to 1 percent annually during 2007-13. The estimated CAP budget for 2008 was 55 billion euros, with 5 billion going to market support, 37.2 billion going to direct payments to farmers, and 12.6 billion going to rural development. In the 1980s and 1990s, market support was the dominant mechanism in providing benefits to EU farmers. Moreover, the 2008 CAP budget represents only 45 percent of EU spending, compared with 70 percent in the 1980s and 1990s.

The CAP can also be a source of tension among EU member states because the amount a country contributes to the CAP budget can differ dramatically from the amount received in agricultural support. For example, Germany has the largest economy in the EU and contributes the most to the EU's budget. Since agriculture is less than 1 percent of Germany's total GDP, Germany is helping finance agricultural support for other EU countries, particularly France, the largest agricultural producer in the EU.

EU commitments under the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture imposed limits on the EU's ability to support its agricultural sector, raise barriers to imports, and subsidize exports. CAP reforms in 1992, 1999, 2003, 2004, and 2005 were undertaken, in part, to adhere to WTO rules, prepare for future negotiations on agricultural trade, and adjust to EU enlargement.

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USDA ERS - European Union: Basic Information

Asterisks (*) indicate the most recent revision to these requirements. To search, click on your browser's "Edit" menu, then click on "Find (on this page)". Enter "*" in the "Find What" field, then click "Find" or "Find Next" until all asterisks have been identified.

The EU member countries are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain (including areas in the Outermost Regions, such as the Canary Islands), Sweden, the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic, and Slovenia.*

Finland and Sweden have additional requirements. See Section XIV for more information.

At this time, Croatia will accept export certificates in English.

IMPORTANT: Please see section below for areas under EU restrictions. From these areas U.S. fresh poultry meat is not eligible for export or transit through the EU. Processed poultry products continue to be eligible provided the product has undergone the appropriate heat treatment.

Requirements related to packaging material, wall/floor junctions, wooden pallets, separation of lavatories and work areas, dry storage of non-food material, waste water, separate storage of edible and inedible products, separate storage of packaged and unpackaged products, structural wood, use of suspended showers/sprays/hoses, sterilization of utensils/implements, stunning, batch condemnation, and casings facilities have been removed.

Requirements related to employee medical certification and water testing have also been removed.

Establishments must continue to comply with the following requirements:

Establishments that slaughter both animals whose meat is eligible for export to the EU and animals whose meat is not eligible for export to the EU shall comply with the following conditions.

There must be a separate room for emptying and cleaning stomachs and intestines, unless the processing is done by closed-circuit mechanical equipment which avoids contamination and eliminates odors.

These products must be derived from animals/birds that passed antemortem and postmortem inspection at federally inspected establishments and comply with the following applicable EU marking requirements.

Antemortem inspection will be performed by FSIS in accordance with 9 CFR 309 and according to FSIS procedures.

The European Union applies the same SRM requirements to meat derived from bison as is applied to meat derived from cattle. Since U.S. BSE regulations do not apply to bison, meat and meat products derived from these species for export to the EU must be produced under an approved AMS EV program. Bison slaughtered for export to the EU on or after November 1, 2009 must comply with this requirement.

Additional information about the EV program for bison and a list of EV approved establishments can be obtained from AMS' Website.

If FSIS inspection personnel become aware of concerns that an AMS approved EV establishment is not properly executing its EV program, AMS should be notified at QAD.AuditService@ams.usda.gov. Inspection personnel should include their immediate supervisor on messages to AMS. The following information should be included in the message:

With the exception of lactic acid solutions used on bovine or bison carcasses, antimicrobial treatments (for example, hyperchlorination, TSP, citric or ascorbic acids, etc) are not allowed for treatment of red meat or poultry carcasses, parts or viscera. Only the application of water, recycled hot water or steam is permitted. Use of recycled hot water is only permitted when integrated into the facilities HACCP system and applied consistently with Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/1474.

Note: The EU regulation which allows the use of recycled hot water to remove microbiological surface contamination from carcasses becomes effective September 18, 2015. Provided they meet all other export requirements for export to the EU, the entire carcass or half carcasses of domestic ungulates and farmed game treated with recycled hot water on or after September 18, 2015 can be certified for export by FSIS.

Conditions of use of lactic acid to reduce microbiological surface contamination of bovine and bison carcasses, half carcasses or quarters at the slaughterhouse. The EU does not permit the use of lactic acid on cuts or trimmings.

During the course of the day, plant management should select 30 or more carcasses prior to entry into the chiller and the same number of carcasses at the exit of the chiller. Samples should be taken randomly throughout a day's production. Whole bird rinses should be used for sample collection. Analysis of samples should be done using an AOAC International approved method. Plant management should submit a report of the assessment and results to FSIS at Phone (202) 720-0082 or (855) 444-9904, Fax (202) 720-7990 or importexport@fsis.usda.gov.

This assessment shall be carried out each time any changes are made to a plant's chilling system. Records shall be kept of the validation and assessments, and shall be available to the EU.

All samples collected under the EU Additional Residue Testing Program will be forwarded to an AMS approved laboratory for screening.

The FSIS coordinates the additional residue testing program for products destined to the EU. However, AMS has set up the Laboratory Approval Program for export where they provide information on approved laboratories which conduct the required residue testing.The Official Listing of USDAApproved Laboratories Export Laboratory Approval Program is available on the AMS Website.

Table 1: EU Residue Sampling Frequency for Pork, Steers/Heifers, Wild Boars and Turkey Table 2: EU Residue Frequency for Bison. This plan is designed by FDA. The sample forms, supplies and collection of the samples are the same as described in Section IX with the exception that a portion of samples (project code with a suffix of _DEN) will be forwarded to a FDA laboratory for analysis instead of one of the AMS approved laboratories. Only U.S. born and raised Bison are eligible for the _Den testing. FDA will be responsible for the analytical cost for samples with the _Den suffixin 2016. Contact Andrew Yeung at (240) 402-1541 with questions.The FDA laboratory address is as follows: FDA/ Denver Laboratory Sample Custodian, 6th & Kipling St., DFC,BLDG 20, Entrance W-10, Denver, CO 80225. Note: If the establishment is slaughtering imported Bison on the day IPP have scheduled the __Den residue sampling task, IPP are to reschedule the sample for a day when a sample from U.S. born and raised Bison can be collected and submitted for analysis.

All bovine meat exported to the European Union must originate from animals that have never been treated with hormonal growth promotants. In order for FSIS to provide export certification for this product, there must be assurances that there are effective controls in all phases of production, from birth to slaughter, and subsequent processing and final packaging activities. FSIS has developed guidelines for the industry, which provide the system requirements and components of the program (Program for Certifying Non-hormone Treated Beef to the European Union).

Each phase of the production of these animals will maintain a written control program that describes the procedures for maintaining identity of and segregating non-hormone treated cattle, as well as the controls that are in place to prevent the administration of restricted compounds to the animals. The documented system will be audited by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), or by an AMS-accredited independent third party. AMS has developed instructions providing the general policies and procedures for providing service under the NHTC Program, ARC Instruction 1013 Procedure. Contact FSIS at Phone (202) 720-0082 or (855) 444-9904, Fax (202) 720-7990 or importexport@fsis.usda.gov, if necessary, for a copy of these documents.

Pending further discussion with the EU, cow meat and cow offal will not be eligible for export to the EU unless it is produced according to the NHTC program guidelines referenced above.

Each establishment involved in the production of NHTC beef must maintain documentation in accordance with an approved written control program and follow procedures that will assure the production and shipment of product derived from non-hormone treated cattle. Mandatory in-plant controls include:

The IIC will verify that the establishment's written control program is adequate to maintain product and identification controls throughout the slaughter, fabrication, processing, packaging process, to the point that the EU Health Mark is applied in a tamper evident fashion. FSIS inspection personnel will perform random checks of these procedures in operation throughout the EU production, as well as checks of the records maintained by plant management. In addition, FSIS will check company records, when necessary, to verify proper transfer for subsequent storage prior to certification of the product to the EU. Compliance oversight by FSIS includes:

All pork exported to the EU must originate from animals that have never been treated with hormonal growth promotants. In order for FSIS to provide export certification for this product, there must be assurances that there are effective controls in all phases of production in growing the animal, as well as at the slaughter establishment. FSIS has developed guidelines for the industry, which provide the system requirements and components of the program (Program for Certifying Pork Intended for Export to the EU). Though each phase of production (or ownership stage) will have to demonstrate that their system controls are adequate, emphasis will be placed on the controls at the finishing unit to ensure ractopamine hydrochloride (ractopamine) is not fed. The documented system will be audited by AMS (or by an AMS-accredited independent third party). AMS has developed instructions providing general policies and procedures for providing services under the PFEU Program MGC Instruction 710, Pork to the European Union Program Contact FSIS at Phone (202) 720-0082 or (855) 444-9904, Fax (202) 720-7990, or importexport@fsis.usda.gov for a copy of these documents.

Each establishment involved in the production of pork must maintain documentation in accordance with an approved written control program and follow procedures that will assure the production and shipment of product derived from hogs that have not been fed ractopamine. Mandatory in-plant controls include:

The IIC will verify that the establishment's written control program to determine if it is adequate to maintain product and identification controls throughout the slaughter, fabrication, processing, packaging process, to the point that the EU Health Mark is applied in a tamper evident fashion. FSIS inspection personnel will perform random checks of these procedures in operation throughout the EU production, as well as checks of the records maintained by plant management. In addition, FSIS will check company records, when necessary, to verify proper transfer for subsequent storage prior to certification of the product to the EU. Compliance oversight by FSIS includes:

All poultry exported to the EU must originate from birds that were produced under an approved AMS Poultry Export Verification (PEV) program. In the case of turkeys, the PEV program must include controls at the finishing unit to ensure ractopamine hydrochloride (ractopamine) is not fed. In order for FSIS to provide export certification for this product, there must be assurances that there are effective controls in all phases of production in growing the birds, as well as at the slaughter establishment. AMS has developed instructions providing general policies and procedures for providing services under the PEV Program. This information is available on AMS' website

Each establishment involved in the production of poultry must maintain documentation in accordance with an approved written control program and follow procedures that will assure the production and shipment of product derived from birds that have been produced under the AMS PEV program. Mandatory in-plant controls include:

The IIC will verify that the establishment's written control program to determine if it is adequate to maintain product and identification controls throughout the slaughter, processing, packaging process, to the point that the EU Health Mark is applied in a tamper evident fashion. FSIS inspection personnel will perform random checks of these procedures in operation throughout the EU production, as well as checks of the records maintained by plant management. In addition, FSIS will check company records, when necessary, to verify proper transfer for subsequent storage prior to certification of the product to the EU. Compliance oversight by FSIS includes:

Cutting and processing plants intending to prepare products for export to the EU must source the raw meat or poultry from EU approved slaughter establishments. The raw material must be eligible for export to the EU and bear the EU health mark. Adequate records supporting control of product transferred to separate processing facilities and cold storage warehouses must be maintained by plant management. Identification and segregation of the raw material must be acceptable to the IIC.

Raw material may be imported into the United States for the purpose of EU production provided it bears the EU Health Mark, as described above, and has accompanying documentation that identifies the establishment of origin and demonstrates its EU eligibility. The product must also be eligible for importation into the United States. Imported product must be handled exclusively in facilities approved for the European Union, including import and cold storage facilities.

The health mark for wild game must be pentagonal shaped rather than oval. The pentagonal mark should be similar in size and bear the same information as the oval mark as indicated above. For information concerning the marking of small wild game, contact FSIS at Phone (202) 720-0082 or (855) 444-9904, Fax (202) 720-7990).

Finland and Sweden require additional microbiological testing of fresh veal, beef, pork, and poultry meat for salmonella prior to export certification. The sampling methods and number of samples to be taken varies with the class of product and the size of the consignment. Specific information regarding sampling methods, number of samples to be taken, and the testing methodology is available.

The additional testing is not required if the fresh veal, beef, pork or poultry meat is destined for the manufacture of meat products in Sweden or Finland.

Production modes - Plants must be in an EU production mode whenever producing for EU export. It is not necessary that establishments be in an EU mode when producing for non-EU markets. However, all establishments must provide an EU mode control program to the IIC to assure that all EU requirements are met before beginning EU production. The plant must be in the EU mode during prescreening by FSIS and during any EU review. The key role in assuring compliance with the requirements for export to the EU is with the IIC. If an approved plant is not in compliance with the EU requirements, the IIC should withhold the use of the EU health mark label (See Section XIII.) and notify plant management of the non-compliance through a memorandum of interview (MOI). The EU health mark label should be returned to the secured location until the deficiency has been corrected. Product not bearing the EU health mark label was not produced according to the requirements for export to the EU and is not eligible for export certification to an EU member state.

An EU approved plant will be reviewed periodically to assure that the EU listed plant continues to comply with standards for export of product to the EU. Export Notice 2005-2, April 1, 2005, provides information regarding the EU conformance verification review procedure, including documenting the review on the revised FSIS Form 9100-1 (03/25/2010), EU Conformance Verification Checklist for Meat and Poultry Establishments to be Used in Conjunction with the Export Requirements for the European Union. The new FSIS Form 9100-1 has been revised to reflect the requirements indicated in Section II above. In accordance with Export Notice 2005-2, the Checklist should be completed a minimum of once per year and for plants that produce product for export to the EU on a routine basis, the review should be conducted each calendar quarter that product is produced. The FSIS inspector in charge (IIC) at the establishment should submit a scanned copy of the Checklist to FSIS at importexport@fsis.usda.gov, or by fax at (202) 720-7990. Any change in the status of the establishment, such as alteration of name or discontinuation of operation in the EU mode should also be submitted to the EPS.

Advisory - Exporters should verify that the shipping date on any export certificate or accompanying shipping documents does not precede the FSIS signature date on the certificate. Failure to do so can result in the detention of the shipment at the Port of Entry into the European Union.

The exporter should check with their importer whether letterhead certificate for each product type, in one shipment, should have a unique number in Box I.2, which is the number serial number of the corresponding 9060-5, Meat and Poultry Export Certificate of Wholesomeness.

Note: Many of the EU Model Health Certificates below contain material that is pre-marked through. While that material must remain marked through, there may be additional statements, words, species, etc. that must be marked through prior to certification. Applicable statements shall be kept as appropriate and statements which are not relevant, should be marked through (single line through non-applicable text), initialed and stamped by the certifying FSIS veterinarian. Only the additional marked through material should be initialed and stamped by the FSIS veterinarian.

Note: All of the EU certificates listed below require the gross and net weights in kilograms in box I.20.

See Guidelines to complete.

SRM certification is included in the certificate. Therefore, the separate SRM statement on FSIS letterhead is not necessary with the revised certificate.

See Guidelines to complete.

SRM certification is included in the certificate. Therefore, the separate SRM statement on FSIS letterhead is not necessary with the revised certificate.

Effective immediately, one of the following certificates may be issued if the applicant provides a completed and signed AMS Statement of Verification (SOV) for High Quality Beef and has documentation that associates the SOV with the specified product:

Note: Bison is not eligible for the high quality beef quota B and only the reference to Regulation (EC) No 593/2013 (quota A) can be added to FSIS Form 9180-3 as described below. FSIS PHVs should not certify bison under the high quality beef quota, B, (EC) No 481/2012.

FSIS Form 9180-3, Certificate of Authenticity, may be issued upon request of the applicant when producer affidavits are provided to FSIS personnel as part of the export certificate application. The affidavits must attest to the origin of the animals (U.S. or Canada) and that the animals meet the age and feeding requirement stated on the certificate. When used for exports to the European Union, the phrase "Regulation (EC) No 593/2013" must be added to Box 5 of FSIS Form 9180-3 prior to being presented to the FSIS veterinarian for signature.

See Guidelines to complete.

See Guidelines to complete.

See Guidelines to complete.

See Guidelines to complete.

See Guidelines to complete.

For meat products and treated stomachs, bladders and intestines that are destined for a non-EU country but that transit through or are stored in an EU country, see "Transit Certificates" section below.

Facilities, at which export certifications for casings to the EU are provided, are deemed to be processing facilities for purposes of export to the EU. These facilities must be present on the list of EU-approved casings establishments in the United States. See Section XX, Plants Eligible for Export, to access the list. Casings do not have to originate from animals slaughtered at establishments approved by the EU.

Note: the EU defines all U.S. origin bovine intestines/casings as SRM and therefore they must originate from countries with negligible BSE risk. The following SRM statement must be presented on a separateFSIS letterhead certificate as an attachment to FSIS Form 9180-23 for bovine casings originating from negligible BSE risk countries. This letterhead certificate is also available in French, which can be issued in conjunction with the English version upon request of the exporter. The ileum of the small intestine of lamb is defined as SRM by the EU.

Obtain one of the following certificates:

An important feature of FSIS Form 9180-23 requires the application of an Export Stamp identifying the Serial Number indicated on FSIS Form 9060-7 or FSIS Form 9060-18, as appropriate. This is the same number used at the top right hand block of FSIS Form 9180-23 next to "No." The Export Stamp is applied below Section 9 (c), in the block provided for an "Official stamp." The Export Stamp must be applied to FSIS Form 9180-23 in a color of ink other than black. The signature of the official signing the certificate must be in a color of ink other than black.

Animal casings not destined for an EU member state, which will be transiting or temporarily stored in an EU member state, must have an appropriate transit certificate related to animal health. See "Transit Certificates" in the appropriate section below.

Meat, poultry or egg products destined for a non-European Union country, for ships stores, or for U.S. military use that is transiting through, is destined for a U.S. military base within, or is being temporarily stored in an EU member state must have the appropriate transit certificate related to animal health.

The transit certificates attest only that the product complies with the animal health requirements of the EU. Currently, there are no animal health restrictions on U.S. meat, cooked poultry and egg products exported to the EU, however, see the pre-requisite flock health certification required below for raw poultry. Any changes to the animal health status will be included in these requirements.

Transshipments of fresh meat or fresh poultry, meat or poultry products, meat or poultry preparations, egg products (on and after 4-26-2007), or animal casings through EU member countries, or shipments that will be temporarily stored in an EU member state, including ship stores and military shipments, must be accompanied by animal health certification. In addition to the certification/s required by the final destination country, the following EU transit certificates (as appropriate), must accompany shipments. For ships stores and military shipments, in addition to the appropriate transit certificate, the following statement must be included in the Remarks section of FSIS Form 9060-5: "Product consigned to ships stores" or "Product consigned to US military".

FSIS letterhead certificate, "Veterinary Certificate for Fresh Meat for Transit and/or Storage in the European Union", is available in English, French, German, Greek, Spanish, Netherlands, Lithuanian, and Polish.

This transit certificate is related to animal health only and applies to fresh/frozen meat (red meats) that will transit through or be temporarily stored in a member state of the European Union.

See Guidelines to complete.

Veterinary Certificate for transit/storage of specified pathogen-free eggs, meat, minced meat and mechanically separated meat of poultry, ratites and wild game-bird, eggs and egg products is available in English, Bulgarian, French, German, Lithuanian, Romanian, Greek, Italian, Netherlands, Polish, and Spanish.

Plant management must present a monthly certification from an APHIS accredited veterinarian when making application for the fresh poultry meat transit/storage certificate. The veterinarian must have Category II accreditation in the State where the flock is located to sign the flock health certificate. To determine if a veterinarian is accredited in a particular State, the contact information for location of offices in each State is available at APHIS' Web site. The certificate must be dated within the previous 30 days of the date of slaughter. This certificate is for U.S. use only and should not be sent with the transit certificate.

See Guidelines to complete. If the consignment consists of poultry enter U.S., enter US and US-1. If the consignment consists of egg products, enter US and US-0. If from another country, enter appropriate code.

See guidelines to complete

If the consignment consists of poultry enter U.S., enter US and US-1. If the consignment consists of egg products, enter US and US-0. If the consignment consists of heat treated poultry and poultry products from a restricted state, enter US and US-2. If from another country, enter appropriate code.

Please see new guidelines to complete I.28.

Effective immediately, revised certification is required for meat preparations shipments transiting or being stored in the EU.

Veterinary Certificate for Meat Preparations for Transit/Storage is available in English, Spanish, Italian, French, German, and Netherlands.

See Guidelines to complete.

Certification is required for composite products transiting or being stored in the EU. Composite product is defined by the EU as "a foodstuff intended for human consumption that contains both processed products of animal origin and products of plant origin and includes those where the processing of primary product is an integral part of the production of the final product".

Composite products regulated by FSIS, including products containing processed egg components sourced from an FSIS inspected plant or eligible foreign country, can be certified for transit through the EU. Note that all FSIS inspected and passed egg products (or legally imported egg products) have been pasteurized to comply with the time and temperature requirements described in this certificate.

If the dairy products trigger the need for the certification statements marked through on the Veterinary Certificate for Composite Products for Transit/Storage, the exporter is to contact the Import/Export Program Development Staff at importexport@fsis.usda.gov or call (202) 720-0082.

Veterinary Certificate for Composite Product for Transit/Storage is available in English, Bulgarian, Estonian, French, German, Greek, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Netherlands, Polish, Romanian, and Spanish.

See guidelines to complete.

Veterinary Certificate for transit/storage of specified pathogen-free eggs, meat, minced meat and mechanically separated meat of poultry, ratites and wild game-bird, eggs and egg products is available in English, Bulgarian, French, German, Lithuanian, Romanian, Greek, Italian, Netherlands, Polish, and Spanish.

Note: The letterhead transit certificate for fresh poultry meat and egg products is the same certificate. See Guidelines to complete.

The APHIS monthly certificate is no longer required for egg products transiting the EU.

Establishment management seeking approval of only the part of their plant that processes product for EU export can request partial plant approval for certain products under the following conditions:

The European Union official website where EU lists are published is available at https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/sanco/traces/output/non_eu_listsPerCountry_en.htm. Scroll to "United States" and click on the list of interest.

Originally posted here:
European Union - USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

The European Union (abbreviation: EU) is a confederation of 28 member countries in Europe, started in 1957 as the European Economic Community (EEC). It has created a common economic area with Europe-wide laws allowing people to move and trade in other EU countries almost the same as they do in their own. Nineteen of these countries also share the same type of money: the euro.

The Treaty of Lisbon is the most recent treaty that says how the Union is run. Every member state signed to say that they each agreed with what it says. Most importantly, it says which jobs ('powers') the Union should do for the members and which jobs they should do themselves. The members decide how the Union should act by voting for or against proposals.

The objective of the EU is to bring its member states closer together with respect of human rights and democracy. It does this with a common style of passport, common rules about fair trading with each other, common agreements about law enforcement, and other agreements. Most members share a common currency (the euro) and most allow people to travel from one country to another without having to show a passport.

After World War II, the countries in Europe wanted to live peacefully together and help one another's economies. Instead of fighting for coal and steel, the first member countries (West) Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg created one European Coal and Steel Community in 1952.

In 1957 in the Italian city of Rome, the member countries signed another treaty and made the European Economic Community. Now it was a community for coal, steel and for trade. Later it changed the name to the European Community.

In 1993, with the Treaty of Maastricht it changed its name to the European Union. Now the member countries work together not only in politics and economy (coal, steel and trade), but also in money, justice (laws), and foreign affairs. With the Schengen Agreement, 22 member countries of the EU opened their borders to each other, so people can now travel from one country to the other without a passport or identity card. Now already 16 member countries have replaced their national currencies with the euro. 10 new countries became members of the EU in 2004, 2 more became members in 2007, and 1 more in 2013. Today there are 28 member countries altogether.

A person who is a citizen of a European Union country can live and work in any of the other 27 member countries without needing a work permit or visa. For example, a British person can move to Greece to work there, or just to live there, and he or she does not need permission from an authority in Greece.

In the same way, products made in one member country can be sold in any other member country without any special permissions or extra taxes. For this reason, the members agree rules on product safety - they want to know that a product made in another country will be as safe as it would be if it had been made in their own.

The Council of the European Union is the main decision-making group. The cabinet ministers of the member countries meet (Ministers for Foreign affairs, for Agriculture, for Justice, etc...) and discuss issues that are important to them.

Before the Treaty of Lisbon (written in 2007, implemented in 2008) each member state takes a turn at being President of the Council for six months. For example, from January 2007 until July 2007, Germany held the presidency. The six months before that, Finland held the presidency. Now the President of the European Union chairs the council summits. The President of the Council is the organiser and manager and is voted into office for a duration of two and a half years. He or she does not have the power to make decisions about the European Union like the President of the United States does for that country.

Member countries with a large population (Germany, France, United Kingdom, etc.) have more votes than countries with small populations (Luxembourg, Malta, etc.) but a decision cannot be made if enough countries vote against the decision.

Twice a year, the heads of government (Prime Ministers) and/or the heads of state (Presidents) meet to talk about the main issues and make decisions on different issues. This meeting is different and not as formal. It is known as a European Council.

The European Commission runs the day to day running of the EU and writes laws, like a government. Laws written by the Commission are discussed and changed by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.

The Commission has one President and 27 Commissioners, selected by the European Council. The Commission President is appointed by the European Council with the approval of the European Parliament.[17]

The Commission operates like a cabinet government. There is one Commissioner per member state, though Commissioners are bound to represent the interests of the EU as a whole rather than their home state.

The Parliament has a total of 785 members (called Members of the European Parliament, or MEP). They are elected in their countries every five years by the citizens of the European Union member countries. The Parliament can approve, reject or change proposed laws. It can also sack the European Commission. In that case, the entire commission would have to give up their jobs.

There are many discussions in the EU about how it should develop and change in the future.

The main reasons why European countries came together are political and economic:

In 1951, six countries made the European Coal and Steel Community, a basic version of what the EU is now. These six then went further and in 1957 they made the European Economic Community and the European Coal and Steel Community. The UK and others decided not to join, and then when the UK changed its mind it was stopped from joining by French President Charles de Gaulle. When he was no longer President, the UK and others started to join. Today there are 28 members but the idea that more should join is not seen as a good one by everyone.

Serbia, Montenegro, the Republic of Macedonia, Turkey and Iceland are "candidate countries", they are being considered for membership. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are expected to follow.

United in diversity (or together with many types of people in Simple English), is the motto of the European Union.

The motto in other languages:[19]

Follow this link:
European Union - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Thomas Mair, 52, who has been charged with murdering Jo Cox, a member of Parliament, made the remark during a brief court appearance Saturday.

By KIMIKO DE FREYTAS-TAMURA

The shooting and stabbing death of Ms. Cox, a member of Parliament, has stunned Britain ahead of a vote on whether to stay in the European Union.

The decision added support for a narrative that revolves around perceived slights and anti-Russian conspiracies taking place in the outside world.

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Many Britons want to stop paying for an unwieldy club often hobbled by a lack of consensus.

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By STEVEN ERLANGER

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One of Europes biggest charities said Friday it is turning its back on millions of dollars to protest the blocs shameful deterrence policies on migrants.

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More here:
European Union - The New York Times