COMMISSION DECISION
of 13 April 2007
on the implementation of surveillance programmes for avian influenza in poultry and wild birds to be carried out in the Member States and amending Decision 2004/450/EC
(notified under document number C(2007) 1554)
(2007/268/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June 1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field (1) and in particular the fourth subparagraph of Article 24(2) and Article (10) thereof,
Having regard to Council Directive 2005/94/EC of 20 December 2005 on Community measures for the control of avian influenza and repealing Directive 92/40/EEC (2) and in particular Article 4(2) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June 1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field lays down the procedures governing the Community’s financial contribution towards programmes for the eradication, control and monitoring of animal diseases.
(2)
Decision 90/424/EEC, as amended by Decision 2006/53/EC (3), provides that Community financial assistance may be granted to Member States for those eradication measures carried out by the Member States to combat low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) strains known to have the potential to mutate to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). In addition, Article 24(2) of Decision 90/424/EEC provides that Member States are to submit to the Commission, each year by 30 April at the latest, the annual or multi-annual programmes starting in the following year for which they wish to receive a financial contribution from the Community.
(3)
Council Directive 92/40/EEC of 19 May 1992 introducing Community measures for the control of avian influenza (4) defines the Community control measures to be applied in the event of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry. However, it does not provide for the control of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) of H5 and H7 subtypes or for regular surveillance of that disease in poultry and wild birds.
(4)
Since 2002, Member States have been implementing mandatory surveys for avian influenza in domestic poultry by submitting yearly surveillance programmes to the Commission, as provided for in Commission Decisions 2002/649/EC (5), 2004/111/EC (6), 2005/464/EC (7) and 2006/101/EC (8).
(5)
Directive 2005/94/EC provides for certain preventive measures relating to the surveillance and early detection of avian influenza. The final date for the transposition of that Directive by the Member States is 1 July 2007 and it provides for the repeal of Directive 92/40/EEC as of that date.
(6)
The Community measures for the control of avian influenza provided for in Directive 2005/94/EC also cover the control of outbreaks of LPAI caused by avian influenza of H5 and H7 subtypes in poultry. In order to detect the possible circulation of those viruses in poultry flocks, compulsory surveillance programmes are to be implemented by the Member States. Those control measures aim at preventing the spread of LPAI of H5 and H7 subtypes before they become widespread in the domestic poultry population so that the risk of a mutation into HPAI with possibly devastating consequences may be prevented.
(7)
Directive 2005/94/EC also provides for surveillance programmes to be carried out in wild birds in order to contribute, on the basis of a regularly updated risk assessment, to the knowledge on the threats posed by wild birds in relation to any influenza virus of avian origin in birds.
(8)
It is important to further strengthen surveillance activities given recent developments as regards the widespread occurrence of HPAI H5N1 in wild birds in Europe, taking into account the results of the surveys carried out in the Member States between 2003 and 2006 and the scientific work recently undertaken by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) (9) in collaboration with the ORNIS Scientific Working Group of the European Commission’s Environment Directorate-General. Those bodies will continue their work and outcomes thereof may lead to further updating.
(9)
When implementing surveillance programmes in wild birds full regard shall be paid to the requirements of Council Directive 79/409/EEC (10) on the protection and conservation of all naturally occurring wild bird species in the Community.
(10)
Commission Decision 2004/450/EC of 29 April 2004 laying down standard requirements for the content of applications for Community financing for programmes for the eradication, monitoring and control of animal diseases (11), lays down standard requirements for the content of applications for Community financing programmes for the eradication, monitoring and control of animal diseases.
(11)
As Decision 90/424/EC, now provides that a Community financial contribution is to be granted for expenditure incurred by the Member States for the financing of national programmes for the eradication, control and monitoring of certain animal diseases, including avian influenza, Member States may submit to the Commission surveillance programmes for avian influenza for a financial contribution from the Community not later than 30 April each year pursuant to Article 24(2) of Decision 90/424/EEC. Decision 2004/450/EC should be amended to lay down standard requirements for the content of applications for Community financing for avian influenza surveillance programmes.
(12)
Decision 2004/450/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.
(13)
The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee of the Food Chain and Animal Health,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
Approval of surveillance programmes for avian influenza
The surveillance programmes for avian influenza in poultry and wild birds to be carried out by Member States, in accordance with Article 4(1) of Directive 2005/94/EC, shall comply with the guidelines set out in Annexes I and II to this Decision.
Article 2
Amendments to Decision 2004/450/EC
Decision 2004/450/EC is amended as follows:
1.
in Article 1, the following point (c) is added:
‘(c)
in respect of the animal disease referred to in Annex I, Part C, at least the information set out in Annex IV.’;
2.
in Annex I, the following Part C is added:
‘PART C
Disease referred to in Article 1(c)
avian influenza.’;
3.
A new Annex IV, the text of which is set out in Annex III to the present Decision, is added.
Article 3
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 13 April 2007.