2002/545/EC: Commission Decision of 5 July 2002 for the implementation of a Bluetongue vaccination programme in Italy and the purchase of vaccine for this purpose (notified under document number C(2002) 2525)
Date: 2002-07-05
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU aid, Italy, action programme, animal disease, health control, protected area, purchase, vaccination, vaccine, veterinary inspection

6.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 177/23

II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 5 July 2002

for the implementation of a Bluetongue vaccination programme in Italy and the purchase of
vaccine for this purpose

(notified under document number C(2002) 2525)

(Only the Italian text is authentic)

(2002/545/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 2000/75/EC (1) laying down
specific provisions for the control and eradication of Blue-
tongue and in particular Article 9(2),

Having regard to Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June
1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field (2), as last amended
by Council Decision 2001/572/EC (3), and in particular Article
3(3) and (5),

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

During 2000 Bluetongue outbreaks were notified in
different Italian regions: Sardinia, Sicily and Calabria.

During 2001 the disease reappeared in those regions and
extended up north to new areas in Tuscany and Lazio.

The loss due to those two outbreaks can be estimated to
about 300 000 sheep.

Italian authorities postponed the

The
campaign which was supposed to be carried out
2001.

vaccination
in

In 2002 Italy is in a situation to start this vaccination
campaign in all
the affected regions and the neigh-
bouring ones.

The objective of this campaign is to prevent further
sheep mortality and a spread of the disease to the rest of
the territory of the Community, by interrupting the virus
circulation in the protection zone demarcated around
the outbreaks.

(1) OJ L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 74.
(2) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 19.
(3) OJ L 203, 28.7.2001, p. 16.

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

In addition to the vaccine already furnished by the
Commission or directly purchased by Italy, the amount
of vaccine still needed for the 2002 campaign is of
4 200 000 doses of monovalent 2 and of 2 300 000
doses of monovalent 9.

Up to now, no Bluetongue vaccine has been produced
by the pharmaceutical
industry based in the Member
States and the Onderstepoort laboratory in South Africa
is the only laboratory which may produce that vaccine
type.

Nevertheless the Italian institute of Teramo (IZS) could
be soon in a situation to produce, for the first time in
Europe, a monovalent serotype 9 vaccine which could
be used in place of
the vaccine produced in South
Africa.

Pursuant to Article 3(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No
1258/1999 (4), veterinary and plant-health measures
undertaken in accordance with Community rules shall be
financed under the Guarantee Section of the European
Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund; for financial
control purposes, Articles 8 and 9 of Council Regulation
(EC) No 1258/1999 apply.

(11)

The financial contribution from the Community shall be
granted provided that the actions planned are efficiently
carried out and that the authorities supply all the neces-
sary information within the time limits laid down.

(12)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accor-
dance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on
the Food Chain and Animal Health,

(4) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 103.

L 177/24

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

6.7.2002

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 4

Article 1

Italy shall implement and complete during the course of 2002
a vaccination programme against Bluetongue in the following
areas:

— the whole territory of Sardinia, Calabria, Sicily and Basili-

cate,

— in Campania, the whole province of Salerno and a band
20 km wide along the coast of Caserta and Napoli
provinces,

— in Puglia the whole provinces of Lecce, Brindisi and

Taranto,

— in Lazio, a circle of a 20 km radius around places where
virus circulation is detected in Roma and Viterbo provinces
and a band 20 km wide along the coast in Latina and Frosi-
none provinces,

— In Tuscany, a circle of a 20 km radius around places where
virus circulation is detected in Grosseto and Siena provinces
and a band 20 km wide along the coast of Massa Carrara,
Lucca, Pisa and Livorno provinces.

The Commission may carry out on-the-spot checks in colla-
boration with the competent national authorities to ensure that
the programme has been implemented.

The Commission shall
outcome of these checks.

inform the Member States of

the

Article 5

financial

The
the
programme referred to under Article 1 shall be granted subject
to:

the Community

contribution of

for

(a) bringing into force the laws, regulations and administrative
provisions by the Member State concerned for imple-
menting the programme,

(b) forwarding a final report by 31 July 2002 at the latest on
the technical execution of the programme accompanied by
justifying evidence as to the costs incurred and the results
attained,

(c) implementing the programme efficiently, and provided that

Community veterinary legislation has been respected.

Article 2

Article 6

For the implementation of the programme referred to in Article
1, the financial assistance from the Community will cover the
purchase by Italy of 4 200 000 doses of monovalent vaccine
serotype 2 and 2 300 000 doses of monovalent vaccine sero-
type 9.

Article 3

The maximum cost of the measures referred to in Article 2
shall be EUR 700 000.

This Decision is addressed to the Italian Republic.

Done at Brussels, 5 July 2002.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission