2000/188/EC: Commission Decision of 17 February 2000 concerning the status of Great Britain and Northern Ireland with regard to infectious haematopoietic necrosis and viral haemorrhagic septicaemia and repealing Decisions 92/538/EEC and 97/185/EC (notified under document number C(2000) 374) (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2000-02-17
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, animal disease, aquaculture, health control, veterinary legislation

4.3.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 59/17

COMMISSION DECISION

of 17 February 2000

concerning the status of Great Britain and Northern Ireland with regard to infectious
repealing Decisions
haematopoietic necrosis

septicaemia

and

and

viral haemorrhagic
92/538/EEC and 97/185/EC

(notified under document number C(2000) 374)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2000/188/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 91/67/EEC of 28 January
1991 concerning the animal health conditions governing the
placing on the market of aquaculture animals and products (1),
as last amended by Directive 98/45/EC (2), and in particular
Article 5 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Member States can obtain for their entire territory or
parts thereof, the status of approved zone, free of certain
diseases affecting fish or molluscs.

The Commission, by Decision 92/538/EEC (3), granted
the status of approved continental and coastal zone for
infectious haematopoietic necrosis
(IHN) and viral
haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS) to Great Britain.

Following confirmation of a case of VHS on the island
of Gigha, being part of the territory of Great Britain, the
status of approved zone for VHS for this island was
withdrawn by Commission Decision 94/817/EC (4).

The United Kingdom has submitted to the Commission
a programme, which was adopted by Commission
Decision 97/185/EC (5), designed to re-establish the
approved zone status of the island of Gigha with regard
to VHS.

the evidence submitted by the
After examination of
United Kingdom,
it appears that this programme has
been successfully completed, since no case of VHS has
been detected through an extensive testing of both wild
and farmed fish.

(6)

The conditions are fulfilled to re-establish the approved
zone status of the island of Gigha with regard to VHS.

(7)

(8)

For the sake of clarity it is, therefore, appropriate to
repeal Commission Decisions 92/538/EEC and 97/
185/EC and to re-establish the approved zone status,
with regard to IHN and VHS, of the entire territory of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

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

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Great Britain is recognised as approved continental zone and
approved coastal zone for fish with regard to infectious haema-
topoietic necrosis and viral haemorrhagic septicaemia.

Article 2

Northern Ireland is recognised as approved continental zone
and aproved coastal zone for fish with regard to infectious
haematopoietic necrosis and viral haemorrhagic septicaemia.

Decisions 92/538/EEC and 97/185/EC are herewith repealed.

Article 3

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 4

Done at Brussels, 17 February 2000.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 46, 19.2.1991, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 189, 3.7.1998, p. 12.
(3) OJ L 347, 28.11.1992, p. 67.
(4) OJ L 337, 24.12.1994, p. 88.
(5) OJ L 77, 19.3.1997, p. 31.