ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(79)35
Vol.1979/0012

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES
COM(79)35final
Brussels.T5february1979
Proposalfora
COUNCILDECISION
grantingfinancialaidfromtheCommunity
fortheeradication ofAfricanswine
feverinMalta
(submittedtotheCouncilbytheCommission )
χ·-X-
vJ
C0M<79)35final

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
African swine fever isanextremely contagious disease transmitted notonly
bytheanimals themselves butalso through meat and even through scraps fed
topigs .Itisthus very dangerous toherds .Asnovaccine isavailable ,
recourse has tobehad tohealth protection measures ,notably slaughter ,which
arevery costly .
African swine fever isthus aserious permanent danger totheCommunity 'spigs .
Ithas inthepast affected par.t ofFrance three times andalso Italy ,where
itrapidly became epizootic .Both countries had toresort tovery severe
measures toeradicate it.Itisatthemoment present inSardinia where itis
being stamped out bysevere measures towhich the Community ismaking a
financial contribution .Asthedisease issoeasily spread ,thebest protection
fortheCommunity istoeliminate ittotally from adjoining territories ,
including Malta .
Theplan forMalta istwo-fold :firstly ,vigorous eradication bythekilling
ofallpigs inthecountry and the immediate consumption ordestruction ofstocks
ofpigmeat and,secondly ,thereconstitution ofpig herds using modern husbandry
techniques designed toprevent anyoccurrence ofthedisease inthe future .
Thepurpose ofthepresent decision istogrant aid toMalta ,following its
request ,for theestablishment and implementation ofitsprogramme for
eradicating African swine fever .Thecontribution will bedependent oncertain
measures being taken that will guarantee theeffectiveness oftheoperation .
Itsdivision into annual instalments will enable the implementation ofthe
programme tobefollowed andanyappropriate adjustments tobemade ,theaim
being toeradicate African swine fever andreintroduce pig-farming anew inless
than three years .

PROPOSAL for a
COUNCIL DECISION
granting financial aidfrom theCommunity forthe
eradication ofAfrican swine fever inMalta
THE COUNCIL OFTHE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
Having regard totheTreaty establishing theEuropean Economic Community ,
and inparticular Article A3thereof ,
Having regard totheproposal from theCommission , ~
Having regard totheopinion oftheEuropean Parliament ,
Whereas the Community must take allappropriate measures toprotect itself
against outbreaks ofAfrican swine fever onitsterritory ;
Whereas the Community hasundertaken and continues toundertake action aimed
atkeeping this type ofdisease atadistance from itsfrontiers byhelping
countries affected byittoreinforce their preventive measures ;
Whereas ,intheopinion oftheMaltese authorities ,themeans hitherto used must
bereinforced inorder toattain thebasic objective oferadicating thedisease
throughout thecountry byslaughtering allpigs there andofpreventing reinfection
byrestocking pigfarms using modern husbandry techniques ;
Whereas theMaltese authorities have appealed tothe Community for a
contribution tothecost ofaneffective crash programme fortheeradication
ofAfrican swine fever' andfor restocking ;pig farms ;
Whereas afavourable response should begiven tothis request andaidgranted
inview oftheundertaking given bytheMaltese authorities toprotect the
Community against African swine fever ,toeliminate the .disease completely and
toprevent itsrecurrence bymeans ofacrash programme tobecompleted within
three years ;

2
Whereasthiseradication programmemustincludecertainmeasurestoensureits
effectiveness ;whereasthesemeasuresmustbecapableofadjustmentinlinewith
developments inthesituationbywayofaprocedureinwhichtheMemberStates
andtheCommissionwillbecloselyassociated;
WhereasitisnecessarytokeepMemberStatesinformedontheprogressofthe
programme,
HASDECIDEDASFOLLOWS:
Article 1
TheCommunityshallmakeafinancialcontribution totheeradication ofAfrican
swinefeverinMalta.
Article2
Thecontribution shallbepaidonconditionthattheMalteseauthorities
establishacrashprogrammefortheeradication ofAfricanswinefeverandthe
restockingofpigfarms/tobeapprovedinaccordancewithArticle4;^
theprogrammemustmeettheconditionslaiddowninArticle3andmustbe
completedinlessthanthreeyears.
Article3
ThecrashprogrammespecifiedinArticle2mustprovidefor:
1.Rigorouseradicationmeasuresincludingthefollowing :
(a)theslaughterofallpigsontheterritoryofMalta>
(b)thedestructionorconsumptionofallpigmeatonMalteseterritory
andofallpigmeat-based productswiththeexceptionofpreserves
insterilizedtins;
(c)thecleaning,disinfection,disinsectization andderatization offarms
andallplaceslikelytohavebeencontaminated bypigs,pigmeator
pigmeat-based products;

-3-
(d)thedestruction oradequateheattreatmentofallscrapsandswillfrom
cookingandindustrialprocessesusingpigmeat,
(e).thesearchingoutandsystematicdestructionofallscrapsfromtraditional
meansoftransport.
2.Preventivemeasuresincludingthefollowing :
(a)theveterinarycontrolofimportsofpigmeatorpigmeat-based products
'likelytobeinfectedbecauseofconditionsintheplaceswhencethey
havecorne;
(b)theprohibition ofanyintroduction ontoMalteseterritoryoflive
pigs,whatevertheiroriginanddestination,duringaperiodofatleast
sixmonthsfromthecompletionofthemeasuresspecifiedinparagraph 1,
(c)bywayofderogation from(b),theintroduction ofbreedingpigsontothe
islandofCominomaybeauthorizedundertheconditionsspecifiedin
paragraph3twomonthsafterthecompletionofthemeasuresspecifiedin
paragraph 1.
3.Measuresforsupervisingrestocking,includingthefollowing:
(a)theprohibition oftheuseforanimalfeedingofswillandscrapsfrom
cookingorindustrial .processesofpigmeat,exceptafteradequate
heattreatmentininstallations speciallydesignedforthepurpose.
Theuseofsuchscrapsforfeedingpigsshallberestricted,inanycase,
torearingestablishments ,limitedinnumberandspeciallyauthorized
forthispurposebythecompetentveterinaryauthorities,which
exclusively rearpigsforfattening;
(b)theconstruction orrenovationofpiggeriesinaccordancewith
specifications indicatedbythecompetentauthorities;
(c)agradualrestockingofallMalteseterritoryusingasabasisthe
breedingpigsintroducedbeforehandexclusively .onCominoandbymeans
ofmultiplierbreedingestablishments producingpigletsintendedfor
fatteningsituatedontheislandofGozoandoncertainspecifiedparts
oftheislandofMaltawheretheuseofscrapsandswill,whether
ornottreated,isprohibited;

(d)theseparation andtotal isolation ofrearing establishments according
tospecialization (breeding pigs ,multipliers andfattening pigs ).
Multiplier establishments which inaddition fatten allorpart of
exclusively their ownproduction ,maybeauthorized bythecompetent
veterinary authorities inthose parts of Maltese territory where
theuseofscraps andswill ,whether ornottreated ,remains
prohibited ;
(e)health-protection supervision ofallmpvements ofpigs ,whatever their
origin anddestination ;
(f)health-protection supervision ofallrearing establishments asthey become
operational .
4.Anincrease inthepersonnel strengths oftheofficial services responsible
forimplementation oftheprogramme .
Article 4
The Commission ,after examining theprogramme proposed bytheMaltese authorities
andanyamendments ,shall decide ,inaccordance with theprocedure .
laid down inArticle 5,whether ornot toapprove it.
Article 5
1.Where theprocedure laic !down inthis Article istobefollowed the Chairman
ofthe Standing Veterinary Committee setupbydecision oftheCouncil on
15October 1968 andhereinafter referred toasthe "CommittPe ",shall refer
■thematter tosuch Committee either onhisown initiative oratthe request
ofaMember State .
2.Thevotes oftheMember States intheCommittee shall beweighted aslaid down
inArticle 148 (2)oftheTreaty .The Chairman shall not vote .
3.The representative oftheCommission shall submit adraft ofthemeasures
tobetaken .The Committee shall deliver itsopinion onthese measures within
atime limit which the Chairman may setaccording totheurgency ofthematter .
Theopinion shall beadopted byamajority offorty-one votes .
4.Ifthemeasures are inaccordance with theopinion ofthe Committee ,the
Commission shall adopt them andapply them immediately .Ifthey are not in
accordance with theopinion oftheCommittee oriftheCommittee delivers no
opinion ,theCommission shall immediately submit aproposal totheCouncil on
it'tnat he:measures tobetaken .-TheCouncil .shatt -adopt rsueh measures byaqualified

majority .
Ifwithin three months from thedate onwhich theproposed measures were
submitted the Council hasnot adopted anymeasures ,the Commission shall
adopt theproposed measures andimmediately apply them .
Article 6
1.Theaidtobegranted bytheCommunity fortheperiod inquestion isestimated
at5miIlion EUA .
2.Payment shall bemade inannual instalments ,within the limit ofthe
budgetary appropriations ,onpresentation totheCommission ofsupporting
documents .
Article 7
1.The Commission shall follow theprogress ofthe implementation ofthe crash
programme .Itshall make regular reports totheMember States meeting within the
Standing Veterinary Committee ontheprogress oftheprogramme ,based on
information obtained from theMaltese authorities andreports from any
Commission experts who have made visits ofinspection .
2.The Commission may suspend the Community aid ifitconsiders such action
justified bythedevelopment ofthesituation and the results obtained .
3.Amendments bytheMaltese authorities totheprogramme asinitially approved
must themselves beapproved bytheprocedure referred toinArticle 4.
Done atBrussels , For the Council
Président

FINANCIAL STATEMENT
1.Budgetheading:
Article310
Item3101
2.Titleofheading:
EECparticipation inthecampaignagainstAfricanswinefever,fieldoperations .
t
3.Legalbasis:
CouncilDecision.
é .
4.Natureofaction:
ThisisaDecisiondesignedtoprotecttheCommunityagainstAfricanswinefever
whichhasalreadycauseddamageinFranceandisatthesourceofothermajor
outbreaksdiscovered intheCommunity,inparticular inSardiniathisyear.
Themeasuresplannedwouldtake-theformoffinancialaidtoMalta(whichMaltahas
requested)sothatMaltamayapplyandsuccessfully carryoutaprogrammeforthe
eradication ofthisdiseaseandfortheestablishment ofanewsystemofpig
breeding.Theeradication programmewouldhavetoreceivetheCommission'sprior
approval,andthepaymentbyannualinstalments ofthesubsidyenvisagedwouldbe
conditional ontherigorousapplication ofthesaidprogramme.
5.CostinEUA:
Paymentofatotalsubsidyof5millionEUAoverthreeyearsbyannualinstalments'
from1979to1981.'Either,for1979,theinclusionofanappropriation of
2.5millionEUAunderItem3101underasupplementary budgetorbytransferof
appropriations ;for1980,anappropriation of1.5millionEUAand,for1981,an
appropriation of1millionEUAundertheappropriate ItemoftheCommunitybudget.
Methodofcalculation :
Thetotalamountofthesubsidyrepresents about50%oftheoverallcostofthe
programmewhich,onpresentestimates,wouldinvolvethefollowingoperations :
-decontamination measures (disinfection ,insecticidal measures,rodentcontrol);
-establishment ofabreedercentreatComino;
-(infrastructure -installations -purchaseofbreeders);
-construction orrenovationofinstallations toaccommodate pigssatisfying modern
healthcriteria;
-construction ofinstallations forthetreatmentofswillintendedforpigfeed
andforthedestruction ofswilloriginating frominternational meansoftransport
(collection andtransport);
-expandingtheveterinarycontrolservices,
i.e.,about10millionEUA.
TheCommunityparticipation proposedwasorganized bytakingaccountinparticular
of:
-scientific andpracticalknowledgeofcombatting thediseaseacquiredfrom
experienceinsimilarcases;
-thetechnicalcontentoftheplanbasedontotaldepopulation andthe
reconstitution ofapigbreedingsystemaccordingtoappropriate veterinary
criteria;
-thefinancial meansatthedisposalofthecompetentMalteseauthorities .
6.Control: * '.
■JJPossiblyanon-the-spotvisitandareportsubmittedto.theStandingVeterinary
-.^Committee .