2003/572/EC: Commission Decision of 31 July 2003 amending for the second time Council Decision 2003/67/EC as regards protection measures relating to Newcastle disease in the United States of America (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2003) 2751)
Date: 2003-07-31
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: United States, animal disease, disease prevention, health certificate, originating product, poultry, poultrymeat, veterinary inspection

1.8.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 194/87

COMMISSION DECISION

of 31 July 2003

amending for the second time Council Decision 2003/67/EC as regards protection measures
relating to Newcastle disease in the United States of America

(notified under document number C(2003) 2751)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2003/572/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 97/78/EC of 18 December
1997 laying down the principles governing the organisation of
veterinary checks on products entering the Community from
third countries (1), and in particular Article 22(1) thereof,

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 (2), as last amended by Directive 96/43/
EC (3), and in particular Article 18(1) thereof,

Having regard to Council Directive 91/494/EEC of 26 June
1991 on animal health conditions governing intra-Community
trade in and imports from third countries of fresh poultry
meat (4), as last amended by Directive 1999/89/EC (5), and in
particular Article 11(1), Article 12(2), Article 14(1) and Article
14a thereof,

Having regard to Council Directive 92/118/EEC of 17
December 1992 laying down animal health and public health
requirements governing trade in and imports into the Commu-
nity of products not subject to the said requirements laid down
in specific Community rules referred to in Annex A(I), to Direc-
tive 89/662/EEC and, as regards pathogens, to Directive 90/
425/EEC (6), as last amended by Commission Decision 2003/
42/EC (7), and in particular Article 10(3) thereof,

Whereas:

risks related to the importation of
live poultry and
poultry meat from the States of California, Nevada and
Arizona.

Due to the notification of an outbreak of Newcastle
disease in the State of Texas on 11 April 2003, Decision
2003/67/EC was amended by Decision 2003/377/EC of
22 May 2003 (9) to extend the protection measures to
the affected and neighbouring counties in Texas and
New Mexico.

From 19 to 29 May 2003 an inspection team of the
Commission services (Food and Veterinary Office) has
carried out a mission to the United States in order to
assess the epidemiological situation as regards Newcastle
disease, the control measures in place and the implemen-
tation of Decision 2003/67/EC.

From the preliminary results of this mission it can be
concluded that the disease seems to be under control
although not fully eradicated yet. It also appears that the
epizootic has been contained in the initial infected area
of California and only limited introductions into neigh-
bouring States have occurred.

The present situation allows the size of the restricted
area to be reduced, while a further prolongation of the
protection measures until 1 December 2003 should be
decided, and Decision 2003/67/EC should be amended
accordingly.

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,

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(1)

Following the confirmation of outbreaks of Newcastle
disease in October 2002 in certain western areas of the
United States of America, Council Decision 2003/67/EC
of 28 January 2003 concerning protection measures
relating to Newcastle disease in the United States of
America and derogating from Commission Decisions
2000/572/EC,
94/984/EC,
2000/585/EC, 2000/609/EC and 2001/751/EC (8) was
adopted in order to protect the Community from the

96/482/EC,

97/221/EC,

(1) OJ L 24, 30.1.1998, p. 9.
(2) OJ L 268, 24.9.1991, p. 56.
(3) OJ L 162, 1.7.1996, p. 1.
(4) OJ L 268, 24.9.1991, p. 35.
(5) OJ L 300, 23.11.1999, p. 17.
(6) OJ L 62, 15.3.1993, p. 49.
(7) OJ L 13, 18.1.2003, p. 24.
(8) OJ L 26, 31.1.2003, p. 48.

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Decision 2003/67/EC is amended as follows:

1. The Annex is replaced by the Annex to this Decision.

2. The date in Article 6 is replaced by ‘1 December 2003’.

(9) OJ L 130, 27.5.2003, p. 25.

L 194/88

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

1.8.2003

Article 2

Article 4

The Member States shall amend the measures they apply to
importation from the United States of America of the products
referred to in Article 1(1) of Decision 2003/67/EC to bring
them into compliance with this Decision and they shall give
immediate appropriate publicity to the measures adopted.

They shall immediately inform the Commission thereof.

This Decision shall apply from 4 August 2003.

Article 3

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 31 July 2003.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

ANNEX

US-1:

The territory of the United States of America with the exception of the following parts of States:

— In the State of Arizona:

La Paz county

— In the State of California:

Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San
Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura counties

— In the State of Nevada:

— In the State of Texas:

Clark county

El Paso county