2004/288/EC: Commission Decision of 26 March 2004 granting Australia and New Zealand temporary access to the Community reserves of foot-and-mouth disease virus antigens (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2004) 967)
Date: 2004-03-26
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Australia, EU stock, New Zealand, cooperation policy, foot-and-mouth disease, vaccine, veterinary legislation

L 91/58

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

30.3.2004

COMMISSION DECISION

of 26 March 2004

granting Australia and New Zealand temporary access to the Community reserves of foot-and-
mouth disease virus antigens

(notified under document number C(2004) 967)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2004/288/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 2003/85/EC of 29
September 2003 on Community measures for the control of
foot-and-mouth disease repealing Directive 85/511/EEC and
Decision 89/531/EEC and 91/665/EEC and amending Directive
92/46/EEC (1), and in particular Article 83(3) thereof,

(6)

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

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Whereas:

Article 1

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

In accordance with Council Decision 91/666/EEC of 11
December 1991 establishing Community reserves of
foot-and-mouth disease vaccines (2), stocks of antigens
for the express formulation into vaccines against foot-
and-mouth disease have been established.

foot-and-mouth disease virus

Pending the completion of their own arrangements for
antigens,
reserves of
Australia and New Zealand have requested temporary
assistance from the Community in case emergency vacci-
nation would be introduced to control a possible foot-
and-mouth disease outbreak.

The competent authorities of Australia and New Zealand
have provided information on their risk assessment and
the quantities and subtypes of antigens
estimates of
required within the framework of
their contingency
plans.

Following the assessment of the request made by the
authorities of Australia and New Zealand and taking into
account the capacity and availability of the quantities
and subtypes of antigens stored in the Community
antigen reserves, it appears that the requested assistance
could be provided without unnecessarily compromising
the Community contingency arrangements.

(5)

Australia and New Zealand should be granted temporary
access to the Community antigen reserves subject to
certain conditions.

(1) OJ L 306, 22.11.2003, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 368, 31.12.1991, p. 21. Decision as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 807/2003 (OJ L 122, 16.5.2003, p. 36).

Australia and New Zealand are granted temporary access to the
Community reserves of antigens for the formulation of vaccines
against foot-and-mouth disease under the following conditions:

1. access shall be granted until 31 December 2004,

in the
form of drawing rights for each of
the two countries
concerned for a maximum of 500 000 vaccine equivalent
cattle doses and in any case for both countries together not
more than 50 % of the existing stocks of each of the anti-
gens in the Community reserves;

2. depending on the specification in the written request by the
the
competent authorities of Australia or New Zealand,
Commission shall
immediately arrange for the urgent or
immediate formulation of the appropriate antigens and the
production, bottling, labelling and delivery of the vaccines
under the terms of existing contracts concluded between
itself and the manufacturer;

3. the Commission shall make arrangements so as to ensure
that in the event referred to in paragraph 2 the costs for the
following actions are born in appropriate proportions by
the competent authorities of Australia or New Zealand,
whoever has requested the formulation into vaccines of anti-
gens stored in the Community reserves:

(a) the transfer of antigens from the place of storage to the

establishment of the manufacturer;

(b) the formulation and production of vaccines,

including

any additional testing that might prove necessary;

(c) the bottling and labelling of the vaccines and their trans-

port to the indicated place of delivery;

(d) the replacement without delay of any used quantity of
antigen by antigens of at least the same quality and
origin.

30.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 91/59

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 2

Done at Brussels, 26 March 2004.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission