2001/706/EC: Commission Decision of 27 September 2001 concerning protective measures with regard to imports of certain animals and their products from Albania, Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in relation to bluetongue (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2001) 2944)
Date: 2001-09-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Central and Eastern Europe, animal breeding, animal disease, health control, import, live animal

28.9.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 260/37

COMMISSION DECISION

of 27 September 2001

concerning protective measures with regard to imports of certain animals and their products from
Albania, Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the Federal Republic of Yugo-
slavia in relation to bluetongue

(notified under document number C(2001) 2944)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2001/706/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 91/496/EEC of 15 July
1991 laying down the principles governing the organisation of
veterinary checks on animals entering the Community from
third countries and amending Directives 89/662/EEC, 90/
425/EEC and 90/675/EEC (1), as last amended by Directive
96/43/EC (2), and in particular Article 18 thereof,

provide for possible derogation to this prohibition in
case of imports into the territories listed in Annex II to
Decision 2001/138/EC. These measures must be laid
down in such a way that they are consistent with the
ones applied within the Community.

(7)

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

Whereas:

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Outbreaks of bluetongue have been confirmed in
the border with the Federal Republic of
Bulgaria at
Yugoslavia.

Article 1

Outbreaks of bluetongue have been detected in Greece
the border with Albania and the
in the vicinity of
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

1. Member States shall not authorise the imports of live
animals of the bluetongue susceptible species originating in or
transiting through Albania, Bulgaria,
the Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

The bluetongue situation in the abovementioned third
countries is capable of constituting a serious danger to
animal health within the Community.

Community measures for the control of bluetongue are
laid down in Council Directive 2000/75/EC (3).

Further measures establishing protection and surveil-
lance zones in the Community in relation to bluetongue
are laid down in Commission Decision 2001/138/EC (4).
In accordance with this Decision, disease control meas-
ures are applied in certain areas of the Community listed
in Annex II, where a disease situation similar to the one
existing in the above third countries prevails.

(6)

It is necessary to prohibit the importation of live animals
of the bluetongue susceptible species (all ruminants) and
certain products thereof into the Community, and to

(1) OJ L 268, 24.9.1991, p. 56.
(2) OJ L 162, 1.7.1996, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 74.
(4) OJ L 50, 21.2.2001, p. 17.

2. Member States shall not authorise the imports of semen,
embryos and ova of the bluetongue susceptible species origin-
ating in Albania, Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Article 2

1.
By way of derogation to Article 1, the Member States
whose territory or parts of their territory are listed in Annex II
to Decision 2001/138/EC may allow the direct imports of live
animals of the bluetongue susceptible species, their semen,
embryos and ova originating in or transiting through Albania,
Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, into the areas listed in the said
Annex, provided that this does not endanger their status in
relation to bluetongue.

2.
The Member States shall keep the Commission informed
about the criteria applied for granting the derogation provided
for in paragraph 1.

L 260/38

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

28.9.2001

The 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.

Article 3

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 4

Done at Brussels, 27 September 2001.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission