1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 1
This document is meant purely as a documentation tool and the institutions do not assume any liability for its contents
►B COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 92/119/EEC
of 17 December 1992
introducing general Community measures for the control of certain animal diseases and specific
measures relating to swine vesicular disease
(OJ L 62, 15.3.1993, p. 69)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
►M1 Council Directive 2002/60/EC of 27 June 2002 L 192 27 20.7.2002
►M2 Council Regulation (EC) No 806/2003 of 14 April 2003 L 122 1 16.5.2003
Amended by:
►A1 Act of Accession of Austria, Sweden and Finland C 241 21 29.8.1994
(adapted by Council Decision 95/1/EC, Euratom, ECSC) L 1 1 1.1.1995
►A2 Act concerning the conditions of accession of the Czech Republic, the
Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia,the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of
Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak
Republic and the adjustments to the Treaties on which the EuropeanUnion is foundedL 236 33 23.9.2003
▼B
COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 92/119/EEC
of 17 December 1992
introducing general Community measures for the control of certain
animal diseases and specific measures relating to swine vesicular
disease
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European EconomicCommunity, and in particular Article 43 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (
1),
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (2),
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social
Committee (3),
Whereas live animals are listed in Annex II to the Treaty; whereas the
marketing of live animals constitutes an important source of revenuefor the agricultural population;
Whereas it is necessary to establish at Community level the control
measures to be taken in the event of outbreaks of disease, in order toensure rational development of the farming sector and to contribute tothe protection of animal health in the Community;
Whereas an outbreak of disease can quickly take on epizootic propor-
tions, causing mortality and disturbances which may severelycompromise the profitability of stock farming;
Whereas control measures must be taken as soon as the presence of a
disease is suspected so that immediate and effective action can beimplemented as soon as its presence is confirmed;
Whereas the measures to be taken must allow the spread of the disease
to be prevented, in particular by carefully controlling movements ofanimals and products liable to spread the infection;
Whereas the prevention of diseases in the Community should normally
be based on a non-vaccination policy; whereas, however, it is importantto make provision for vaccination where a serious situation demandssuch action;
Whereas in order to ensure that all vaccinated animals are recogniz-
able, it is necessary for these animals to be identified; whereas inorder to give the necessary guarantees, the potency of the vaccinemust be approved by a reference laboratory designated by the Commu-nity;
Whereas a thorough epidemiological enquiry is essential to prevent any
spread of diseases; whereas the Member States must establish specialunits for this purpose;
Whereas in order to ensure the effectiveness of the system of control,
diagnosis of the diseases must be harmonized and must be carried outunder the auspices of responsible laboratories, the coordination of
which may be carried out by a reference laboratory designated by the
Community;
Whereas Article 3 of Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June 1990 on
expenditure in the veterinary field (
4) applies in the event of an
outbreak of one of the diseases listed in Annex I;
Whereas common measures for the control of these diseases form a
basis for maintaining a uniform standard of animal health;1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 2
(1) OJ No C 148, 7. 6. 1991, p. 12.
(2) OJ No C 280, 28. 4. 1992, p. 124.
(3) OJ No C 339, 31. 12. 1991, p. 12.
(4) OJ No L 224, 18. 8. 1990, p. 19. Decision as amended by Decision 91/133/
EEC (OJ No L 66, 13. 3. 1991, p. 18).
▼B
Whereas specific provisions should also be laid down for each indivi-
dual disease and, initially, for swine vesicular disease,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:
Article 1
This Directive defines the general Community control measures to be
applied in the event of an outbreak of one of the diseases listed inAnnex I.
Article 2
For the purposes of this Directive, the following definitions shall apply:1.holding: any establishment (agricultural or other), situated in the
territory of a Member State, in which animals are kept or bred;
2.animal: any domestic animal of a species liable to be directly
affected by the disease in question, or any wild vertebrate animallikely to participate in the epidemiology of the disease, by acting
as a carrier or reservoir of infection;
3.vector: any wild vertebrate or invertebrate animal which, by
mechanical or biological means, is liable to transmit and spread the
agent of the disease in question;
4.owner or keeper: any person or persons, either natural or legal,
having ownership of the animals, or charged with keeping the said
animals, whether or not for financial reward;
5.incubation period: the period of time likely to elapse between expo-
sure to the agent of the disease and the onset of clinical symptoms.
The duration of this period shall be that indicated in Annex I for thedisease in question;
6.confirmation of infection: the declaration by the competent authority
of the presence of any of the diseases listed in Annex I based onlaboratory results; however, in the event of an epidemic, the compe-tent authority may also confirm the presence of the disease on thebasis of clinical and/or epidemiological results;
7.competent authority: the central authority of a Member State respon-
sible for carrying out veterinary checks or any veterinary authorityto which it has delegated that responsibility;
8.official veterinarian: the veterinarian appointed by the competent
authority.
Article 3
Member States shall ensure that it is compulsory for the suspected
presence of any of the diseases referred to in Annex I to be notifiedimmediately to the competent authority.
Article 4
1. When animals on a holding are suspected of being infected or
contaminated with one of the diseases listed in Annex I, Member Statesshall ensure that the official veterinarian immediately activates officialinvestigation arrangements to confirm or rule out the presence of thedisease in question and, in particular, must take or have taken the
samples necessary for laboratory examination. To that end the animals
in question may be transported to the laboratories under the supervisionof the competent authority, which shall take appropriate steps toprevent the disease from spreading.
2. As soon as the suspected presence of the disease is notified, the
competent authority shall have the holding placed under official
surveillance and shall in particular require that:
(a) a census be made of all categories of animals of susceptible species
and that, in respect of each of these categories, the number ofanimals already dead, infected or liable to be infected or contami-1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 3
▼B
nated be recorded; the census must be kept up to date to take
account of animals born or dying during the period of suspicion;the information in the census must be kept up to date and produced
on request and may be checked at each visit;
(b) all animals of susceptible species on the holding be kept in their
living quarters or confined in some other place where they can beisolated taking into account the possible role of vectors, whereappropriate;
(c) no animals of susceptible species enter or leave the holding;
(d) all movement:
— of persons, animals of other species not susceptible to the
disease and vehicles to or from the holding,
— of meat or animal carcases, or of animal feed, equipment,
waste, droppings, litter, manure, or anything liable to transmitthe disease in question
(e) be subject to authorization by the competent authority, which shall
lay down the conditions for preventing any risk of the diseasespreeding; appropriate means of disinfection be installed at theentrances and exits of buildings or places housing animals of
susceptible species and of the holding itself;
(f) an epizootiological inquiry be carried out in accordance with
Article 8.
3. Until such time as the official measures laid down in paragraph 2
are enforced, the owner or keeper of any animal in which disease is
suspected shall take every appropriate measure to ensure compliancewith paragraph 2, except for subparagraph (f) thereof.
4. The competent authority may apply any of the measures provided
for in paragraph 2 to other holdings should their location, their config-
uration or contacts with the holding where the disease is suspected givereason to suspect possible contamination.
5. The measures referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not be with-
drawn until the suspicion of the presence of the disease has been ruledout by the official veterinarian.
Article 5
1. Once it has been officially confirmed that one of the diseases
listed in Annex I is present on a holding, Member States shall ensurethat, in addition to the measures laid down in Article 4 (2), the compe-tent authority requires application of the following measures:
(a) all animals of susceptible species on the holding shall be killed on
the spot, without delay. The animals which have died or been killedshall either be burnt or buried on the spot, if possible, or destroyed
in a carcase disposal plant. These operations shall be carried out in
such a way as to minimize the risk of disseminating the agent ofthe disease;
(b) any substance or waste, such as animal feed, litter, manure or
slurry, which is liable to be contaminated, shall be destroyed ortreated appropriately. This treatment, carried out in accordancewith the instructions of the official veterinarian, must ensure that
any agent or vector of the agent of the disease is destroyed;
(c) after carrying out operations listed in subparagraphs (a) and (b), the
buildings used for housing animals of susceptible species, theirsurroundings, the vehicles used for transport and all equipmentliable to be contaminated shall be cleaned and disinfected in accor-dance with Article 16;
(d) an epizootiological inquiry shall be carried out in accordance with
Article 8.
2. When recourse is had to burial, it must be deep enough to prevent
carnivorous animals from digging up the carcases or waste referred toin paragraph 1 (a) and (b) above and must be in suitable ground so as1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 4
▼B
to prevent contamination of water tables or any environmental
nuisance.
3. The competent authority may extend the measures provided for in
paragraph 1 to other neighbouring holdings should their location, theirconfiguration or contacts with the holding where the presence of thedisease has been confirmed give reason to suspect possible contamina-tion.
4. The restocking of the holding shall be authorized by the compe-
tent authority, following the satisfactory inspection by the official
veterinarian of the cleaning and disinfection operations carried out inaccordance with Article 16.
Article 6
Where animals living in the wild are infected or suspected of being
infected, Member States shall ensure that appropriate action is taken.
Member States shall inform the Commission and the other Member
States, in the Standing Veterinary Committee set up by Decision 68/361/EEC (
1), of the measures they have taken.
Article 7
1. In the case of holdings which consist of two or more separate
production units, the competent authority may derogate from the
requirements of Article 5 (1) (a) as regards healthy production units
of a holding which is infected, provided that the official veterinarianhas confirmed that the structure and size of these units and the opera-tions carried out therein are such that they are completely separate asregards housing, keeping, staff, equipment and feeding, so as to preventthe spread of the agent of the disease from one unit to another.
2. Where recourse is had to paragraph 1, the rules laid down in
Commission Decision 88/397/EEC (
2) shall apply mutatis mutandis .
These rules may be amended for the disease in question under theprocedure laid down in Article 25 in order to take account of thespecific nature of the disease.
Article 8
1. The epizootiological enquiry shall deal with:
(a) the length of time during which the disease may have existed on
the holding before being notified or suspected;
(b) the possible origin of the disease on the holding and the identifica-
tion of other holdings on which there are animals of susceptiblespecies which may have become infected or contaminated;
(c) the movement of persons, animals, carcases, vehicles, equipment or
any other substances likely to have carried the agent of the diseaseto or from the holdings in question;
(d) the presence and distribution of disease vectors as appropriate.
2. A crisis unit shall be established in order to provide full coordina-
tion of all measures necessary to ensure eradication of the disease asquickly as possible and for the purpose of carrying out the epizootiolo-gical enquiry.
The general rules concerning national crisis units and the Community
crisis unit shall be laid down by the Council, acting by a qualifiedmajority on a proposal from the Commission.1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 5
(1) OJ No L 255, 18. 10. 1968, p. 23.
(2) Commission Decision 88/397/EEC of 12 July 1988 coordinating rules laid
down by Member States in application of Article 6 of Council Directive
85/511/EEC (OJ No L 189, 20. 7. 1988, p. 25).
▼B
Article 9
1. Where the official veterinarian finds, or considers on the basis of
confirmed data, that disease could have been introduced from otherholdings onto the holding referred to in Article 4 or from the latter
onto other holdings as a result of the movement of persons, animals
or vehicles or in any other way, those other holdings shall be placedunder official surveillance in accordance with Article 4; this surveil-lance shall not be lifted until the suspected presence of disease on theholding has been officially ruled out.
2. Where the official veterinarian finds, or considers on the basis of
confirmed data, that disease could have been introduced from other
holdings on to the holding referred to in Article 5 or from the latteronto other holdings as a result of the movement of persons, animalsor vehicles or in any other way, those other holdings shall be placedunder official surveillance in accordance with Article 4; this surveil-lance shall not be lifted until the suspected presence of disease on the
holding has been officially ruled out.
3. When a holding has been subject to the provisions of paragraph 2,
the competent authority shall keep the provisions of Article 4 in forceon the holding for at least the maximum incubation period pertaining toeach disease following the likely time of introduction of infection asestablished by the epizootiological enquiry carried out in accordance
with Article 8.
4. Where it considers that conditions permit, the competent authority
may limit the measures provided for in paragraphs 1 and 2 to a part ofthe holding and the animals contained therein provided that the holdingcan satisfy the conditions set out in Article 7, or to animals of suscep-tible species only.
Article 10
1. Once the diagnosis of one of the diseases in question has been
officially confirmed, Member States shall ensure that the competentauthority establishes around the infected holding a protection zone
with a minimum radius of three kilometres, itself contained in a
surveillance zone with a minimum radius of 10 kilometres. The estab-lishment of the zones must take account of geographical,administrative, ecological and epizootiological factors relating to thedisease in question, and of monitoring facilities.
2. Where the zones are situated in the territory of more than one
Member State, the competent authorities of the Member States
concerned shall cooperate in establishing the zones referred to in para-
graph 1. However, if necessary, the protection zone and thesurveillance zone shall be established under the procedure providedfor in Article 26.
3. At the duly substantiated request of a Member State or on the
Commission's initiative, it may be decided under the procedure laid
down in Article 26, to modify (in particular to reduce or increase, as
appropriate) the boundaries of the zones laid down in paragraph 1 orthe duration of the restriction measures, taking into account:
— their geographical situation and ecological factors,
— the meteorological conditions,— the presence, distribution and type of vectors,— the results of the epizootiological studies carried out in accordance
with Article 8,
— the results of laboratory tests,
— control measures actually applied.
Article 11
1. Member States shall ensure that the following measures are
applied in the protection zone:
(a) all holdings within the zone having animals of susceptible species
shall be identified;1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 6
▼B
(b) there shall be periodic visits to holdings having animals of suscep-
tible species, a clinical examination of those animals including, ifnecessary, the collection of samples for laboratory examination; a
record of visits and findings must be kept, with the frequency of
visits being proportional to the seriousness of the epizootic onthose holdings at greatest risk;
(c) the movement and transport of animals of susceptible species on
public or private roads, excluding the service roads of holdings,shall be prohibited; the competent authority may, however, grant a
derogation from that prohibition for the transit of animals by road
or rail without unloading or stopping;
(d) animals of susceptible species must remain on the holding on
which they are being kept, except to be transported under officialsupervision directly to a slaughterhouse located in that zone foremergency slaughter or, if that zone has no slaughterhouse underveterinary supervision, to a slaughterhouse in the surveillance
zone designated by the competent authority. Such transport may
be authorized by the competent authority only after the officialveterinarian has carried out an examination of all the animals ofsusceptible species on the holding and confirmed that none of theanimals is suspected of being infected. The competent authorityresponsible for the slaughterhouse shall be informed of the inten-
tion to send animals to it.
2. The measures applied in the protection zone shall be kept in force
for at least the maximum incubation period pertaining to the disease in
question after animals from the infected holding have been disposed of
in accordance with Article 5 and cleaning and disinfection operationshave been carried out in accordance with Article 16. However, wherethe disease is transmitted by an insect vector, the competent authoritymay fix the duration of the measures and lay down provisions for the
possible introduction of sentinel animals. Member States shall forth-
with inform the Commission and the other Member States, within theStanding Veterinary Committee, of the measures they have taken.
On expiry of the period referred to in the first subparagraph, the rules
applied to the surveillance zone shall also apply to the protection zone.
Article 12
1. Member States shall ensure that the following measures are
applied in the surveillance zone:
(a) all holdings having animals of susceptible species shall be identi-
fied;
(b) the movement of animals of susceptible species on public roads
shall be prohibited except for the purpose of leading them topasture or animal buildings; the competent authority may, however,grant a derogation from that prohibition for the transit of animalsby road or rail without unloading or stopping;
(c) the transport of animals of susceptible species within the surveil-
lance zone shall be subject to authorization by the competent
authority;
(d) animals of susceptible species must remain inside the surveillance
zone for a maximum incubation period after the most recentrecorded case of disease. Thereafter, animals may be removedfrom that zone to be transported under official supervision directlyto a slaughterhouse designated by the competent authority foremergency slaugther. Such transport may be authorized by the
competent authority only after the official veterinarian has carried
out an examination of all the animals of the susceptible species onthe holding and confirmed that none of the animals is suspected ofbeing infected. The competent authority responsible for the slaugh-terhouse shall be informed of the intention to send animals to it.
2. The measures applied in the surveillance zone shall be kept in
force for a period at least equal to the maximum incubation period afteranimals from the holding have been disposed of in accordance withArticle 5 and cleaning and disinfection operations have been carried1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 7
▼B
out in accordance with Article 16. However, where the disease is trans-
mitted by an insect vector, the competent authority may fix theduration of the measures and lay down provisions for the possible
introduction of sentinel animals. Member States shall forthwith inform
the Commission and the other Member States, within the StandingVeterinary Committee, of the measures they have taken.
Article 13
Where the prohibitions provided for in Articles 11 (1) (d) and 12 (1)
(d) are maintained beyond 30 days because of the occurrence of further
cases of the disease and as a result problems arise in keeping the
animals, the competent authority may, following an application by theowner explaining the rounds for such application, by the ownerexplaining the grounds for such applications authorize the removal ofthe animals from a holding within the protection zone or the surveil-
lance zone, provided that:
(a) the official veterinarian has verified the facts;
(b) an inspection of all animals on the holding has been carried out;
(c) the animals to be transported have undergone a clinical examina-
tion, with negative result;
(d) each animal has been marked by ear marking or has been identified
by any other approved method;
(e) the holding of destination is located either in the protection zone or
within the surveillance zone.
All the necessary precautions must be taken, in particular by cleaning
and disinfecting lorries after transport, to avoid the risk of spreadingthe agent of the disease in the course of such transport.
Article 14
1. Member States shall ensure that the competent authority takes all
the necessary measures to keep at least persons established in the
protection and surveillance zones informed of the restrictions in forceand makes all necessary arrangements for the appropriate implementa-tion of those measures.
2. Where, in a given region, the epizootic in question is exception-
ally serious, all the additional measures to be taken by the MemberStates concerned shall be adopted under the procedure laid down inArticle 26.
Article 15
By way of derogation from the general provisions laid down in this
Directive, specific provisions relating to the control and eradicationmeasures for each respective disease:
— are, for swine vesicular disease, set out in Annex II for swine vesi-
cular disease,
— are, for each of the other diseases listed in Annex I, adopted by the
Council, acting by a qualified majority on a proposal from theCommission.
Article 16
1. Member States shall ensure that:
(a) the disinfectants and insecticides to be used and, where appropriate,
their concentrations, are officially approved by the competentauthority;
(b) the cleaning, disinfection and disinsectization operations are carried
out under official supervision:
— in accordance with the instructions given by the official veteri-
narian,
and1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 8
▼B
— in such a way as to eliminate any risk of spread or survival of
the agent of the disease;
(c) on completion of the operations in (b), the official veterinarian
makes sure that the measures have been carried out properly andthat an appropriate period, of not less than 21 days, has elapsed toensure that the disease in question has been completely eliminated
before animals of susceptible species are re-introduced.
2. The procedures for cleaning and disinfecting an infected holding:
— are, for swine vesicular disease, those set out in Annex II,
— are determined, in the context of preparation of the specific
measures for each disease listed in Annex I, in accordance with
the procedure laid down in the second indent of Article 15.
Article 17
1. Member States shall ensure that in each Member State there is
designated:
(a) a national laboratory with facilities and expert personnel enabling it
to show at all times, and especially when the disease in questionfirst appears, the type, sub-type and variant of the relevant virus
and to confirm results obtained in regional diagnostic laboratories;
(b) a national laboratory at which reagents used in regional diagnostic
laboratories are tested.
2. The national laboratories designated for each of the diseases
referred to shall be responsible for coordinating diagnostic standards
and methods, and for the use of reagents.
3. The national laboratories designated for each of the diseases
referred to shall be responsible for coordinating the diagnostic stan-dards and methods laid down by each laboratory for diagnosis of thedisease in question within the Member State. To this end, they:
(a) may provide diagnostic reagents to national laboratories;
(b) shall control the quality of all diagnostic reagents used in the
Member State;
(c) shall periodically arrange comparative tests;
(d) shall hold isolates of the virus of the disease in question from cases
confirmed in the Member State;
(e) shall ensure the confirmation of positive results obtained in
regional diagnostic laboratories.
4. However, by way of derogation from paragraph 1, Member States
which do not have a national laboratory competent as regards the
disease in question, may use the services of a national laboratory withcompetence in the matter of another Member State.
5. The list of national laboratories for swine vesicular disease is set
out in Annex II.
6. The national laboratories designated for each of the diseases
referred to shall cooperate with the respective Community reference
laboratories referred to in Article 18.
7. The detailed rules for implementing this Article shall be adopted
by the Commission under the procedure laid down in Article 25.
Article 18
1. The Community reference laboratory for swine vesicular disease
is indicated in Annex II.
2. The Community reference laboratories for each of the other
diseases listed in Annex I shall be designated in accordance with theprocedure laid down in the second indent of Article 15 in the contextof preparation of the specific measures for each disease.
3. Without prejudice to Decision 90/424/EEC, and in particular
Article 28 thereof, the functions and duties of the laboratories referred1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 9
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to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article shall be those laid down in
Annex III.
Article 19
1. Vaccination against the diseases listed in Annex I may not be
carried out except as a supplement to control measures taken whenthe disease in question broke out, in accordance with the followingprovisions:
(a) the decision to introduce vaccination as a supplement to control
measures shall be taken by the Commission, in cooperation withthe Member State concerned, under the procedure laid down in
Article 26;
(b) this decision shall be based on the following criteria in particular:
— the concentration of animals of the species concerned in the
affected zone,
— the characteristics and composition of each vaccine used,
— the procedures for supervision of the distribution, storage and
use of vaccines,
— the species and age of the animals which may or must be vacci-
nated,
— the areas in which vaccination may or must be carried out,
— the duration of the vaccination campaign.
2. In the case referred to in paragraph 1:
(a) the vaccination or re-vaccination of animals of susceptible species
on the holdings referred to in Article 4 shall be prohibited;
(b) hyper-immune serum injection shall be prohibited.
3. In the event of recourse to vaccination, the following rules shall
apply:
(a) all vaccinated animals must be identified by a clear and legible
mark in accordance with a method approved by the procedure laiddown in Article 25;
(b) all vaccinated animals must remain within the vaccination zone
unless sent to a slaughterhouse designated by the competent
authority for immediate slaughter, in which case the movement ofanimals may be authorized only after the official veterinarian hascarried out an examination of all the susceptible animals on theholding and confirmed that none of the animals is suspected ofbeing infected.
4. When the vaccination operations have been completed, move-
ments of animals of susceptible species from the vaccination zone
may be permitted under the procedure laid down in Article 26, after a
period determined by the same procedure.
5. Member States shall inform the Commission on a regular basis,
within the Standing Veterinary Committee, of progress as regards the
vaccination measures.
6. However, by way of derogation from paragraph 1, the decision to
introduce emergency vaccination may be taken by the Member Stateconcerned, following notification of the Commission, provided thatthe fundamental interests of the Community are not affected. That deci-sion, which must in particular take into account the degree of
concentration of the animals in certain regions, of the need to protect
individual breeds and of the geographical area in which vaccination iscarried out, shall forthwith be re-examined, under the procedure laiddown in Article 26, by the Standing Veterinary Committee, whichmay decide to retain, modify or extend the measures or to bring themto an end.1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 10
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Article 20
1. Each Member State shall draw up a contingency plan applicable
to all the diseases listed in Annex I, specifiying the national measuresto be implemented in the event of an outbreak of any of these diseases.
This plan must allow access to facilities, equipment, personnel and all
other appropriate materials necessary for the rapid and efficient eradi-cation of the outbreak.
2. The general criteria to be applied for drawing up the contingency
plans are laid down in points 1 to 5 and 10 of Annex IV, with points 6to 9 representing criteria to be adapted according to the diseaseconcerned. Member States may however confine themselves toapplying the criteria laid down in points 6 to 9 where the criteria in
points 1 to 5 and 10 were already adopted when plans were submitted
for the application of control measures for another disease.
3. Contingency plans drawn up in accordance with the criteria listed
in Annex IV shall be submitted to the Commission:
(i) no later than six months after this Directive is brought into effect
as regards swine vesicular disease;
(ii) no later than six months after implementation of the specific
measures for each of the other diseases listed in Annex I.
4. The Commission shall examine the contingency plans in order to
determine whether they permit the desired objective to be attained andshall suggest to the Member State concerned any amendments required
in particular to ensure that they are compatible with those of the other
Member States.
The Commission shall approve the plans, if necessary amended, in
accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 25.
The plans may subsequently be amended or supplemented, in accor-
dance with the same procedure, to take into account developments in
the situation and the specific nature of the disease in question.
Article 21
By way of derogation from the conditions provided for in Articles 19
and 20 as regards the contingency measures to be adopted by theMember States and so as to take account of the natural, geographicalconstraints particular to the French Overseas Departments, the Azoresand Madeira and their remoteness from the central part of the Commu-
nity's territory, the Member State concerned shall be authorized to
apply particular control measures specific to each of the diseases listedin Annex I to this Directive.
The Member State concerned shall, within the Standing Veterinary
Committee, inform the Commission and the other Member States ofthe measures it has taken in this respect and in particular of the controlmeasures implemented to ensure that animals from the territories inquestion or products from such animals are not dispatched to the otherterritories of the Community.
Following the information procedure referred to in the second para-
graph, Article 20 shall apply mutatis mutandis .
Article 22
Commission experts may, in collaboration with the competent authori-
ties, and in so far as is necessary to ensure uniform application of this
Directive, make on-the-spot checks. In order to do this, they may checka representative percentage of holdings to see whether the competentauthorities are checking that these holdings are fulfilling the require-ments of this Directive. The Commission shall inform the MemberStates of the result of the checks carried out.
A Member State in whose territory a check is being carried out shall
give all the necessary assistance to the experts in carrying out theirduties.1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 11
▼B
The detailed rules for implementing this Article shall be determined in
accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 25.
Article 23
1. The conditions governing the Community's financial contribution
to the measures connected with the application of this Directive arelaid down in Decision 90/424/EEC.
2. Article 3 of Decision 90/424/EEC shall be amended as follows:
(a) the following disease shall be added to the list of diseases specified
in paragraph 1:
‘haemorrhagic disease of deer’;
(b) the following paragraph shall be added:
‘2a. The Member State concerned shall also qualify for a
Community financial contribution where, on the outbreak of oneof the diseases listed in paragraph 1, two or more Member Statescollaborate closely to control the epidemic, particularly in carrying
out an epidemiological survey and disease surveillance measures.
Without prejudice to the measures provided for under the commonorganization of markets concerned, the specific Community finan-cial contribution shall be decided on in accordance with theprocedure laid down in Article 41.’
Article 24
1. Annexes I, III and IV shall be amended, as and when required, by
the Council acting by a qualified majority on a proposal from theCommission, in particular in order to take into account developmentsin research and in diagnostic procedures.
2. The Commission may, in accordance with the procedure laid
down in Article 25, amend Annex II, in particular in order to takeinto account technological and scientific developments and diagnosticmethods.
Article 25
1. The Commission shall be assisted by the Standing Committee on
the Food Chain and Animal Health set up pursuant to Article 58 ofRegulation (EC) No 178/2002 (
1).
2. Where reference is made to this Article, Articles 5 and 7 of Deci-
sion 1999/468/EC (2) shall apply.
The period laid down in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be
set at three months.
3. The Committee shall adopt its Rules of Procedure.
Article 26
1. Where the procedure laid down in this Article is to be followed,
the matter shall without delay be referred to the Standing VeterinaryCommittee by its chairman, either on his own initiative or at therequest of a Member State.
2. The representative of the Commission shall submit to the
Committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The Committee shalldeliver its opinion on the draft within a time limit which the Chairman
may lay down according to the urgency of the matter. The opinion
shall be delivered by the majority laid down in Article 148 (2) of theTreaty in the case of decisions which the Council is required to adopt1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 12
(1) OJ L 31, 1.2.2002, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.▼M2
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on a proposal from the Commission. The votes of the representatives of
the Member States within the Committee shall be weighted in themanner set out in that Article. The Chairman shall not vote.
►
A1 3.◄ (a) The Commission shall adopt the measures and shall
implement them immediately, where they are in accordance withthe opinion of the Committee.
(b) Where the measures envisaged are not in accordance with the
opinion of the Committee, or if no opinion is delivered, the
Commission shall without delay submit a proposal to theCouncil on the measures to be taken. The Council shall adoptthe measures by a qualified majority.
If the Council has not adopted any measures within 15 days of
the date on which the matter is referred to it, the Commissionshall adopt the proposed measures and shall implement themimmediately unless the Council has voted against the measuresby a simple majority.
Article 27
1. Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and
administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive
before 1 October 1993. They shall forthwith inform the Commission
thereof.
When Member States adopt these measures, they shall contain a refer-
ence to this Directive or shall be accompanied by such reference on theoccasion of their official publication. The methods of making such areference shall be laid down by the Member States.
2. Member States shall communicate to the Commission the texts of
the main provisions of national law which they adopt in the field
governed by this Directive.
3. The setting of the deadline for transposition into national law at 1
October 1993 shall be without prejudice to the abolition of veterinarychecks at frontiers provided for in Directive 90/425/EEC.
Article 28
This Directive is addressed to the Member States.1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 13
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ANNEX I
LIST OF COMPULSORILY NOTIFIABLE DISEASES
DiseaseMaximum incubation
period
Rinderpest 21 days
Peste des petits ruminants 21 days
Swine vesicular disease 28 days
Bluetongue 40 days
Epizootic haemorrhagic disease of deer 40 days
Sheep and goat pox (Capripox) 21 days
Vesicular stomatitis 21 days
►M1 African swine fever ◄ 40 days
Lumpy skin disease 28 days
Rift valley fever 30 days1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 14
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ANNEX II
SPECIFIC MEASURES TO CONTROL CERTAIN DISEASES
In addition to the general provisions laid down in this Directive, the following
specific provisions shall be applicable to swine vesicular disease.
1.Description of the disease
A disease of swine that is clinically indistinguishable from foot-and-mouth
disease, causing vesicles on the snout, lips, tongue and the coronary bands
of the digits. The disease varies considerably in severity and may infect a
pig herd without manifesting itself by clinical lesions. The virus is able to
survive for long periods outside the body even in fresh meat; it is extremely
resistant to normal disinfectants and noted for its persistence and stability
over a pH range from 2,5 to 12. Particularly thorough cleaning and disinfec-
tion are, therefore, necessary.
2.Incubation period
For the purpose of this Directive, the maximum incubation period shall be
considered to be 28 days.
3.Diagnostic procedures for the confirmation and differential diagnosis of
swine vesicular disease
The detailed methods for the collection of materials for diagnosis, the
laboratory diagnostic tests, detection of antibodies and evaluation of the
results of laboratory testing shall be decided in accordance with the proce-
dure laid down in Article 25 before the Directive enters into force.
4.Confirmation of the presence of swine vesicular disease
By way of derogation from Article 2 (6) of this Directive, the presence of
the disease shall be confirmed:
(a) on holdings on which swine vesicular disease virus is isolated either
from the pigs or from the environment;
(b) on holdings containing pigs which are seropositive for swine vesicular
disease provided those pigs or others on the holdings show lesions char-
acteristic of swine vesicular disease;
(c) on holdings containing pigs which show clinical signs of disease or are
seropositive, provided there is a direct epidemiological connection with
a confirmed outbreak;
(d) on other herds in which seropositive pigs are detected. In the latter case
the competent authority shall, before confirming the presence of the
disease, undertake further investigations, in particular resampling and
retesting with an interval of 28 days at least between collections of
samples. The provisions of Article 4 shall continue to apply until such
further investigations are completed. If subsequent investigations show
no evidence of the disease, although the pigs are still seropositive, the
competent authority shall ensure that the pigs tested are killed and
destroyed under its supervision or slaughtered under its supervision in
a slaughterhouse it has designated in its national territory.
The competent authority shall ensure that on arrival at the slaughter-
house the pigs are kept and slaughtered separately from other pigs and
that their meat is exclusively used on the national market.
5.Diagnostic laboratories
Austria: Institut für Fischkunde, Veterinärmedizinische Univer-
sität, Wien.
Belgium: Institut national de recherches vétérinaires,
Groeselenberg 99,
B-1180 Bruxelles.
Denmark: Statens Veterinære Institut for Virusforskning,
Lindholm.1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 15
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Finland:
Eläinlääkintä- ja elintarvikelaitos, Helsinki —
Anstalten för veterinärmedicin och livsmedel, Helsing-
fors.
Germany: Bundesforschungsanstalt für Viruskrankheiten der
Tiere,
Paul-Ehrlich-Straße,
7400 Tübingen.
France: Laboratoire central de recherche vétérinaire,
Maisons-Alfort.
Greece: Ινστιτούτο Λοιµωδών και Παρασιτικών
Νοσηµάτων,
Νεαπόλεως 21,
Αγία Παρασκευή ·
Ireland: Institute for Animal Health,
Pirbright,
Woking,
Surrey.
Italy: Istituto zooprofilattico sperimentale della Lombardia e
dell'Emilia Romagna,
Brescia.
Luxembourg: Institut national de recherches vétérinaires,
Groeselenberg 99,
B-1180 Bruxelles.
Netherlands: Centraal Diergeneeskundig Institut,
Lelystad.
Portugal: Laboratório Nacional de Investigação Veterinária,
Lisboa.
Spain: Laboratorio de Alta Seguridad Biológica (INIA),
28130 Madrid.
Sweden: Statens veterinärmedicinska anstalt, Uppsala.
United Kingdom: Institute for Animal Health,
Pirbright,
Woking,
Surrey.
Czech Republic: Státní veterinární ústav Praha, Sídlištní 24/136,165 03
Praha 6.
Estonia: Veterinaar - ja Toidulaboratoorium,
Kreutzwaldi 30, 51006 Tartu.
Cyprus: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e
dell' Emilia Romagna, Via Bianchi 9,
IT - 25124 Brescia.
Latvia: Valsts veterin ārmedic īnas diagnostikas centrs,
Lejupes iela 3,
LV-1076 R īga.
Lithuania: Nacionalin ėveterinarijos laboratorija, J. Kairi ūkščio g.
10,
LT-2021 Vilnius.
Hungary: Országos Állategészségügyi Intézet (OÁI),
Pf. 2.,
Tábornok u. 2.,
HU-1581 Budapest.1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 16
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Malta: Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright Laboratory, Ash
Road, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey GU24 ONF ,
United Kingdom.
Poland: Laboratorium Zakładu Pryszczycy Pa ństwowego Insty-
tutu Weterynaryjnego, ul. Wodna 7,
PL-98-220 Zdu ńska Wola.
Slovenia: Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright Laboratory, Ash
Road, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey GU24 ONF ,
United Kingdom.
Slovakia: Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright Laboratory, Ash
Road, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey GU24 ONF ,
United Kingdom.
6.Community reference laboratory
AFRC Institute for Animal Health,
Pirbright Laboratory,Ash Road,Pirbright,Woking,Surrey GU24 ONF,United Kingdom.
7.Protection zone
1. The size of the protection zone shall be as defined in Article 10 of this
Directive.
2. In the case of swine vesicular disease, by way of derogation, the
measures in Article 11 of this Directive shall be replaced by the
following:
(a) all holdings within the zone having animals of susceptible species
shall be identified;
(b) there shall be periodic visits to holdings having animals of suscep-
tible species, a clinical examination of those animals including, if
necessary, the collection of samples for laboratory examination; a
record of visits and findings must be kept; with the frequency of
the visits being proportional to the seriousness of the epizootic on
those holdings at greatest risk;
(c) the movement and transport of animals of susceptible species on
public or private roads, excluding the service roads of holdings, shall
be prohibited. The competent authority may, however, derogate from
this prohibition for the transit of animals by road and rail without
unloading or stopping;
(d) however, in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 25,
an exemption may be granted for slaughter pigs coming from outside
the protection zone and on their way to a slaughterhouse situated in
that zone;
(e) trucks and other vehicles and equipment which are used within the
protection zone to transport pigs or other livestock or material which
may be contaminated (e.g. feedingstuff, manure, slurry, etc.) may not
leave:
(i) a holding situated within the protection zone;
(ii) the protection zone;
(iii) a slaughterhouse,
without having been cleaned and disinfected in accordance with the
procedures laid down by the competent authority. Those procedures
shall provide in particular that no truck or vehicle which has been
used in the transport of pigs may leave the zone without being
inspected by the competent authority;
(f) pigs may not be removed from a holding in which they are kept for
21 days after completion of the preliminary cleaning and disinfection1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 17
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of infected holdings as laid down in Article 16; after 21 days,
authorization may be given to remove pigs from the said holding:
(i) directly to a slaughterhouse designated by the competent
authority, preferably within the protection or surveillance zone,
provided that:
— an inspection of all the pigs on the holding has been carried
out,
— a clinical examination of the pigs to be moved to slaughter
has been carried out,
— each pig has been marked by ear marking or has been iden-
tified by any other approved method,
— the pigs are transported in vehicles sealed by the competent
authority.
The competent authority responsible for the slaughterhouse shall
be informed of the intention to send pigs to it.
On arrival at the slaughterhouse, the pigs shall be kept and
slaughtered separately from other pigs. The vehicle and equip-
ment which have been involved in the transport of the pigs
shall be cleaned and disinfected before leaving the slaughter-
house.
During the pre-slaughter and post mortem inspection carried out
at the designated slaughterhouse, the competent authority shall
take into account any signs relating to the presence of the swine
vesicular disease virus.
In the case of pigs slaughtered under these provisions, a statisti-
cally representative sample of bloods shall be collected. In the
case of a positive result which leads to the confirmation of swine
vesicular disease, the measures in 9 (3) will apply;
(ii) under exceptional circumstances, directly to other premises
located within the protection zone, provided that:
— an inspection of all the pigs on the holdings has been carried
out,
— a clinical examination of the pigs to be moved has been
carried out, with negative results,
— each pig has been marked by ear marking or has been iden-
tified by any other approved method;
(g) fresh meat from the pigs referred to in point (f) (i) shall be marked
in accordance with the Annex to Council Directive 72/461/EEC of
12 December 1972 on health problems affecting intra-Community
trade in fresh meat (1), and subsequently treated in accordance with
the rules laid down in Article 4 (1) of Council Directive 80/215/
EEC of 22 January 1980 on animal health problems affecting intra-
Community trade in meat products (2). This must be done at an
establishment designated by the competent authority.
The meat shall be sent to the said establishment on condition that the
consignment is sealed before departure and remains sealed
throughout the transport.
However, at the request of a Member State, accompanied by appro-
priate justification and in accordance with the procedure laid down
in Article 25 of this Directive, specific solutions may by adopted,
in particular with respect to the marking of meat and its subsequent
use, and the destination of the processed products.
3. The measures in the protection zone shall continue to be applied at least
until:
(a) all measures laid down in Article 16 of this Directive have been
carried out;
(b) all the holdings in the zone have undergone:
(i) a clinical examination of the pigs which has revealed that they
have no signs of disease suggesting the presence of swine vesi-
cular disease; and
(ii) a serological examination of a statistical sample of the pigs
without the detection of antibodies to swine vesicular disease.
The programme for serological screening shall take into account
the transmission of swine vesicular disease and the way in which1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 18
(1) OJ No L 302, 31. 12. 1972, p. 24. Directive as last amended by Directive 91/687/EEC
(OJ No L 377, 31. 12. 1991, p. 16).
(2) OJ No L 47, 21. 2. 1980, p. 4. Directive as last amended by Directive 91/687/EEC (OJ
No L 377, 31. 12. 1991, p. 16).
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pigs are kept. The programme shall be fixed under the procedure
laid down in Article 25 of this Directive before the date of entry
on which it is brought into effect.
The examination and sampling referred to in (i) and (ii) shall not take
place before 28 days have elapsed after the completion of preliminary
cleaning and disinfection measures at the infected holding.
4. On expiry of the period referred to in point 3, the rules applied to the
surveillance zone shall also apply to the protection zone.
8.Surveillance zone
1. The size of the surveillance zone shall be as laid down in Article 10.
2. In the case of swine vesicular disease, the measures laid down in Article
12 shall be replaced by the following:
(a) all holdings having animals of susceptible species shall be identified;
(b) any movement of pigs other than direct to a slaughterhouse from a
holding in the surveillance zone shall be permitted, provided that no
pigs have moved into that holding in the previous 21 days; the owner
or the person responsible for the animals must keep a record of all
pig movements;
(c) the movement of pigs from the surveillance zone may be authorized
by the competent authority, provided that:
— an inspection of all pigs on the holding has been carried out with
the 48 hours preceding the movement,
— a clinical examination of the pigs to be moved has been carried
out with negative results in the 48 hours preceding the move-
ment,
— a serological examination of a statistical sample of the pigs to be
moved has been carried out without the detection of antibodies to
swine vesicular disease within the 14 days preceding the move-
ment. However, in the case of pigs for slaughter, the serological
examination may be carried out on the basis of blood samples
taken at the slaughterhouse of destination designated by the
competent authority in its territory. In the event of positive
results confirming the presence of swine vesicular disease, themeasures provided for in point 9 (3) shall be applied,
— each pig has been marked with an individual eartag or by any
other approved method of identification,
— trucks and other vehicles and equipment used for the transport of
the pigs must be cleaned and disinfected after each transport
operation;
(d) trucks and other vehicles and equipment used for the transport of the
pigs or other livestock or material that may be contaminated and
which are used within the surveillance zone shall not leave that
zone without having been cleaned and disinfected in accordance
with the procedures laid down by the competent authority.
3. (a) The size of the surveillance zone may be amended in accordance
with the provisions laid down in Article 10 (3).
(b) The measures in the surveillance zone shall be applied at least until:
(i) all the measures laid down in Article 16 have been carried out;
(ii) all the measures required in the protection zone have been
carried out.
9.General common measures
Additional measures in the case of swine vesicular disease shall be applied
as follows:
1. in cases where the presence of swine vesicular disease is officially
confirmed, Member States shall ensure that, in addition to the measures
laid down in Articles 4 (2) and 5 of this Directive, meat of pigs slaugh-
tered during the period between the probable introduction of disease to
the holding and the implementation of official measures is, wherever
possible, traced and destroyed under official supervision in such a way
as to avoid the risk of swine vesicular disease virus spreading;
2. when the official veterinarian has reason to suspect that pigs on any
holding may have been contaminated as a result of the movement of
any person, animal or vehicle or in any other way, pigson the holding1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 19
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shall remain under the movement restrictions referred to in Article 9 of
this Directive at least until the holding has undergone:
(a) a clinical examination of the pigs, with negative results;
(b) a serological examination of a statistical sample of the pigs without
the detection of antibodies to swine vesicular disease in accordance
with 7 (3) (b) (ii).
The examination referred to in (a) and (b) shall not take place until 28
days have elapsed since the possible contamination of the premises as
the result of the movement of persons, animals, or vehicles, or in any
other way.
3. Should the presence of swine vesicular disease be confirmed in a slaugh-
terhouse, the competent authority shall ensure that:
(a) all pigs in the slaughterhouse are slaughtered without delay;
(b) the carcases and offal of infected and contaminated pigs are
destroyed under official supervision in such a way as to avoid the
risk of swine vesicular disease virus spreading;
(c) cleaning and disinfection of buildings and equipment, including
vehicles, take place under the supervision of the official veterinarian,
in accordance with instructions laid down by the competent
authority;
(d) an epidemiological enquiry is carried out in accordance with Article
8 of the Directive;
(e) no pigs are re-introduced for slaughter until at least 24 hours after
completion of the cleaning and disinfection operations carried out
in accordance with (c).
10.Cleansing and disinfection of infected holdings
In addition to the measures laid down in Article 16 of this Directive, the
following measures shall also apply:
1.Procedure for preliminary cleaning and disinfection
(a) As soon as the carcases of the pigs have been removed for disposal,
those parts of the premises in which the pigs have been housed and
any other parts of the premises which have been contaminated
during slaughter should be sprayed with disinfectant, approved in
compliance with Article 16, at the concentration appropriate for
swine vesicular disease. The disinfectant used should remain on the
surface for at least 24 hours.
(b) Any tissue or blood which may have been spilled during slaughter
should be carefully collected and disposed of with the carcases
(slaughter should always be carried out on an impervious surface).
2.Procedure for further cleaning and disinfection
(a) All manure, bedding, contaminated food, etc., should be removed
from the buildings, stacked and sprayed with an approved disinfec-
tant. Slurry should be treated by a method suitable for killing the
virus.
(b) All portable fittings should be removed from the premises and
cleansed and disinfected separately.
(c) Grease and other dirt should be removed from all surfaces by
soaking with a degreasing agent and then washing with water under
pressure.
(d) A further application of disinfectant should then be made by
spraying all surfaces.
(e) Sealable rooms should be fumigated.
(f) Repairs to damaged floors, walls etc. should be agreed following
inspection by an official veterinarian, and carried out immediately.
(g) Completed repairs should be inspected to ensure that they have been
done satisfactorily.
(h) All parts of the premises which are completely free of combustible
material may be heat-treated using a flame gun.
(i) All surfaces should be sprayed with an alkaline disinfectant having a
pH greater than 12,5 or any other approved disinfectant. The disin-
fectant should be washed off after 48 hours.1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 20
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3.Procedure for final cleaning and disinfection
Treatment with flame gun or alkaline disinfectant (point 2 (h) or (i))
should be repeated after 14 days.
11.Restocking of infected holdings
In addition to the measures laid down in Article 5 (4) of this Directive, the
following measures shall apply:
1. Restocking should not commence until four weeks after completion of
the first full disinfection of the premises, i.e. step 3 of the cleaning and
disinfection procedures.
2. The re-introduction of pigs shall take account of the type of farming
practised on the holding and must conform to one of the following
procedures:
(a) in the case of outdoor pig holdings, restocking shall start with the
introduction of a limited number of sentinel piglets which have
been checked and found negative for the presence of antibodies
against swine vesicular disease virus. The sentinel piglets shall be
placed, in accordance with the requirements of the competent
authority, throughout the infected holding and will be examined
clinically 28 days after having been placed on the holding, and
sampled for serological testing.
If none of the piglets shows clinical evidence of swine vesicular
disease nor has developed antibodies against the virus of the disease,
full restocking may take place;
(b) for all other forms of rearing, the re-introduction of pigs shall take
place either in accordance with the measures provided for in para-
graph (a) or by full restocking, provided that:
— all the pigs arrive within a period of eight days and come from
holdings situated outside areas restricted as a result of swine
vesicular disease, and are seronegative,
— no pig may leave the holding for a period of 60 days after the
arrival of the last pigs,
— the repopulated herd is subjected to a clinical and serological
examination in accordance with the requirements of the compe-
tent authority. That examination may be carried out at the
earliest 28 days after the arrival of the last pigs.
12. By 1 October 1997 at the latest, the Commission shall submit to the Council
a report drawn up on the basis of an opinion from the Scientific Veterinary
Committee on developments in research and diagnosis procedures as well as
technical and scientific developments regarding swine vesicular disease,
together with any appropriate proposals in the light of that report's findings.
The Council shall act on such proposals by a qualified majority not later
than six months after their submission.1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 21
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ANNEX III
COMMUNITY REFERENCE LABORATORIES FOR THE DISEASES
CONCERNED
The functions and duties of the Community reference laboratories for the
diseases concerned shall be:
1. to coordinate, in consultation with the Commission, the methods employed in
the Member States for diagnosing the disease concerned, specifically by:
(a) typing, storing and supplying strains of the virus of the relevant disease
for serological tests and the preparation of antisera;
(b) supplying standard sera and other reference reagents to the national refer-
ence laboratories in order to standardize the tests and reagents used in the
Member States;
(c) building up and retaining a collection of virus strains and isolates of the
relevant disease;
(d) organizing periodic comparative tests of diagnostic procedures at
Community level;
(e) collecting and collating data and information on the methods of diagnosis
used and the results of tests carried out in the Community;
(f) characterizing isolates of the virus of the relevant disease by the most up-
to-date methods to allow greater understanding of the epizootiology of
the disease;
(g) keeping abreast of developments in the surveillance, epizootiology and
prevention of the relevant disease throughout the world;
(h) retaining expertise on the relevant disease virus and other pertinent
viruses to enable rapid differential diagnosis;
(i) acquiring a thorough knowledge of the preparation and use of the
products of veterinary immunology used to eradicate and control the rele-
vant disease;
2. to assist actively in the diagnosis of outbreaks of the relevant disease in
Member States by receiving virus isolates for confirmatory diagnosis, charac-
terization and epizootiological studies;
3. to facilitate the training or retraining of experts in laboratory diagnosis with a
view to the harmonization of diagnostic techniques throughout the Commu-
nity.1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 22
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ANNEX IV
MINIMUM CRITERIA FOR THE CONTINGENCY PLANS
Contingency plans shall meet at least the following criteria:
1. the establishment of a crisis centre on a national level, which shall coordi-
nate all control measures in the Member State concerned;
2. a list shall be provided of local disease control centres with adequate facil-
ities to coordinate the disease control measures at a local level;
3. detailed information shall be given on the staff involved in control
measures, their skills and their responsibilities;
4. each local disease control centre must be able to contact rapidly persons/
organizations which are directly or indirectly involved in an outbreak;
5. equipment and materials shall be available to carry out the disease control
measures properly;
6. detailed instructions shall be provided on action to be taken on suspicion
and confirmation of infection or contamination, including means of disposal
of carcases;
7. training programmes shall be established to maintain and develop skills in
field and administrative procedures;
8. diagnostic laboratories must have facilities for post mortem examination, the
necessary capacity for serology, histology, etc., and must maintain the skills
for rapid diagnosis. Arrangements must be made for rapid transportation of
samples;
9. details shall be provided of the quantity of vaccine against the disease in
question estimated to be required in the event of recourse to emergency
vaccination;
10. provisions shall be made to ensure the legal powers necessary for the imple-
mentation of the contingency plans.1992L0119 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 004.001 — 23