In a recent post we reported about inconsistent TRACES NT establishment listings. At the time the first problem was discovered, it concerned a third country listing. The veterinary officials at a Dutch port who first made the discovery reported the problem to DG SANTE. The answer from Brussels was that "the authorities of 3rd countries are responsible for providing evidence that this establishment was listed on the correct list of approvals and/or zoning and/or correct footnotes".
OK, that's the Third (non-EU) Countries so it's not us. We are all good. But is that true?
Further investigations reveal very confusing results on the lists of EU establishments approved for handling Animal By-Products. They go as far as the question "Should I trust what I see"? And there seem to be variations in these discrepancies depending on the specific EU country. This time the topic is CHANNELING.
The Channeling Procedure is an additional monitoring step that allows the local competent authority to follow-up a consignment upon importation into the EU and verify its successful arrival at the point of final destination.
EU establishments importing animal by-products subject to Channeling must qualify for this procedure and be listed into the TRACES NT database accordingly.
Therefore, the EU listing interface provides for a specific column "CHAN" where the visitor can check if an establishment is approved for Channeling or not. Additionally, there is a column left free for "REMARKS" in order to add any other specific and important information. Ideally, this is what a visitor would see online:
It gets more complicated when visiting the listing of other EU countries - eg Germany. Looks like in the same Animal By-Products section there is not a single establishment listed for Channeling:
The list is long and one can check also other sections. The CHAN column says NO in all cases.
And now we use the official TRACES NT website to export the same list as a *pdf document. Suddenly all establishments appear to be approved for Channeling as we see a YES in the corresponding column.
???
Anyone with an internet connection and some free time can perform the "experiment". Noone can understand though.
To Channel or not to Channel - that remains a question.
Our advice - check with your local veterinary authorities and require an explanation, a statement, a correction. We have the right to receive a reliable official information.
Don't wait. Ask.
And stay tuned - stay with us.
