2006/805/EC: Commission Decision of 24 November 2006 concerning animal health control measures relating to classical swine fever in certain Member States (notified under document number C(2006) 5538) (Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to the Treaty of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania, and in particular Article 4(3) thereof,

Having regard to the Act of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania, and in particular Article 42 thereof,

Having regard to Council Directive 90/425/EEC of 26 June 1990 concerning veterinary and zootechnical checks applicable in intra-Community trade in certain live animals and products with a view to the completion of the internal market⁽¹⁾, and in particular Article 10(4) thereof,

Having regard to Council Directive 89/662/EEC of 11 December 1989 concerning veterinary checks in intra-Community trade with a view to the completion of the internal market⁽²⁾, and in particular Article 9(4) thereof,

Whereas:

1. Council Directive 2001/89/EC of 23 October 2001 on Community measures for the control of classical swine fever⁽³⁾ introduces minimum Community measures for the control of that disease. It lays down the measures to be taken in the event of an outbreak of classical swine fever. Those measures include plans by Member States for the eradication of classical swine fever from a feral pig population and emergency vaccination of feral pigs under certain conditions.

2. Commission Decision 2003/526/EC of 18 July 2003 concerning protection measures relating to classical swine fever in certain Member States⁽⁴⁾ was adopted in response to outbreaks of classical swine fever in those Member States. That Decision establishes disease control measures concerning classical swine fever in areas of those Member States where that disease is present in feral pigs in order to prevent the spread of the disease to other areas of the Community.

3. Those Member States should take appropriate measures to prevent the spread of classical swine fever. Therefore, they submitted to the Commission eradication plans and emergency vaccination plans against that disease with the measures necessary to eradicate the disease in the areas defined in their plans as infected and with the necessary measures to be applied on the pig holdings in those areas.

4. Given the epidemiological situation in certain areas of Germany, France and Slovakia, it is appropriate that the disease control measures concerning restrictions on the dispatch of live pigs, porcine semen and ova and embryos of swine, as provided for in Decision 2003/526/EC for those Member States, should also be laid down in the present Decision.

5. In addition, classical swine fever has been found in Bulgaria in the feral pig population and in pigs in holdings and it is still suspected to be endemic in those populations. Accordingly, taking into account the Accession of Bulgaria provision should be made with regard to classical swine fever as from the date of Accession.

6. Bulgaria has taken appropriate measures to control that disease in accordance with the measures provided for in Directive 2001/89/EC and has submitted a plan for the eradication of classical swine fever in feral pigs and a plan for the emergency vaccination of feral pigs in the whole territory of Bulgaria for approval by the Commission.

7. Following the epidemiological situation of the disease in Bulgaria, it is appropriate to provide for disease control measures concerning the whole territory of that country in this Decision.

8. In addition, it is appropriate in order to prevent the spread of classical swine fever to other areas of the Community, to provide in this Decision for a prohibition on the dispatch of fresh meat of pigs, and meat preparations and meat products consisting of, or containing meat of pigs from Bulgaria. Such pigmeat and pigmeat products and preparations should be marked with special marks which cannot be confused with the health marks for pigmeat provided for in Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption⁽⁵⁾ and the identification mark provided for in Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin⁽⁶⁾. However, it is appropriate that such pigmeat preparations and meat products consisting of, or containing meat of pigs may be dispatched to other Member States if they are treated in such a way that any classical swine fever virus present is destroyed.

9. In the interests of ensuring compliance with this Decision, where a Member State is subject to a prohibition on the dispatch of fresh meat of pigs, and meat preparations and meat products consisting of, or containing meat of pigs from certain parts of its territory, this Decision should lay down certain requirements, in particular as regards certification, for the dispatch of such meat, preparations and products from other areas of the territory of that Member State not subject to that prohibition.

10. Decision 2003/526/EC has been amended several times. Therefore it is appropriate to repeal that Decision and replace it by the present Decision.

11. The Decision should be reviewed on the basis of the evolution of the classical swine fever situation in the Member States and in particular nine months after the date of Accession of Bulgaria.

12. 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: