1999/20/EC: Commission Decision of 22 December 1998 on financial aid from the Community for the prevention and control of classical swine fever in Belgium (notified under document number C(1998) 4385) (Only the French and Dutch texts are authentic)
Date: 1998-12-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Belgium, animal plague, financial aid, health legislation, swine

L 6/22

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

12. 1. 1999

COMMISSION DECISION

of 22 December 1998

on financial aid from the Community for the prevention and control of classical
swine fever in Belgium

(notified under document number C(1998) 4385)

(Only the French and Dutch texts are authentic)

(1999/20/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), as last
amended by Decision 94/370/EC (2), and in particular
Article 6 thereof,

Whereas
in February 1997 the Netherlands notified
outbreaks of classical swine fever in accordance with the
provisions of Council Directive 82/894/EEC of 21
December 1982 on the notification of animal diseases
within the Community (3);

Whereas some outbreaks occurred in the Netherlands in
an area located in the neighbourhood of Belgium;

Whereas consignments of pigs had been introduced into
Belgium from holdings located in the said area of the
Netherlands immediately before that classical swine fever
had been confirmed;

Whereas the receiving holdings were immediately identi-
fied by the Belgian authorities and registered as contact
holdings;

Whereas due to the direct threat of disease being spread
into the territory of Belgium,
the Belgian authorities
immediately informed the Commission and the Member
States at the Standing Veterinary Committee on the meas-
ures that were being adopted to prevent the disease;

Whereas these measures included the slaughter of pigs
causing the threat of spreading disease and intensive
examination of the said pigs to detect early the presence
of classical swine fever virus;

Whereas the appearance of this disease is a serious danger
to the pig sector in the Community and, in order to help
eradicate
the
Community has the possibility of compensating for the
losses suffered;

as possible,

the disease

rapidly

as

Whereas, pending completion of checks by the Commis-
sion that, on the one hand, the Community veterinary
rules have been observed and, on the other, that the
conditions for a Community financial contribution are
met, a first tranche of ECU 650 000 shall be paid;

Whereas the measures provided for in this Decision are in
accordance with the opinion of the Standing Veterinary
Committee,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

For the purpose of
means a holding which, based on:

this Decision a ‘contact holding'

— the incubation period of classical swine fever,

and

— the results obtained by the epidemiological

invest-
igation carried out by the national veterinary author-
ities,

can be considered threatened by the occurrence of clas-
sical swine fever.

Article 2

1. A financial contribution may be granted to Belgium
provided that the Commission is satisfied that the condi-
tions laid down in Article 6 of Decision 90/424/EEC and
Article 3 of this Decision are met.

2. On the basis of
the information so far available
Belgium may obtain a first advance of ECU 650 000 in
Community financial assistance for the slaughter and
destruction of pigs at contact holdings.

Article 3

(1) OJ L 224, 18. 8. 1990, p. 19.
(2) OJ L 168, 2. 7. 1994, p. 31.
(3) OJ L 378, 31. 12. 1982, p. 58.

1.
The first tranche of the Community financial contri-
bution shall be paid after the supporting documents have
been submitted.

12. 1. 1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 6/23

The documents referred to in paragraph 1 shall

2.
include:

(a) an epidemiological

report covering each contact
holding on which pigs have been slaughtered. The
report shall contain information on the subjects given
below in respect of each holding:

— location and address,

— date on which the disease threat was suspected in

the contact holding,

— type of epidemiological links between the contact

holding and confirmed outbreaks,

— number

and type of pigs

slaughtered and

destroyed, with date,

— method of killing and destruction,

— type and number of samples collected and exam-

ined for classical swine fever,

Article 4

Belgium shall forward the supporting documents referred
to in Article 2 not later than six months after the noti-
fication of this Decision.

Article 5

1.
The Commission may make on-the-spot checks,
with the cooperation of the competent national authori-
ties, on the application of measures and expenditure in
receipt of support. The Commission shall
inform the
Member States of the results of the checks carried out.

2. Articles 8 and 9 of Council Regulation (EEC) No
729/70 (1) shall apply mutatis mutandis.

Article 6

This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of Belgium.

— date(s) of sample collection and results of exami-

Done at Brussels, 22 December 1998.

nations performed;

(b) financial report including list of the beneficiaries and
their address, number of animals slaughtered, date of
slaughter and amount paid.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 94, 28. 4. 1970, p. 13.