2001/263/EC: Commission Decision of 2 April 2001 concerning restrictions to the movement of animals of susceptible species in all Member States with regard to foot-and-mouth disease and amending for the fifth time Decision 2001/172/EC (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2001) 1037)
Date: 2001-04-02
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: export restriction, foot-and-mouth disease, health legislation, intra-EU trade, transport of animals, veterinary inspection

3.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 93/59

COMMISSION DECISION

of 2 April 2001

concerning restrictions to the movement of animals of susceptible species in all Member States
with regard to foot-and-mouth disease and amending for the fifth time Decision 2001/172/EC

(notified under document number C(2001) 1037)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2001/263/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,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

The animal health conditions for trade in bovine animals
and swine are laid down in Council Directive 64/
432/EEC on animal health problems affecting intra-
Community trade in bovine animals and swine (3), as last
amended by Council Directive 2000/20/EC (4).

The animal health conditions for trade in ovine and
caprine animals are laid down in Council Directive 91/
68/EEC of 28 January 1991 on animal health conditions
governing intra-community trade in ovine and caprine
animals (5), as last amended by Commission Decision
94/953/EC (6).

The animal health conditions for trade in biungulates
other than those referred to in Directives 64/432/EEC
and 91/68/EEC are laid down in Council Directive 92/
65/EEC of 13 July 1992 laying down animal health
requirements governing trade in and imports into the
Community of animals, semen, ova and embryos not
subject
to animal health requirements laid down in
specific Community rules referred to in Annex A(I) to
Directive 90/425/EEC (7), as last amended by Commis-
sion Decision 95/176/EC (8).

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

animals during transport and amending Directives 90/
425/EEC and 91/496/EEC (9), as
last amended by
Council Directive 95/29/EC (10).

Council Regulation (EC) No 1255/97 of 25 June 1997
concerns Community criteria for staging points and
amends the route plan referred to in the Annex to
Directive 91/628/EEC (11).

Following the reports of outbreaks of foot-and-mouth
disease in the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands
and Ireland, the Commission adopted Decisions 2001/
172/EC (12), 2001/208/EC (13), 2001/223/EC (14)
and
2001/234/EC (15) concerning certain protection meas-
ures with regard to foot-and-mouth disease in the
respective Member State.

The foot-and-mouth disease situation in certain parts of
the Community is liable to endanger the herds in other
parts of the Community in view of the placing on the
market and trade in live biungulate animals.

All Member States have implemented the restrictions to
the movement of animals of susceptible species laid
down in Article 11a of Decision 2001/172/EC, as last
amended by Decision 2001/239/EC (16).

investigations carried out

In the light of the disease evolution and the findings of
in the
the epidemiological
affected Member States in close cooperation with the
other Member States, it appears appropriate to further
prohibit
the movement of animals through staging
points and to maintain for an additional period of time
the restrictions to the movement of susceptible animals
within the Community.

(4)

The welfare conditions for transport of animals within
the Community are laid down in Council Directive 91/
628/EEC of 19 November 1991 on the protection of

(10) At

the same time the provisions on movement of
animals of susceptible species included in Decision
2001/172/EC should be repealed.

(1) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 29.
(2) OJ L 62, 15.3.1993, p. 49.
(3) OJ 121, 29.7.1964, p. 1977/64.
(4) OJ L 163, 4.7.2000, p. 35.
(5) OJ L 46, 19.2.1991, p. 19.
(6) OJ L 371, 31.12.1994, p. 14.
(7) OJ L 268, 14.9.1992, p. 54.
(8) OJ L 117, 24.5.1995, p. 23.

(9) OJ L 340, 11.12.1991, p. 17.
(10) OJ L 148, 30.6.1995, p. 52.
(11) OJ L 174, 2.7.1997, p. 1.
(12) OJ L 62, 2.3.2001, p. 22.
(13) OJ L 73, 15.3.2001, p. 38.
(14) OJ L 82, 22.3.2001, p. 29.
(15) OJ L 84, 23.3.2001, p. 62.
(16) OJ L 86, 27.3.2001, p. 33.

L 93/60

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

3.4.2001

(11)

(12)

The situation shall be reviewed at the meeting of the
Standing Veterinary Committee scheduled for 4 April
2001 and the measures adapted where necessary.

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

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

1. Member States other than the United Kingdom shall
ensure that transport of animals of susceptible to foot-and-
mouth disease species is prohibited.

This prohibition shall not apply to transports of animals of
susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease species from the holding
of dispatch

— directly or through an approved assembly centre to a
slaughterhouse for immediate slaughter, subject to author-
isation by the competent authorities of the place of depar-
ture and destination, or

— to another holding,

to authorisation by the
competent authorities of the place of departure and destina-
tion

subject

destination and to the central veterinary authorities in the
Member State of transit.

2. Member States other than the United Kingdom shall
ensure that the competent authorities at the place of departure,
authorize the movement of animals of susceptible to foot-and-
mouth disease species only under the following conditions:

— either

the animals have remained on the holding of
dispatch for at least 30 days prior to authorisation, or since
births in the holding of origin where the animals are less
than 30 days old, and no animal of susceptible species was
introduced into that holding during this period, or

— these animals are transported directly and without passing
through an approved assembly centre to a slaughterhouse
for immediate slaughter.

3. Without prejudice to Article 3(1)(aa) second indent of
Council Directive 91/628/EEC, Member States shall ensure that
animals of susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease species are
not moved through staging points established and approved in
accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1255/97.

Article 11a(3) in Decision 2001/172/EC is deleted.

Article 2

Article 3

under the condition that:

This Decision shall apply until midnight on 12 April 2001.

(a) during transport such animals do not come into contact
with animals not of the same holding of dispatch, unless
consigned for slaughter, and

(b) 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, and

(c)

transports to other Member States of such animals shall
only be allowed following 24 hours advance notification
dispatched by the local veterinary authority to the central
and local veterinary authorities in the Member State of

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 4

Done at Brussels, 2 April 2001.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission