Article 12 Places of introduction and export

Member States shall designate customs offices for carrying out the checks and formalities for the introduction into and export from the Community, in order to assign to them a customs-approved treatment or use, within the meaning of Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92, of specimens of species covered by this Regulation and shall state which offices are specifically intended to deal with live specimens.

All offices designated in accordance with paragraph 1 shall be provided with sufficient and adequately trained staff. Member States shall ensure that accommodation is provided in accordance with relevant Community legislation as regards the transport and accommodation of live animals and that, where necessary, adequate steps are taken for live plants.

All offices designated in accordance with paragraph 1 shall be notified to the Commission which shall publish a list of them in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

In exceptional cases and in accordance with the criteria defined by the Commission, a management authority may authorise the introduction into the Community or the export or re-export therefrom at a customs office other than one designated in accordance with paragraph 1. Those measures, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation, by supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 18(3).

Member States shall ensure that at border crossing-points the public are informed of the implementing provisions of this Regulation.