2000/477/EC: Commission Decision of 24 July 2000 for purchase by the Community of Bluetongue vaccine for emergency stock (notified under document number C(2000) 2209)
Date: 2000-07-24
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: animal disease, cattle, infectious disease, purchase, storage, vaccine

L 187/56

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

26.7.2000

COMMISSION DECISION

of 24 July 2000

for purchase by the Community of Bluetongue vaccine for emergency stock

(notified under document number C(2000) 2209)

(2000/477/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(12)

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

The serotypes reported by Greece have been serotypes 4,
9 and 16.

The maximum cost of the measures referred to in Article 1
shall be up to EUR 160 000.

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

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 Council Regulation (EC) No 1258/1999 (2), and in particular
Article 6 and Article 8 thereof,

Whereas:

Bluetongue is an arthropod-borne viral disease of rumi-
nants which can cause great economic losses to sheep
production.

During 1998 and 1999 outbreaks of Bluetongue have
been recorded in Greece.

During 1999 outbreaks of Bluetongue have been
recorded in Bulgaria and in Turkey.

During 2000 outbreaks of Bluetongue have been
reported in Tunisia.

The serotype 2 is the one present in Tunisia.

The use of vaccine can be an important
combating the spread of Bluetongue.

tool

in

No Bluetongue vaccine is produced by the parmaceutical
industry based in the Member States.

The Ondersteport laboratory in South Africa is the only
laboratory which may produce an attenuated vaccine
containing the serotypes existing in the Mediterranean
region.

(10) When vaccination is decided, in order not to introduce
new serotypes in an ecosystem, it is considered as suit-
able to use,
in an infected or under threat region, a
vaccine containing serotypes already present or directly
threatening the region, and to this end a bank of triva-
lent vaccine (4, 9, 16) has to be set up to face an
emergency situation in the context of south-eastern
threat.

(11)

It is also necessary to set up a bank of monovalent
vaccine (serotype 2) to deal with the threat of southern
Member States due to the situation in northern Africa.

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

1.
For emergency use the Community shall make arrange-
ments for the purchase of 500 000 doses of trivalent blue-
tongue vaccine containing serotypes 4, 9 and 16 and 500 000
doses of monovalent Bluetongue vaccine (serotype 2).

2.
The arrangements referred to in paragraph 1 shall include
the storage of vaccines in such a manner that they can be
dispatched without delay to the area designated for vaccination.

Article 2

Article 3

1.
To meet the objectives of Articles 1 and 2 the Commis-
sion shall conclude contracts without delay with the laboratory
of Ondertesport in South-Africa.

The Director General of

2.
for
Health and Consumer Protection shall be authorised to sign the
contracts on behalf of the European Commission.

the Directorate General

Article 4

Decision 2000/292/EC (3) of 6 April 2000 is repealed.

Article 5

This Decision is addressed to all the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 24 July 2000.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 19.
(2) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 103.

(3) OJ L 95, 15.4.2000, p. 39.