EN    EN EN 
SANCO/3142/2008 (POOL/E2/ 2008/3142/3142-EN.doc)  
EN    EN  COMMISSION OF THE E UROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels,  
C(2008) final 
Draft 
COMMISSION DECISION 
of  
authorising certain Member States to revis e their annual BSE monitoring programme 
(Text with EEA relevance)  
EN 2   EN Draft 
COMMISSION DECISION 
of  
authorising certain Member States to revis e their annual BSE monitoring programme 
(Text with EEA relevance) 
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty esta blishing the European Community, 
Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the 
Council of 22 May 2001 laying down rules for th e prevention, control and eradication of 
certain transmissible spo ngiform encephalopathies1, and in particular the second subparagraph 
of Article 6(1b) thereof, 
Whereas: (1) Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 lays down ru les for the preven tion, control and 
eradication of transmissible spongiform en cephalopathies (TSEs) in animals. It 
provides that each Member State is to ca rry out an annual monitoring programme for 
TSEs based on active and passive surveillanc e, in accordance with Annex III to that 
Regulation. 
(2) Article 6(1b) of Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 provides that Member States which can 
demonstrate the improvement of the epid emiological situation of the country, 
according to certain criteria to be laid dow n in accordance with the procedure referred 
to in that Article, may apply for their a nnual monitoring programmes to be revised. 
(3) Point 7 of Part I of Chapte r A of Annex III to Regulati on (EC) No 999/2001 lays down 
information that has to be submitted to the Commission and epidemiological criteria that have to be complied with by Member s States wishing to revise their annual 
monitoring programmes. 
(4) On 17 July 2008, the European Food Safety Au thority released two scientific opinions  
relating to the revision of th e BSE monitoring regime in some Member States. Those 
opinions provide an assessment on the level of additional risk to human and animal health following the implementation of a revised BSE monitoring regime in the 
15 Member States of the Community before  1 May 2004, and conclude that less than 
one BSE case would be missed annually in those Member States if the age of the 
bovine animal covered by the BSE monito ring was increased from 24 months to 48 
months. 
                                                
 
1 OJ L 147, 31.5.2001, p. 1.  
EN 3   EN (5) On 17 July 2008, Italy submitted to the Commissi on an application to revise its annual 
BSE monitoring programme. 
(6) On 7 August 2008, Ireland submitted to the Co mmission an application to revise its 
annual BSE monitoring programme. 
(7) On 13 August 2008, Austria submitted to the Commission an application to revise its 
annual BSE monitoring programme. 
(8) On 13 August 2008, Denmark submitted to the Commission an application to revise its 
annual BSE monitoring programme. 
(9) On 15 August 2008, the United Kingdom subm itted to the Commission an application 
to revise its annual BSE monitoring programme. 
(10) On 20 August 2008, Luxembourg submitted to the Commission an application to 
revise its annual BSE monitoring programme. 
(11) On 28 August 2008, Germany submitted to the Commission an application to revise its 
annual BSE monitoring programme. 
(12) On 28 August 2008, the Netherlands submitted to the Commission an application to 
revise its annual BSE monitoring programme. 
(13) On 29 August 2008, Finland submitted to the Commission an application to revise its 
annual BSE monitoring programme. 
(14) On 29 August 2008, Sweden submitted to the Co mmission an application to revise its 
annual BSE monitoring programme. 
(15) On 4 September 2008, Portugal submitted to th e Commission an application to revise 
its annual BSE monitoring programme. 
(16) On 8 September 2008, France submitted to the Co mmission an application to revise its 
annual BSE monitoring programme. 
(17) On 9 September 2008, Spain submitted to the Co mmission an application to revise its 
annual BSE monitoring programme. 
(18) On 11 September 2008, Belgium submitted to th e Commission an application to revise 
its annual BSE monitoring programme. 
(19) On 17 September 2008, Greece submitted to the Commission an application to revise 
its annual BSE monitoring programme.  
EN 4   EN (20) On 18 September 2008, applications subm itted by those 15 Member States were 
assessed by an ad-hoc working group of experts which conclu ded that the risk 
analyses provided by the Member States in s upport of their applica tions were suitable 
and would ensure the protection of human and animal health. All the requirements laid 
down in the third subparagraph of Article 6( 1b) and all the epidemiological criteria set 
out in point 7 of Part I of Chapter A of  Annex III to Regulati on (EC) No 999/2001 that 
Member States have to comply with fo r demonstrating the improvement of their 
epidemiological situation were al so checked and found to be met. 
(21) It is therefore appropriate to  authorise the 15 Member Stat es whose applications have 
been favourably evaluated to revise their annual monitoring programme and to retain 
48 months as the new age limit for BS E testing in those Member States. 
(22) Some Member States who joined the Co mmunity from 1 May 2004 but started the 
compliance effort during their pre-accession years also submitted to the Commission applications to revise their annual BSE monitoring programmes. In addition to the 
scientific assessment and in order to ve rify compliance with the epidemiological 
criteria, the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO)  is expected to carry out an inspection 
in these Member States and also in t hose who will apply for a review of their 
programme. The Commission has received re view requests from Slovenia and Cyprus. 
(23) For practical reasons, it is appropriate th at the commencement date of the revised 
annual monitoring programmes coincides with the Community budgetary year. 
(24) 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: 
Article 1 
From 1 January 2009, the Member States listed in the Annex hereto may revise their annual 
monitoring programme as provid ed for in Article 6(1) of Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 ('the 
revised annual monitoring programmes'). 
Article 2 
The revised annual monitoring programmes shall apply only to the national bovine population 
of the concerned Member State and shall cover at least all bovine anim als above 48 months of 
age belonging to the following subpopulations: 
(a) animals as referred to in point 2.2 of Part I of Chapter A of Annex III to Regulation 
(EC) No 999/2001; 
(b) animals as referred to in point 2.1 of Part I of Chapter A of Annex III to Regulation 
(EC) No 999/2001; 
(c) animals as referred to in point 3.1 of Part I of Chapter A of Annex III to Regulation 
(EC) No 999/2001.  
EN 5   EN Article 3 
This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of  Belgium, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal 
Republic of Germany, Ireland, the Hellenic Re public, the Kingdom of Spain, the French 
Republic, the Italian Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Kingdom of 
Netherlands, the Republic of Austria, the Port uguese Republic, the Repu blic of Finland, the 
Kingdom of Sweden and the United Kingdom of  Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 
Done at Brussels, 
 For the Commission 
 Androulla VASSILIOU  Member of the Commission  
EN 6   EN ANNEX  
List of Member States  
– Belgium 
– Denmark 
– Germany 
– Ireland 
– Greece 
– Spain 
– France 
– Italy 
– Luxembourg 
– Netherlands 
– Austria 
– Portugal 
– Finland 
– Sweden 
– United Kingdom