L 72/86 Official Journal of the European Union 11.3.2004 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 1 March 2004 establishing additional guarantees regarding salmonella for consignments to Finland and Sweden of laying hens (notified under document number C(2004) 582) (Text with EEA relevance) (2004/235[EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Directive 90/539/EEC of 15 October 1990 on animal health conditions governing intra-Community trade in, and imports from third countries of, poultry and hatching eggs ('), and in particular Article 9b(2) thereof, Whereas: (1)  Commission Decision 95/161/EC of 21 April 1995 establishing additional guarantees regarding salmonella for consignments to Finland and Sweden of laying hens (?) has been substantially amended (*). In the inter- ests of clarity and rationality the said Decision should be codified. (20 The Commission has approved the operational programmes submitted by Finland and Sweden regarding salmonella controls. Those programmes include specific measures for laying hens, namely productive poultry reared with a view to producing eggs for consumption. (3)  Guarantees should be established equivalent to those implemented by Finland and Sweden under their opera- tional programmaes. (4)  Those additional guarantees are to be based in particular on a microbiological examination of the poultry to be sent to Finland and Sweden. (5)  Rules should be established for this microbiological examination of samples by laying down the sampling method, the number of samples to be taken and the microbiological methods for examining the samples. () OJ L 303, 31. 10. 1990, p. 6. Directive as last amended by Regu- Jation (EC) No 806/2003 (OJ L 122, 16.5.2003, p. 1). () OJ L 105, 9.5.1995, p. 44. Decision as amended by Decision 97/ 278[EC (O] L 110, 26.4.1997, p. 77) (°) See Annex III. (6)  Those guarantees should not be applicable to any flock that is subject to a programme recognized as equivalent to that implemented by Finland and Sweden. (7 Finland and Sweden should apply to consignments originating from third countries import requirements at least as stringent as those laid down in this Decision. (8)  The methods described in this Decision take into account the opinion of the European Food Safety Authority. (9)  The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Atrticle 1 Laying hens, namely productive poultry reared with a view to producing eggs for consumption, to be sent to Finland and Sweden shall be subject to a microbiological test, effected by sampling in the flock of origin. Atticle 2 The microbiological test referred to in Article 1 shall be carried out as laid down in Annex L