2000/6/EC: Commission Decision of 10 December 1999 amending for the second time Decision 1999/507/EC on certain protection measures with regard to certain fruit bats, dogs and cats coming from Malaysia (Peninsula) and Australia (notified under document number C(1999) 4249) (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 1999-12-10
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Australia, Malaysia, animal disease, domestic animal, health control, import

6. 1. 2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 3/29

COMMISSION DECISION

of 10 December 1999

amending for the second time Decision 1999/507/EC on certain protection measures with regard to
certain fruit bats, dogs and cats coming from Malaysia (Peninsula) and Australia

(notified under document number C(1999) 4249)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2000/6/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 91/496/EEC of 15 July
1991 laying down the principles governing the organisation of
veterinary checks on animals entering the Community from
third countries and amending Directives 89/662/EEC, 90/
425/EEC and 90/675/EEC (1), as last amended by Directive
96/43/EC (2), and in particular Article 18(7) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

By Decision 1999/507/EC (3)
the Commission has
adopted protection measures with regard to certain fruit
bats, dogs and cats coming from Malaysia (Peninsula)
and Australia with regard to Nipah respective Hendra
disease, including among others laboratory tests for dogs
and cats destined for imports into the Community.

In the absence of internationally agreed standard testing
procedures for Nipah disease, the test requirements for
dogs and cats have been established in accordance with
the official notification of
the veterinary services of
Malaysia to the Office International des Epizooties (OIE)
of 28 May 1999.

By letter of 11 October 1999, the veterinary services of
Malaysia have officially informed the Commission; that
the required IgM capture ELISA test cannot be carried
out and that the IgG capture ELISA is regarded to be the
adequate test.

Therefore dogs and cats
into
Member States from Malaysia cannot be certified by the
in Malaysia in accordance with
veterinary services
Community law.

intended for

import

(5)

(6)

(7)

The test requirements for dogs and cats imported from
Malaysia must be modified so as to allow the use of a
validated diagnostic test for the detection of antibody
against Nipah disease virus.

For the sake of clarity provisions should be made
allowing the transit of dogs and cats through inter-
national airports in Malaysia.

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

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Article 2 of Decision 1999/507/EC is amended as follows:

1. In the third indent of paragraph 2 the words ‘IgM and’ are

deleted.

2. A third paragraph is added as follows:

‘3.
The prohibition referred to in paragraph 1 shall not
apply to dogs and cats in transit, provided they remain
within the perimeter of an international airport.’

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 2

Done at Brussels, 10 December 1999.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 268, 24.9.1991, p. 56.
(2) OJ L 162, 1.7.1996, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 194, 27.7.1999, p. 66.