Agreement on standards of wholesomeness for edible molluscs for export

Acuerdo entre el estado espanol y la republica italiana sobre condiciones de salubridad de moluscos exportables

The aims pursued by this Agreement are the collaboration between the two Contracting Parties in the surveillance of imported molluscs produced or harvested in the other Contracting State so as to guarantee their wholesomeness and protect human health. Therefore import of edible live molluscs shall not be permitted unless they satisfy the requirements referred to in article 7 and come from maritime areas whose waters meet the hygiene and health standards fixed in the two countries, on the basis of appropriate microbiological, chemical radioactivity and biological tests. If the results of the above-mentioned tests indicate that the waters do not satisfy such requirements or even reveal ecological changes which might become a public health risk, the competent authorities of the country of origin must immediately inform the authorities of the country of destination and at the same time suspend the export of molluscs produced or harvested in the affected waters (art.2). In addition, molluscs for export shall be subjected to washing, selection, classification and packaging operations, lot by lot, in order to fulfill the conditions established by the laws and regulations in force in the importing State (art. 4). The lots of imported molluscs must bear a label indicating that they have been checked for wholesomeness in compliance with the conditions of this Agreement. The label shall contain the following indications as well: a) Authority and State of origin; b) species; c) identification number of the purification plant; d) date of consignment; e) weight. Each lot of molluscs shall be accompanied by the export certificate of wholesomness referred to in article 5, paragraph 3 too. Further provisions regard transport conditions and inspections to be carried out by frontier, port and airport health authorities (art. 8). The Joint Commission referred to in article 10 shall deal with technical and scientific updating which it may deem necessary for the effective application of this Agreement. Five Annexes are attached, mainly containing the specimens of the labels and of the certificates that shall accompany the lots of molluscs to be exported.