2000/350/EC: Commission Decision of 2 May 2000 on epidemiological surveillance of bluetongue in Greece and certain measures to prevent the spread of the disease (notified under document number C(2000) 1143) (Only the Greek text is authentic)
Date: 2000-05-02
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU financing, Greece, animal disease, epidemiology, sheep, veterinary legislation

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Official Journal of the European Communities

25.5.2000

II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 2 May 2000

on epidemiological surveillance of bluetongue in Greece and certain measures to prevent the
spread of the disease

(notified under document number C(2000) 1143)

(Only the Greek text is authentic)

(2000/350/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 90/425/EEC of 26 June
1990 concerning veterinary and zootechnical checks applicable
in intra-Community trade in certain live animals and products
with a view to the completion of the internal market (1), as last
amended by Directive 92/118/EEC (2), and in particular Article
10(4) thereof,

Having regard to Council Decision 90/424/EEC (3) of 26 June
1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field as last amended by
Decision 94/370/EC (4), and in particular Article 6 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Following outbreaks of bluetongue in 1999 on a certain
part of the Greek territory.

Bluetongue is included in List A of the Office Inter-
national des Epizooties (OIE) and its spread constitutes a
serious hazard for the Community and could have inter-
national consequences for trade.

It is necessary to set up an alert system to monitor, after
a cold season, the possible start of a new cycle of the
disease in year 2000 in regions where the virus circula-
tion was established in 1999.

It is necessary to maintain restriction of movements of
animals in order to prevent movements of viraemic
animals.

The infected zone may be divided, on the basis of the
epidemiological data available on the evolution of the

(1) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 29.
(2) OJ L 62, 15.3.1993, p. 49.
(3) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 19.
(4) OJ L 168, 2.7.1994, p. 31.

(6)

(7)

disease during the year 1999, into a low-risk area and a
high-risk area.

Anti-vector measures have to be implemented during
winter time in places where virus-transmission might
have been maintained.

Greece has adopted since 19 November 1999 (Minis-
terial Decision No 398171 as amended by Ministerial
Decision No 331765) national measures prohibiting the
dispatch to Member States and export to third countries
of animals, their sperm, ova and embryos, of species
susceptible to bluetongue (all ruminants) from its entire
territory. Greek authorities have undertaken not
to
amend those measures without prior consultation with
and agreement of the Commission and the Member
States in the framework of
the Standing Veterinary
Committee.

(8)

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 this Decision the following definitions

1.
shall apply:

— ‘zone at low risk’ means prefectures where during the year

1999:

— data available concludes that bluetongue virus was in

circulation,

imicola has not been captured,

— C.
— the disease was sporadic,

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— ‘zone at high risk’ means prefectures where during the year

1999:

imicola has been captured,

— C.
— the disease was epidemic.

2.
Prefectures may be added to one of the zones considering
the geographical or ecological elements, even when they do not
meet all the criteria,
in order to respect an epidemiological
consistency.

The prefectures included in the zone at low risk are listed

3.
in Annex I.

The prefectures included in the zone at high risk are

4.
listed in Annex II.

Article 2

1.
Greece shall set up before 1 June 2000 an epidemiolog-
ical surveillance of bluetongue in each of the prefectures listed
in Annexes I and II not covered by Decision 2000/71/EC (1) by
establishing the follow-up of 50 sentinel bovine animals in
localities most exposed to the risk of new incursions of the
disease and setting at least one light trap in one of those
localities, close to what could be considered as a suitable
breeding site for vectors.

2.
Greece shall communicate to the Commission before 1
June 2000 a map of the selected locations of the sentinel
animals and traps.

Sentinel animals shall be tested every 15 days and any
3.
seroconversion shall be immediately notified to the Commis-
sion and the Member States.

In case cattle are not available in suitable locations, sheep

4.
or goats shall be taken as sentinel animals.

Article 3

1.
Greece shall prohibit the dispatch of animals, their sperm,
ova and embryos, of species susceptible to bluetongue from
prefectures listed in Annexes I and II to the rest of the Greek
territory.

2.
Greece shall prohibit the dispatch of animals, their sperm,
ova and embryos, of species susceptible to bluetongue from the
prefectures listed in Annex II
to the prefectures listed in
Annex I.

By derogation,

3.
the
competent Greek authority may authorise movements prohib-
ited in paragraphs 1 and 2 under the following conditions:

in the case of slaughter animals,

— animals must be transported in vehicles sealed by the
competent authority directly to the slaughterhouse for the
purpose of slaughter without delay, under official supervi-
sion,

— the competent authority responsible for the slaughterhouse
shall be informed of the intention to send animals to it and
must notify the dispatching competent authority of their
arrival,

(1) OJ L 24, 29.1.2000, p. 53.

— animals must have undergone, before transport, an external
insecticide treatment to prevent any attack of vectors before
slaughtering,

— animals shall be protected from attacks by vectors after
in the slaughterhouse until they are slaugh-

their arrival
tered,

— animals must show no sign of bluetongue on the day of

transport.

Paragraphs 1 and 2 do not apply when the surveillance
4.
and monitoring has demonstrated, for at least 90 days, no
evidence of bluetongue transmission or vector activity in the
prefecture of origin.

Article 4

Greece shall request authorisation for the entry of sheep into
the prefectures listed in Annexes I and II delivered by the local
competent authority under conditions that ensure the trace-
ability of the animals.

No compensation in the framework of Decision 90/424/EEC
will be due to the owners of those animals in case of slaughter
because of bluetongue.

Article 5

During the course of the year 2000 Greece shall apply restric-
tions to movements provided in Articles 3 and 4 to new
prefectures if they meet the requirements provided in Article 1
to be listed in Annex I or II.

Annexes will be reviewed every two months.

Article 6

Greek authorities may introduce further measures other than
those referred to in this Decision if they are deemed necessary
for the control of the disease. Greece shall inform the Commis-
sion and the Member States of these measures immediately.
They shall be discussed in the framework of the Standing
Veterinary Committee.

Article 7

Before the end of the vector's low activity period, Greece shall
set up an anti-vector programme by insecticide spray of suit-
able breeding sites in places where vector activity might have
been maintained during winter.

Article 8

For the epidemiological surveillance and the control of Blue-
tongue in Greece,
the Community financial contribution
towards the cost of the measures implemented in 2000, shall
be, up to a maximum of EUR 110 000:

— 50 % of the cost incurred by Greece for serological analysis
of the sentinel animals set up in accordance with Article 2,

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— 50 % of the costs incurred by Greece, up to a maximum
amount of EUR 10 000 for the set up of the entomological
survey in accordance with Article 2,

— 50 % of the costs incurred by Greece for the purchase of
insecticide and spraying equipment for the implementation
of the anti-vector campaign provided for in Article 7.

Article 9

The Community financial contribution shall be granted after
supporting documents have been submitted.

The supporting documents referred to in paragraph 1 shall
include a list of the expenses (excluding VAT),
including a
description of the measures and the date of payment.

that the assisted measures have been implemented and the
relevant expenditure incurred.

The Commission shall
outcome of these checks.

inform the Member States of

the

Articles 8 and 9 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1258/

2.
1999 shall apply, mutatis mutandis.

Article 12

This Decision shall apply until 1 February 2001.

Article 13

Article 10

This Decision is addressed to the Hellenic Republic.

Applications for payment, together with the supporting docu-
ments referred to in Article 9 shall be submitted to the
Commission before 1 April 2001.

Done at Brussels, 2 May 2000.

Article 11

1.
The Commission may carry out on-the-spot checks in
collaboration with the competent national authorities to ensure

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

ANNEX I

Zones at low risk

Evros, Rodopi, Xanthi, Kavala, Drama, Serres and Thessaloniki.

ANNEX II

Zones at high risk

Chalkidiki, Pieria, Larissa, Magnissia, Evia, Lesvos, Dodekanisa, Samos and Chios.