Whilst idly trawling around the Statutory Instruments (SI) website looking for something interesting I came across the following example of just how tied up in EU rulings this country has become.

A rather substantial SI titled The Trade in Animals and Related Products Regulations 2011 relating to trade in animals, animal feed and genetic material has the following set of EU regulations to include :

Council Directive 64/432/EEC on animal health problems affecting intra-Community trade in bovine animals and swine(1)Bovine animals and swine

Council Directive 88/407/EEC laying down the animal health requirements applicable to intra-Community trade in and imports of semen of domestic animals of the bovine species(2)Bovine semen

Council Directive 89/556/EEC on animal health conditions governing intra-Community trade in and importation from third countries of embryos of domestic animals of the bovine species(3)Fresh bovine embryos

Council Directive 90/429/EEC laying down the animal health requirements applicable to intra-Community trade in and imports of semen of domestic animals of the porcine species(4)Porcine semen

Council Directive 91/68/EEC on animal health conditions governing intra-Community trade in ovine and caprine animals(5)Sheep and goats

Council Directive 92/65/EEC laying down animal health requirements governing trade in and imports into the Community of animals, semen, ova and embryos not subject to animal health requirements laid down in specific Community rules referred to in Annex A (I) (1) to Directive 90/ 425/EEC (6)

Other animals and products specified in the DirectiveCouncil Directive 92/118/EEC laying down animal health and public health requirements governing trade in and imports into the Community of products not subject to the said requirements laid down in specific Community rules referred to in Annex A (I) to Directive 89/662/EEC and, as regards pathogens, to Directive 90/425/EEC(7)

Miscellaneous productsCouncil Directive 96/23/EC on measures to monitor certain substances and residues thereof in live animals and animal products and repealing Directives 85/358/EEC and 86/469/EEC and Decisions 89/187/EEC and 91/664/EEC(8)

ResiduesRegulation (EC) No 178/2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down the procedures in matters of food safety(9)

Animal products for human consumptionCouncil Directive 2002/99/EC laying down the animal health rules governing the production, processing, distribution and introduction of products of animal origin for human consumption(10)

Animal products for human consumptionCouncil Directive 2004/68/EC laying down animal health rules for the importation into and transit through the Community of certain live ungulate animals(11)

Certain live ungulate animals including bovine, ovine, caprine, porcineCommission Regulation (EC) No 136/2004 laying down procedures for veterinary checks at Community border inspection posts on products imported from third countries(12)

Hay and StrawRegulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the hygiene of foodstuffs(13)

Animal products for human consumptionRegulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin(14)

Animal products for human consumptionRegulation (EC) No. 854/2004 of the European Parliament and the Council laying down specific hygiene rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption (15)

Animal products for human consumptionRegulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules(16)

Official controls on feed, food, animal health and animal welfareCouncil Regulation (EC) No. 183/2005 laying down requirements for feed hygiene(17)

Animal feedCommission Decision 2007/275 concerning lists of animals and products to be subject to controls at border inspection posts under Council Directives 91/496/EEC and 97/78/EC(18)

Composite productsCouncil Directive 2006/88/EC on animal health requirements for aquaculture animals and products thereof, and on the prevention and control of certain diseases in aquatic animals(19)

Aquatic animalsCouncil Directive 2009/156/EC on animal health conditions governing the movement and importation from third countries of equidae(20)

EquidaeCouncil Directive 2009/158/EC on animal health conditions governing intra-Community trade in, and imports from third countries of, poultry and hatching eggs(21)

Poultry and hatching eggsRegulation (EC) No 767/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 on the placing on the market and use of feed(22)

Animal feedCouncil Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 laying down the health rules as regards animal by-products and derived products not intended for human consumption (23)Animal by-products

After that lot for just animal trade I am surprised anything actually gets done at all within the EU but it does nicely demonstrate how our elected politicians are nothing more than rubber stampers these days.