2000/486/EC: Commission Decision of 31 July 2000 concerning certain protection measures with regard to foot-and-mouth disease in Greece (notified under document number C(2000) 2461) (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2000-07-31
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU financing, Greece, animal disease, foot-and-mouth disease, health legislation, health risk

1.8.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 195/59

concerning certain protection measures with regard to foot-and-mouth disease in Greece

COMMISSION DECISION

of 31 July 2000

(notified under document number C(2000) 2461)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2000/486/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 thereof,

Having regard to Council Directive 89/662/EEC of 11
December 1989 concerning veterinary checks
in intra-
Community trade with a view to the completion of the internal
market (3), as last amended by Directive 92/118/EEC, and in
particular Article 9 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

On 11 July 2000 outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease
were declared in Greece which were detected in the
framework of the surveillance programme established by
Commission Decision 2000/71/EC of 20 December
1999 concerning a specific financial contribution by the
Community relating to epidemiological surveillance of
certain animal diseases in areas at risk in Greece (4).

The foot-and-mouth disease situation in certain parts of
Greece is liable to endanger the herds of other Member
States and of the disease-free parts of Greece in view of
the trade inlive biungulate animals and certain of their
products.

Greece has taken measures in the framework of Council
Directive 85/511/EEC of 18 November 1985 intro-
ducing Community measures
control of
foot-and-mouth disease (5), as last amended by Commis-
sion Decision 92/380/EEC (6), and furthermore has
introduced further measures within the affected areas.

the

for

Movement of and trade in biungulates other
than
porcine animals from the territory of Greece to other
Member States and within Greece is subject to restric-

(1) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 29.
(2) OJ L 62, 15.3.1993, p. 49.
(3) OJ L 395, 30.12.1989, p. 13.
(4) OJ L 24, 29.1.2000, p. 53.
(5) OJ L 315, 26.11.1985, p. 11.
(6) OJ L 198, 17.7.1992, p. 54.

tions imposed within the framework of Commission
Decision 2000/350/EC of 2 May 2000 on epidemiolog-
ical surveillance of bluetongue in Greece and certain
measures to prevent the spread of the disease (7).

The disease situation in certain parts of Greece requires
reinforcing the control measures for foot-and-mouth
disease
additional
taken by Greece by
Community protective measures.

adopting

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

(5)

(6)

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Without prejudice to the measures taken by Greece within the
framework of Commission Decision 2000/350/EC, Greece
shall ensure that:

1. no live animals of the bovine, ovine, caprine and porcine
species and other biungulates move between those parts of
its territory listed in Annex I and Annex II;

2. no live animals of the bovine, ovine, caprine and porcine
species and other biungulates are sent from or through
those parts of its territory listed in Annex I and Annex II to
other parts of the Community;

3. the health certificates provided for in Council Directive 64/
432/EEC (8), as last amended by Directive 2000/20/EC (9),
accompanying live bovine and porcine animals and in
Council Directive 91/68/EEC (10), as
last amended by
Commission Decision 94/953/EC (11), accompanying live
ovine and caprine animals consigned from parts of the
territory of Greece not listed in Annex I and Annex II to
other Member States shall bear the following words:

‘Animals conforming to Commission Decision 2000/
486/EC of 31 July 2000 on certain protective measures
with regard to foot-and-mouth disease in Greece’

(7) OJ L 124, 25.5.2000, p. 58.
(8) OJ 121, 29.7.1964, p. 1977/64.
(9) OJ L 163, 4.7.2000, p. 35.
(10) OJ L 46, 19.2.1991, p. 19.
(11) OJ L 371, 31.12.1994, p. 14.

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4. the health certificates accompanying biungulates, other than
those covered by the certificates mentioned in paragraph 2,
consigned from parts of the territory of Greece not listed in
Annex I and Annex II to other Member States shall bear the
following words:

‘Live biungulates confirming to Commission Decision
2000/486/EC of 31 July 2000 on certain protection
measures with regard to foot-and-mouth disease in
Greece;’;

5. the movement to other Member States of animals referred
to in paragraphs 3 and 4 shall only be allowed following
three days advance notification dispatched by the local
veterinary authority to the central and local veterinary
authorities in the Member State of destination.

Article 2

Greece shall not send fresh meat of the bovine, ovine,
1.
caprine and porcine species and other biungulates coming
from those parts of its territory listed in Annex I or obtained
from animals originating in those parts of Greece to other parts
of the Community.

The prohibitions provided for in paragraph 1 shall not

2.
apply to:

(a) fresh meat obtained before 1 June 2000 provided that the
meat is clearly identified, and since this date has been
transported and stored separately from meat which is not
destined for parts of the Community outside the areas
mentioned in Annex I;

(b) fresh meat obtained from animals reared outside the areas
listed in Annex I and Annex II and transported in deroga-
tion to Article 1(1) directly and under official control in
sealed means of transport to a slaughterhouse situated in
the area listed in Annex I outside the protection zone for
immediate slaughter. Such meat shall only be placed on the
market in Greece;

(c) fresh meat obtained from cutting plants under

the

following conditions:

— only fresh meat as described in subparagraphs (a) and
(b) or fresh meat obtained from animals reared and
slaughtered outside the area listed in Annex I will be
processed in this establishment,

— all such fresh meat must bear the health mark in
accordance with Chapter XI of Annex I to Council
Directive 64/433/EEC (1) on animal health problems
affecting intra-Community trade in fresh meat,

— the plant will be operated under

strict veterinary

control,

(1) OJ 121, 29.7.1964, p. 2012/64. Directive updated by Directive 91/
497/EEC (OJ L 268, 24.9.1991, p. 69) and last amended by Direc-
tive 95/23/EC (OJ L 243, 11.10.1995, p. 7).

— the fresh meat must be clearly identified, and trans-
ported and stored separately from meat which is not
destined for parts of the Community outside the areas
mentioned in Annex I,

— the control of the compliance with the above listed
conditions shall be carried out by the competent veter-
inary authority under the supervision of the central
veterinary authorities who will communicate to the
other Member States and the Commission a list of those
establishments which they have approved in application
of these provisions.

3. Meat consigned from Greece to other Member States shall
be accompanied by a certificate from an official veterinarian.
The certificate shall bear the following words:

‘Meat conforming to Commission Decision 2000/486/EC
of 31 July 2000 concerning certain protection measures
with regard to foot-and-mouth disease in Greece’.

Article 3

1.
Greece shall not send meat products of animals of the
bovine, ovine, caprine and porcine species and other biungu-
lates coming from those parts of Greece listed in Annex I or
prepared using meat obtained from animals originating in
those parts of Greece to other parts of the Community.

2.
The restrictions described in paragraph 1 shall not apply
to meat products which have undergone one of the treatments
laid down in Article 4(1) of Council Directive 80/215/EEC (2),
as last amended by Directive 91/687/EEC (3), or to meat prod-
ucts as defined in Council Directive 77/99/EEC (4), as last
amended by Directive 97/76/EC (5), on animal health prob-
lems affecting intra-Community trade in meat products which
have been subjected during preparation uniformly throughout
the substance to a pH value of less than 6.

The prohibitions described in paragraph 1 shall not apply

3.
to:

(a) meat products prepared before 1 June 2000 provided that
the meat products are clearly identified, and since this date
have been transported and stored separately from meat
products which are not destined for parts of
the
Community outside the areas mentioned in Annex I;

(b) meat products prepared in establishment under

the

following conditions:

— all fresh meat used in the establishment must conform

to the conditions of Article 2(2),

— all meat products used in the final product will
conform to the conditions of paragraph (a) or be made
from fresh meat obtained from animals reared and
slaughtered outside the area listed in Annex I,

(2) OJ L 47, 21.2.1980, p. 4.
(3) OJ L 377, 31.12.1991, p. 16.
(4) OJ L 26, 31.1.1977, p. 85. Directive updated by Directive 92/5/EEC
(OJ L 57, 2.3.1992, p. 1) and last amended by Directive 92/45/EEC
(OJ L 268, 14.9.1992, p. 35).

(5) OJ L 10, 16.1.1998, p. 25.

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— all meat products must bear the health mark in accord-
ance with Chapter VII of Annex A to Directive 77/
99/EEC,

— the establishment will be operated under strict veter-

inary control,

— the meat products must be clearly identified and trans-
ported and stored separately from meat and meat prod-
ucts which are not destined for parts of the Community
outside the areas mentioned in Annex I,

— the control of the compliance with the above listed
conditions shall be carried out by the competent veter-
inary authority under the supervision of the central
veterinary authorities who will communicate to other
Member States and the Commission a list of those
establishments which they have approved in application
of these provisions;

(c) meat products prepared in the parts of the territory which
are not included in Annex I using meat obtained before 1
June 2000 from parts of the territory included in Annex I
provided that the meat and meat products are clearly iden-
tified and transported and stored separately from meat and
meat products which are not destined for parts of the
Community outside the areas mentioned in Annex I.

4. Meat products consigned from Greece to other Member
States shall be accompanied by a certificate from an official
veterinarian. The certificate shall bear the following words:

‘Meat products conforming to Commission Decision 2000/
486/EC of 31 July 2000 concerning certain protection
measures with regard to foot-and-mouth disease in Greece’.

Article 4

Greece shall not send milk from those parts of its terri-

1.
tory listed in Annex I to other parts of the Community.

The prohibitions described in paragraph 1 shall not apply

2.
to milk which has been subjected to:

(a) an initial pasteurisation in accordance with the norms
defined in Council Directive 92/46/EEC (1),
last
amended by Directive 96/23/EC (2), followed by a second
heat treatment by high temperature pasteurisation, UHT,
sterilisation or by a drying process which includes a heat
treatment with an equivalent effect to one of the above; or

as

(b) an initial pasteurisation in accordance with the norms
defined in Directive 92/46/EEC, combined with the treat-
ment by which the pH is lowered below 6 and held there
for at least one hour.

3.
The prohibitions described in paragraph 1 shall not apply
to milk prepared in establishments under the following condi-
tions:

(a) all milk used in the establishment must either conform to
the conditions of paragraph 2 or be obtained from animals
outside the area listed in Annex I,

(1) OJ L 268, 14.9.1992, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 125, 23.5.1996, p. 10.

(b) the established will be operated under strict veterinary

control,

(c) the milk must be clearly identified and transported and
stored separately from milk and milk products which are
not destined for parts of the Community outside the areas
mentioned in Annex I,

(d) transport of raw milk from holdings situated outside the
areas mentioned in Annex I to the establishments referred
to above is carried out in vehicles which were cleaned and
disinfected prior to operation and had no subsequent
contact with holdings in the areas mentioned in Annex I
keeping animals of species susceptible to foot-and-mouth
disease,

(e) the control of the compliance with the above listed condi-
tions shall be carried out by the competent veterinary
authority under the supervision of the central veterinary
authorities who will communicate to other Member States
and the Commission a list of those establishments which
they have approved in application of these provisions.

4. Milk consigned from Greece to other Member States shall
be accompanied by a certificate from an official veterinarian.
The certificate shall bear the following words:

‘Milk conforming to Commission Decision 2000/486/EC of
31 July 2000 concerning certain protection measures with
regard to foot-and-mouth disease in Greece’.

Article 5

1.
Greece shall not send milk products from those parts of
its territory listed in Annex I to other parts of the Community.

The prohibitions described in paragraph 1 shall not apply

2.
to:

(a) milk products produced before 1 June 2000;

(b) milk products subjected to heat treatment at a temperature
of at least 71,7 °C for 15 seconds or an equivalent treat-
ment;

(c) milk products prepared from milk which has been
subjected to the provisions described in Article 4(2) or (3).

The prohibitions described in paragraph 1 shall not apply

3.
to:

(a) milk products prepared in establishments under

the

following conditions:

— all milk used in the establishment will either conform
to the conditions of Article 4(2) or be obtained from
animals outside the area listed in Annex I,

— all milk products used in the final product will either
conform to the conditions of paragrah 2 or be made
from milk obtained from animals outside the area listed
in Annex I,

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— the establishment will be operated under strict veter-

inary control,

— the milk products must be clearly identified and trans-
ported and stored separately from milk and milk prod-
ucts which are not destined for parts of the Community
outside the areas mentioned in Annex I,

— the control of the compliance with the above listed
conditions shall be carried out by the competent veter-
inary authority under the supervision of the central
veterinary authorities who will communicate to other
Member States and the Commission a list of those
establishments which they have approved in application
of these provisions;

(b) milk products prepared in the parts of the territory outside
the areas mentioned in Annex I using milk obtained before
1 June 2000 from parts of the territory mentioned in
Annex I provided that the milk products are clearly identi-
fied and transported and stored separately from milk prod-
ucts which are not destined for parts of the Community
outside the areas mentioned in Annex I.

4. Milk products consigned from Greece to other Member
States shall be accompanied by a certificate from an official
veterinarian. The certificate shall bear the following words:

‘Milk products conforming to Commission Decision 2000/
486/EC of 31 July 2000 concerning certain protection
measures with regard to foot-and-mouth disease in Greece’.

The health certificate provided for in Council Directive
5.
89/556/EEC (2), as last amended by the Act of Accession of
Austria, Finland and Sweden, and accompanying bovine
embryos consigned from Greece to other Member States shall
bear the following words:

‘Bovine embryos conforming to Commission Decision
2000/486/EC of 31 July 2000 on certain protective meas-
ures with regard to foot-and-mouth disease in Greece’.

Article 7

Greece shall not send hides and skins of bovine, ovine,
1.
caprine and porcine species and other biungulates from those
parts of its territory listed in Annex I to other parts of the
Community.

This prohibition shall not apply to hides and skins which
2.
were produced before 1 June 2000 or which conform to the
requirements of paragraph 1(A), second to fith indents or
paragraph I(B), third and fourth indents of Chapter 3 of Annex
1 to Directive 92/118/EEC. Care must be taken to separate
effectively treated hides from untreated hides.

3.
Greece shall ensure that hides and skins of bovine, ovine,
caprine and porcine species and other biungulates to be sent to
other Member States shall be accompanied by a certificate
which bears the following words:

‘Hides and skins conforming to Commission Decision
2000/486/EC of 31 July 2000 on certain protective meas-
ures with regard to foot-and-mouth disease in Greece’

Article 6

Article 8

1.
Greece shall not send semen, ova and embryos of the
bovine, ovine, caprine and porcine species and other biungu-
lates from those parts of its territory listed in Annex I to other
parts of Greece.

2.
Greece shall not send semen, ova and embryos of the
bovine, ovine, caprine and porcine species and other biungu-
lates from those parts of its territory listed in Annex I and
Annex II to other parts of the Community.

This prohibition shall not apply to frozen bovine semen,

3.
ova and embryos produced before 1 June 2000.

4.
The health certificate provided for in Council Directive
88/407/EEC (1), as last amended by the Act of Accession of
Austria, Finland and Sweden, and accompanying frozen bovine
semen consigned from Greece to other Member States shall
bear the following words:

‘Frozen bovine semen conforming to Commission Decision
2000/486/EC of 31 July 2000 on certain protective meas-
ures with regard to foot-and-mouth disease in Greece’.

Greece shall ensure that vehicles which have been used for the
transport of live animals are cleaned and disinfected after each
operation, and shall furnish proof of such disinfection.

Article 9

Greece shall not send animal products of the bovine,
1.
ovine, caprine and porcine species and other biungulates not
mentioned in Articles 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 from those parts of its
territory listed in Annex I to other parts of the Community.

The prohibitions mentioned in paragraph 1 shall not

2.
apply to:

(a) animal products referred to in paragraph 1 which have

been subjected to:

— heat treatment in a hermetically sealed container with a

Fo value of 3,00 or more, or

— heat treatment in which the centre temperature is raised

to at least 70 °C;

(b) unprocessed sheep wool and ruminant hair which is

securely enclosed in packaging and dry.

(1) OJ L 194, 22.7.1988, p. 10.

(2) OJ L 302, 19.10.1989, p. 1.

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Greece shall ensure that the animal products mentioned
3.
in paragraph 2 to be sent to other Member States shall be
accompanied by a health certificate which bears the following
words:

‘Animal products conforming to Commission Decision
2000/486/EC of 31 July 2000 on certain protective meas-
ures with regard to foot-and-mouth disease in Greece’.

Article 10

Member States shall amend the measures which they apply to
trade so as to bring them into compliance with this Decision.
They shall

immediately inform the Commission thereof.

This Decision shall be re-examined before 31 October 2000.

Article 11

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 12

Done at Brussels, 31 July 2000.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

ANNEX I

ANNEX II

The province(s) of:

EVROS

The province(s) of:

RODOPI

XANTHI