S.I. No. 265/2004 - European Communities (Recognition of Qualifications in Veterinary Medicine) Regulations 2004

I, JOE WALSH, Minister for Agriculture and Food, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 3 of the European Communities Act 1972 (No. 27 of 1972) for the purpose of giving further effect to Article 43 of the Treaty of the European Community hereby make the following regulations

1. These Regulations may be cited as the European Communities (Recognition of Qualifications in Veterinary Medicine) Regulations 2004.

2. In these Regulations—

“Act” means the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1931 (No. 36 of 1931);

“2003 Regulations” means the European Communities (Recognition of Qualifications in Veterinary Medicine) Regulations 2003 ( S.I. No. 288 of 2003 ).

3. The Act is amended by—

(a) the inserting after section 31(4)(b)(iv) (inserted by Regulation 3(1)(b) of the 2003 Regulations) the following:

“(v) The Treaty concerning to the accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic to the European Union, signed at Athens on the 16th day of April 2003.”. and

(b) substituting of section 31A(2) (inserted by Regulation 3(1)(c) of the 2003 Regulations) for the following:

“(2) In considering an application under this section, the Council shall, for the purpose of reaching a determination of the application, take into account any training undergone or experience gained in a Member State of the European Communities or in a Third Country.”.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation).

These Regulations extend the circumstances which the Veterinary Council of Ireland is obliged to take account of when examining applications for recognition from persons with a relevant Third Country qualification where such qualification has already been recognised in another Member State. The Regulations also amend the mutual recognition arrangements to take account of the accessions from 1 May 2004.