S.L. 437.103 Art. 2Interpretation. Cap. 437. S.L. 437.98 S.L. 437.98 S.L. 437.98 S.L. 437.98 S.L. 437.98 S.L. 437.41

(1) Unless stated otherwise in these rules, the definitions in the Act, shall still apply.

(2) For the purpose of these rules and unless the context otherwise requires the following definitions shall apply: "the Act" means the Veterinary Services Act; "approved laboratory" means a laboratory located in Malta, approved by the Competent Authority, under its responsibility, for the purpose of carrying out the diagnostic tests provided for in these rules;

"authorisation" means any authorisation granted under these rules and in relation to authorised providers and services means a permit, licence, warrant, appointment, concession or any decision concerning access to a service activity or the exercise thereof; "authorised provider" has the same meaning as that provided under the Animal Health Requirements governing Trade and

Imports into the Community of Animals, Semen, Ova and Embryos not subject to Animal Health Requirements laid down in Specific Community Acts, Rules;

*These rules have been repealed by Legal Notice 77 of 2025. †see rule 1(4) of these Rules, as originally promulgated. OF POULTRY AND HATCHING EGGS)

"breeding poultry" means poultry 72 hours old or more, intended for the production of hatching eggs; "the Commission" means the European Commission; "the Community" means the European Community as established by the Treaty on the European Union as amended by subsequent treaties; "the competent authority" means the department responsible for veterinary services in Malta as established by the Act; "compulsorily notifiable diseases" means the diseases listed in Schedule V; "country of collection or dispatch" means the Member State or third country in which poultry and hatching eggs are produced, collected, and processed and from which they are sent to another Member State;

"day-old chicks" means all poultry less than 72 hours old, not yet fed, provided that Barbary ducks may be fed;

"the Director" means the Director General responsible for veterinary services or any veterinarian officer nominated by him;

"establishment" means a facility or part of a facility which occupies a single site and is devoted to the following activities:

(a) pedigree breeding establishment, which produces hatching eggs for the production of breeding poultry;

(b) breeding establishment, which produces hatching eggs for the production of productive poultry;

(c) rearing establishment, which rears poultry until the laying stage;

(d) hatchery, which incubates and hatches eggs and supplies day-old chicks; "final consumer" has the same meaning as that provided for under the Animal Health Requirements governing Trade and Imports into the Community of Animals, Semen, Ova and Embryos not subject to Animal Health Requirements laid down in Specific Community Acts, Rules; "flock" means all poultry of the same health and immunity status, reared on the same premises or in the same enclosure and constituting a single zootechnical unit; "hatching eggs" means eggs for incubation, laid by poultry; "health certificate" means a certificate properly issued by the competent authority in accordance with the six models set in Schedule IV, as a means of guaranteeing and monitoring compliance with animal health requirements as regards animals and products of animal origin subject to trade for the purpose of these rules; "health inspection" means a visit by the official veterinarian or authorised veterinarian for the purpose of inspecting the health OF POULTRY AND HATCHING EGGS) [

status of all the poultry in an establishment; "holding" means a facility which may include an establishment used for the rearing or keeping of breeding or productive poultry; "importation" means the importation of animals and their products from a third country into the Community for the purpose of intra-Community trade; "infected area" means for the diseases listed in Schedule V, either a zone comprising a well-defined territory, depending on the epizootiological environment of the outbreak site, or a protection zone with a radius of at least 3 kilometres around the outbreak site, which is itself included in a surveillance zone of a radius of at least 10 kilometres; "Member State" means a State which is a member to the European Union; "Member State of destination" means such Member State in which poultry and hatching eggs are transported from another Member State for the purpose of intra-Community trade after being imported from a third country; "official veterinarian" shall have the same meaning as that provided for under the Animal Health Requirements governing Trade and Imports into the Community of Animals, Semen, Ova and Embryos not subject to Animal Health Requirements laid down in Specific Community Acts, Rules; "outbreak site" means the holding or place situated in the Community where animals are assembled and where any of the notifiable diseases listed in Schedule V have been officially confirmed; "overriding reasons relating to public interest" shall have the same meaning as that provided for under the Animal Health Requirements governing Trade and Imports into the Community of Animals, Semen, Ova and Embryos not subject to Animal Health Requirements laid down in Specific Community Acts, Rules; "poultry" means fowl, turkeys, guinea fowl, ducks, geese, quails, pigeons, pheasants and partridges reared or kept in captivity for breeding, the production of meat or eggs for consumption, or intended for re-stocking supplies of game;

"poultry intended for re-stocking supplies of game" means the restocking supply of game birds referred to also as "poultry" kept in captivity for breeding and rearing purposes; "the product" means any product of animal origin subject to trade; "productive poultry" means poultry 72 hours old or more, reared for the production of meat and, or eggs for consumption or for restocking supplies of game; "quarantine station" means a facility where the poultry is kept in complete isolation and away from direct or indirect contact with other poultry, so as to permit long-term observation and testing for OF POULTRY AND HATCHING EGGS)

the diseases listed in Schedule V; "sanitary slaughter" means the destruction, subject to all the necessary health safeguards including disinfection, of all poultry and products at the outbreak site which are infected or suspected of being contaminated;

"slaughter poultry" means poultry sent direct to a slaughterhouse for slaughter as soon as possible after arrival, and in any case within 72 hours; "Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health" or "the Committee" means a Committee made up of the representatives of Member States named committee members, who assist and consult the Commission by delivering an Opinion regarding safety measures with respect to animal health issues to be then formally adopted by the Commission in accordance with the appropriate procedure. Such committee procedure covers the entire food supply chain, ranging from animal health issues on the farm to the product which arrives to the final consumer, therefore significantly enhancing its ability to target risks to health wherever they arise in the production of food;

"third country" means a country which is not a member of the European Community;

"trade" means intra-Community trade between Member States in animals and their products after being imported from a third country, a business or occupation to make profit or gain, particularly in retail or wholesale sales and includes dealings in a particular business activity;

"the Treaty" means the Treaty on the European Union establishing the European Community as amended by the Lisbon Treaty of 2007; "veterinary checks" means checks or import controls carried out on poultry and hatching eggs, subject to their respective procedures as follows:

(i) as regards checks carried out for intra-Community trade, in terms of the procedure provided in rule 3(2) of the Animal Health Requirements Governing Trade and Imports into the Community of Animals, Semen, Ova and Embryos not Subject to Animal Health Requirements laid down in Specific Community Acts, Rules; and

(ii) for import controls carried out via border inspection posts on imports from third countries into the Community, in terms of the Principles Governing the

Organisation of Veterinary Checks on Products Entering the Territory of Malta from Third Countries Regulations.