S.L. 437.45 ст. 7Reasonable time- limits. 6 [ To be an adequate In rooms inspection post (a) (b) a (c) (d) an 1. (a) the (b) In (v) (c) 2. (a) 7 Union at the border on products. required assistants taking decision. of the training

In the circumstances referred to in article 6.2 (b) of European Union Council Directive 97/78/EC concerning the reasonable time intervals to comply with the recommendations made pursuant to inspection reports, before the European Commission withdraws the border inspection post from the list in full or in part, in the latter case with regard to the product categories and, or inspection centres concerned by the recommendations, the time limit given to the Veterinary Services and other Ministerial departments concerned and private companies, operators and organisations involved, will be as follows, taken from the date of receipt of the final report in an official language of Malta -

(a) for deficiencies in respect of facilities (construction only) or staff numbers - six months; however, where new, replacement facilities are under construction the time limits for completion of action may be determined by agreement between Malta and the European Commission on a case by case basis;

(b) for deficiencies in respect of all other matters: three months.

In the event of potentially serious animal or public health risks, these time intervals may be shorter. S.L.437.45 INSPECTION POST IN MALTA SCHEDULE Approval requirements for border inspection posts approved and listed border inspection posts must be constructed to provide degree of hygiene, and avoid cross contamination.

where products are to be unloaded, inspected or stored the border or inspection centre must have -

walls finished with smooth washable surfaces, which together with the floors should be easy to clean and disinfect, and with adequate drainage;

clean and easily cleaned ceiling; adequate natural and artificial lighting; adequate hot and cold water supply in all inspection rooms. Technical equipment Border inspection posts and inspection centres must have as a minimum items noted below available at all times -

(i) equipment (or access to equipment) capable of weighing consignments subject to controls;

(ii) any equipment needed to open and examine consignments presented for examination;

(iii) cleansing and disinfection equipment adequately housed and appropriate to the needs of the post, or an effective and documented system of cleansing and disinfection by an external agent;

(iv) equipment to maintain the temperature at the appropriate level in controlled environment rooms. inspection rooms there must be available as a minimum -

(i) a table to work on with smooth washable surfaces easy to clean and disinfect;

(ii) sampling equipment - saw, knife, tin opener, a means of sampling consignments and sample containers;

(iii) sealing tape and numbered seals or labels, clearly marked to ensure traceability;

(iv) a thermometer to measure surface and also core temperature, weighing scales, and for fresh products, a pH meter; thawing equipment or micro wave oven;

(vi) facilities for the temporary storage of samples under temperature control, pending their despatch to the laboratory. Suitable containers for transport of these samples should also be available. Border inspection posts and inspection centres with restricted listing must have -

(i) those articles listed in (a) and (b) above as appropriate for the products to be handled in the post. Staffing

Border inspection posts shall operate under the responsibility of an official veterinarian, or in the case of fishery products either the official S.L.437.45 INSPECTION POST IN MALTA [ veterinarian or the official agent referred to in European Commission Decision 93/352/EEC, who must be present inspection post and the inspection centres during checks The post shall carry sufficient staff to carry out all the controls at the border inspection post.

(b) The official veterinarian may be assisted by specially trained acting under his authority in -

(i) checking documents;

(ii) carrying out identity checks and physical examinations, samples and carrying out general analysis;

(iii) administrative duties and procedures. The official veterinarian shall be responsible for the final For the staff of the border inspection post a record received in respect of veterinary checks shall be kept.