2001/606/EC: Commission Decision of 6 August 2001 on a Community financial contribution to emergency measures to control foot-and-mouth disease in certain parts of south-east Europe (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2001) 2470)
Date: 2001-08-06
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Community body, FAO, Türkiye, co-financing, foot-and-mouth disease, vaccine

L 212/42

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

7.8.2001

COMMISSION DECISION

of 6 August 2001

on a Community financial contribution to emergency measures to control foot-and-mouth disease
in certain parts of south-east Europe

(notified under document number C(2001) 2470)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2001/606/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(5)

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 Decision 2001/12/EC (2), and in particular Article 13
thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Foot-and-mouth disease due to types A, O and ASIA 1 is
endemic in Anatolia, Turkey. The presence of different
types and subtypes of foot-and-mouth disease virus in
Turkey constitutes a direct threat to the Community,
notably Greece, and to Bulgaria.

In relation to outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease type
ASIA 1 in the western parts of Anatolia, the Commis-
sion provided Turkey with vaccine in July 2000 in
accordance with the provisions of Decision 2000/
494/EC (3). Following the completion of the vaccination
campaign, a veterinary inspection mission was carried
out jointly by the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) and
the European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-
Mouth Disease (EUFMD)
the Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) in October 2000. The mission made
a number of recommendations for the improvement of
Community supported vaccination campaigns carried
out in Turkish Thrace.

On 29 June 2001 the competent authorities of Turkey,
the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, officially
notified an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease type Ol
in the Tekirdag Province of Turkish Thrace, close to the
border with Greece.

Furthermore, it was established by the World Reference
Laboratory (WRL) for Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Pirb-
right, United Kingdom, through in vitro tests that the
vaccine strain O1-Manisa used so far in Turkey shows
limited cross protection to some of the O1-Isolate circu-
lating in Turkey and characterised by the WRL.
However, the same tests showed that the vaccine strain
O 1BFS available in the Community antigen reserves
provides a better cross-protection.

(1) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 19.
(2) OJ L 3, 6.1.2001, p. 27.
(3) OJ L 199, 5.8.2000, p. 85.

requires

epidemiological

The
immediate
situation
Community assistance to Turkey to carry out the emer-
gency vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease of all
animals of susceptible species in Thrace. A request for
such assistance has been addressed to the Commission
by the competent authority in Turkey. It is also neces-
sary to be prepared for an emergency vaccination in
neighbouring countries should the epidemiological situa-
tion so require.

(6)

(7)

(8)

In accordance with Commission Decision 2001/300/EC
of 30 March 2001 on Community cooperation with the
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) with particular
regard to activities carried out by the European Commis-
sion for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (4) the
coordination of the control of foot-and-mouth disease in
Turkish Thrace, including the organization and supervi-
sion of vaccination campaigns,
is part of the imple-
menting agreement.

The competent authorities of Turkey have agreed to
carry out the immediate vaccination of susceptible live-
stock in Turkish Thrace against foot-and-mouth disease
virus of the serotypes O1, A and ASIA 1, within the
framework of
the Turkish foot-and-mouth disease
control programme.

It appears appropriate to authorise the Director General
the Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-
of
General
to make suitable arrangements by way of
exchange of Letters between the European Commission
and the FAO for the purchase and supply to Turkey of
the necessary quantities of trivalent vaccine sufficiently
effective against the serotypes of the foot-and-mouth
disease virus currently circulating in Thrace. In addition
the EUFMD shall organise an on-the-spot visit by Euro-
pean foot-and-mouth disease experts with a view to
ensure that
the vaccine provided is used efficiently
taking into account the existing recommendations of the
previous mission, and shall supervise in consultation
with the experts of the Research Group of the EUFMD
the organisation by the Turkish authorities of a serolog-
ical surveillance to monitor the vaccination campaign.

(9)

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

(4) OJ L 102, 12.4.2001, p. 71.

7.8.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 212/43

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

(d) an on-the-spot inspection of the vaccination campaign by

Article 1

In accordance with Commission Decision 2001/300/EC,
1.
Trust Fund 911100/MTF/INT/003/EEC shall be used for the
following actions:

(a) the purchase of 1 500 000 doses of AlOH

3-adjuvated triva-
lent vaccine against foot-and-mouth disease virus of types
O1, A-Iran 96 and ASIA 1 with a potency of 6 PD50;
(b) the delivery of 1 300 000 doses of the vaccine referred to
in subparagraph (a) to the Pendik Institute in Turkey for
in Turkish Thrace,
emergency vaccination carried out
notably the provinces of Edirne, Kirklareli, Tekirdag and the
European parts of the provinces of Canakkale and Istanbul,
in accordance with the vaccination programme submitted
to the Commission by the Turkish competent authorities;

(c) the storage at

the manufacturer's premises of 200 000
doses of the vaccine referred to in subparagraph (a) for
emergency vaccination where and when required by the
epidemiological situation;

European experts, and

(e) the organisation by the Turkish authorities of a serological
surveillance to monitor the vaccination campaign and to
substantiate the disease situation.

2.
The Director-General of the Health and Consumer Protec-
tion Directorate-General shall be authorised to conclude with
the European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth
Disease (EUFMD) the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
the
the necessary arrangements for the implementation of
measures provided for in paragraph 1.

This Decision is addressed to all the Member States.

Article 2

Done at Brussels, 6 August 2001.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission