2001/295/EC: Commission Decision of 10 April 2001 laying down the measures to be carried out before releasing the restrictions applied in accordance with Article 9 of Council Directive 85/511/EEC (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2001) 1094)
Date: 2001-04-10
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, foot-and-mouth disease, health legislation, veterinary inspection

11.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 100/35

COMMISSION DECISION

of 10 April 2001

laying down the measures to be carried out before releasing the restrictions applied in accordance
with Article 9 of Council Directive 85/511/EEC

(notified under document number C(2001) 1094)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2001/295/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)

Council Directive 85/511/EEC of 18 November 1985 (4),
as last amended by the Act of Accession of Austria,
Finland and Sweden, introduced Community measures
for the control of foot-and-mouth disease.

The establishment, in accordance with Article 9 of that
Directive, of protection and surveillance zones around
confirmed outbreaks is an essential element of disease
control, however the Directive does not provide for the
measures necessary to be carried out before the restric-
tions applied in the zones are released.

Following the reports of outbreaks of foot-and-mouth
disease in the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands
and Ireland, the Commission, in order to reinforce the
measures taken by the affected Member States in the
framework of Directive 85/511/EEC adopted Decisions
2001/172/EC (5), 2001/208/EC (6), 2001/223/EC (7) and
2001/234/EC (8) concerning certain protection measures
with regard to foot-and-mouth disease in the respective
Member State.

(4)

The current epidemic involves to a great extent animals
of susceptible species that express very mild clinical

(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 315, 26.11.1985, p. 11.
(5) OJ L 62, 2.3.2001, p. 22.
(6) OJ L 73, 15.3.2001, p. 38.
(7) OJ L 82, 22.3.2001, p. 29.
(8) OJ L 84, 23.3.2001, p. 62.

signs and therefore the absence of disease must be
substantiated by appropriate laboratory testing.

It appears appropriate to lay down the minimum
requirements for the measures to be taken before the
restrictions applied in protection and surveillance zones
can be released.

The measures provided for in this Decision shall not
apply to Great Britain in view of the different epidemio-
logical situation which cannot be compared with other
parts of the Community.

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

(5)

(6)

(7)

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Northern Ireland and Member States other than the United
Kingdom shall ensure that the following measures are carried
out in the zones established in accordance with Directive 85/
511/EEC prior to lifting the restrictions provided for in Article
9 of that Directive:

1. The measures applied in the protection zone shall be main-
tained until the following requirements have been met:

(a) at least 15 days have elapsed since the elimination of all
the animals of susceptible species from the holding
referred to in Article 5 of Directive 85/511/EEC and the
completion of the preliminary cleansing and disinfection
on this holding, carried out in accordance with Article
10 of that Directive, and

(b) a survey has been concluded with negative results in all
holdings with animals of susceptible species situated
within the zone.

This survey shall be carried out in compliance with the
provisions in paragraph 1 of the Annex and shall, where
required by the epidemiological situation, in particular
where small ruminants are affected by the disease and
based on the provisions in paragraphs 2.1 and 2.4 of the
Annex, include the measures provided for in paragraph
2.2 of the Annex.

L 100/36

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

11.4.2001

2. The measures applied in the surveillance zone shall be
maintained until the following requirements have been met:
(a) at least 30 days have elapsed since the elimination of all
the animals of susceptible species from the holding
referred to in Article 5 of Directive 85/511/EEC and the
completion of the preliminary cleansing and disinfection
on this holding, carried out in accordance with Article
10 of that Directive, and

(b) the requirements laid down in paragraph 1(b) have been

met in the respective protection zone,

(c) a survey has been concluded with negative results in all
holdings with animals of susceptible species situated
within the zone.
This survey shall be carried out in compliance with the
provisions in paragraph 1 of the Annex and shall, where
required by the epidemiological situation, in particular

where small ruminants are affected by the disease and
based on the provisions in paragraphs 2.1 and 2.4 of
the Annex, include the measures provided for in para-
graph 2.3 of the Annex.

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 10 April 2001.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

11.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 100/37

ANNEX

1. CLINICAL EXAMINATION

1.1. Holdings must undergo clinical examinations of all animals of susceptible species for signs or symptoms of

foot-and-mouth disease.

1.2. Special emphasis must be laid on animals which may have been exposed to foot-and-mouth disease virus with a high
probability, notably transport from holdings at risk or close contact to persons or equipment that had close contact
to holdings at risk.

1.3. The clinical examination must take into account the transmission of foot-and-mouth disease and the way in which

animals of susceptible species are kept.

1.4. Relevant records kept on the holding must be examined in detail with particular regard to data on morbidity,
mortality and abortion, clinical observations, changes in productivity and feed intake, purchase or sale of animals,
visits of persons likely to be contaminated and other anamnesticly important information.

2. PROCEDURES FOR SAMPLING

2.1. Serological sampling shall be carried out according to the recommendations of the epidemiological team established
within the framework of the contingency plans, and shall without prejudice to the requirements in paragraphs 2.2
and 2.3 support the provision of evidence for the absence of previous infection.

The measures applicable to holdings where sheep and goats are kept may equally apply to holdings where other
susceptible animals are kept taking into account the recommendations of the epidemiological team.

2.2. All holdings within the perimeters of the zone where sheep and goats have not been in direct and close contact with
bovine animals during a period of at least 21 days prior to taking the samples shall be examined following a
sampling protocol suitable to detect at least 5 % prevalence of disease with at least 95 % certainty.

2.3. Holdings within the perimeters of the zone where the presence of foot-and-mouth disease in the absence of clinical
signs must be suspected, notably where sheep and goats are kept, shall be examined. For the purpose of this survey
the model of a multi-stage sampling shall be sufficient which must ensure that samples are taken:

2.3.1. from holdings in all administrative units within the perimeters of the zone where sheep and goats have not
been in direct and close contact with bovine animals during a period of at least 30 days prior to taking the
samples, and

2.3.2. from as many holdings of those referred to in point 2.3.1 as necessary to detect with 95 % certainty at least
one infected holding if the estimated prevalence of the disease was 2 % equally distributed throughout the
zone (maximum 150 holdings), and

2.3.3. from as many sheep and goats per holding as necessary to detect at least 5 % prevalence of disease within the
herd with at least 95 % certainty, but not more than 60 samples per holding and from all sheep and goats if
there are less than 15 sheep and goats on the holding.

2.4. Actions will commence when at least 21 days have elapsed after the elimination of susceptible animals on the

infected holding(s) and the carrying out of preliminary cleansing and disinfection.