Decision 2004/430/EC of 29 April 2004 amending Decision 2003/828/EC on protection and surveillance zones in relation to bluetongue with regard to Cyprus and Malta
Date: 2004-04-29
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Cyprus, Malta, animal disease, disease prevention, sheep, transport of animals, veterinary inspection, veterinary legislation

L 154/36 

EN 

Official Journal of the European Union 

30.4.2004 

COMMISSION DECISION 

of 29 April 2004 

amending Decision 2003/828/EC on protection and surveillance zones in relation to 
bluetongue with regard to Cyprus and Malta 

(notified under document number C(2004) 1601) 

(Text with EEA relevance) 
(2004/430/EC) 

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, 

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  of  Accession  of  the  Czech  Republic,  Estonia,  Cyprus,  Latvia, 
Lithuania,  Hungary,  Malta,  Poland,  Slovenia  and  Slovakia,  and  in  particular  Article  2  (3) 
thereof, 

Having  regard  to  the  Act  of  Accession  of  the  Czech  Republic,  Estonia,  Cyprus,  Latvia, 
Lithuania,  Hungary,  Malta,  Poland,  Slovenia  and  Slovakia,  and  in  particular  Article  42 
thereof, 

Having regard to Council Directive 2000/75/EC of 20 November 2000 laying down specific 
provisions  for  the  control  and  eradication  of  bluetongue1,  and  in  particular  Article  8(2)(d) 
thereof, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

Commission  Decision  2003/828/EC  of  25  November  2003  on  protection  and 
surveillance  zones  in  relation  to  bluetongue2  demarcates  protection  and  surveillance 
zones  corresponding  to  specific  epidemiological  situations  and  lays  down  the 
conditions for providing exemptions from the ban on the movements of animals in and 
from those zones. 

As regard Cyprus and Malta, epidemiological data are in the process of being gathered 
in  order  to  allow  a  definitive  conclusion  on  the  bluetongue  status  of  those  new 
Member  States  to  be  made.  Pending  that  conclusion,  it  is  necessary  to  temporarily 
classify Cyprus and Malta within the framework of Decision 2003/828/EC. 

To that end, considering that bluetongue is a vector born disease, it is appropriate to 
consider the status of the territories of the Member States already listed in Annex I to 
Decision  2003/828/EC  which  are,  from  a  geographical  and  epidemiological  point  of 
view, the closest to Cyprus and Malta. 

1 
2 

OJ L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 74. 
OJ L 311, 27.11.2003, p. 41. Decision as amended by Decision 2004/34/EC (OJ L 7, 13.1.2004, p. 47.). 

 
                                                 
(4) 

(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

Accordingly, the situation of Malta could temporarily be considered as comparable to 
that  prevailing  in  southern  Sicily  and  the  situation  in  Cyprus  to  that  prevailing  in 
Dodecanese. However, pursuant to Article 42 of the Act of Accession, this transitional 
status should be reviewed within three years from the date of accession of Cyprus and 
Malta. 

As  a  consequence,  the  transitional  rules  applying  to  movements  of  live  animals  of 
susceptible  species  in  and  from  Cyprus  and  Malta  should  be  those  applying  to 
movements of those animals in and from Dodecanese and southern Sicily. 

Decision 2000/828/EC should therefore be amended accordingly. 

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: 

Annex I to Decision 2003/828/EC is replaced by the text in the Annex to this Decision. 

Article 1 

Article 2 

This  Decision  shall  apply  subject  to  and  from  the  date  of  the  entry  into  force  of  the  2003 
Treaty  of  Accession  of  the  Czech  Republic,  Estonia,  Cyprus,  Latvia,  Lithuania,  Hungary, 
Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia. 

Article3 

This Decision is addressed to the Member States. 

Done at Brussels, 29 April 2004. 

For the Commission 
David BYRNE 
Member of the Commission 

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Annex as referred to in Article 1 to this Decision. 

ANNEX 

“ANNEX I 

(Restricted zones: geographic areas where protection and surveillance zones shall be 
established by the Member states) 

Zone A (serotypes 2 and 9, and in a lesser extent 4and 16) 

Areas where Article 3 (2) (a) is applicable 

Italy 

Sicilia: 
Molise: 
Abruzzo: 

Ragusa, Enna 
Isernia, Campobasso 
Chieti,  all  Municipalities  belonging 
Avezzano-Sulmona 
Frosinone, Latina 
Lazio: 
Campania: 
all Municipalities belonging to the Local Health Unit of Caserta 1 
Basilicata:  Matera, and Potenza( with the exception of all the Municipalities belonging to 

the  Local  Health  Unit  of 

to 

the Local Health Unit of Venosa) 

Areas where Article 3 (2) (a) is not applicable 

Italy 

Sicilia: 
Calabria: 
Basilicata: 
Puglia: 
Campania: 

Malta∗ 

Agrigento, Catania, Caltanissetta, Palermo, Messina, Siracusa e Trapani 
Catanzaro, Cosenza, Crotone, Reggio Calabria, Vibo Valentia 
Potenza (all Municipalities belonging to the Local Health Unit of Venosa) 
Foggia, Bari, Lecce, Taranto, Brindisi 
Caserta (with the exception of all Municipalities belonging to the Local Health 
Unit of Caserta 1), Benevento, Avellino, Napoli, Salerno 

∗ 

transitional  animal  health  status  for  Cyprus  and  Malta,  pending  the  analysis  of  epidemiological  data; 
status to be reviewed at the latest by 1 May 2007. 

3 

 
  
 
                                                 
Zone B (serotype 2) 

Areas where Article 3 (2) (a) is applicable 

Italy 

Lazio: 

Toscana: 
Umbria: 

Viterbo,  Roma,  Rieti  (Municipalities  of  Ascrea,  Belmonte  in  Sabina, 
Cantalupo  in  Sabina,  Casaprota,  Casperia,  Castel  di  Tora,  Castelnuovo  di 
Farfa,  Colle  di  Tora,  Collevecchio,  Concerviano,  Configni,  Contigliano, 
Cottanello,  Fara  in  Sabina,  Forano,  Frasso,  Abino,  Greccio,  Longone  Sabino, 
Magliano  Sabina,  Mompeo,  Montasola,  Montebuono,  Monteleone  Sabino, 
Montenero  Sabino,  Monte  San  Giovanni  in  Sabina,  Montopoli  di  Sabina, 
Orvinio,  Poggio  Catino,  Poggio  Mirteto,  Poggio  Moiano,  Poggio  Nativo, 
Poggio  San  Lorenzo,  Pozzaglia  Sabina,  Rieti,  Roccantica,  Rocca  Sinibalda, 
Salisano, Scandriglia, Selci, Stimigliano, Tarano, Toffia, Torricella in Sabina, 
Torri in Sabina, Vacone). 
Massa Carrara, Pisa, Grosseto, Livorno 
Terni 

Areas where Article 3 (2) (a) is not applicable 

Italy 

Abruzzo: 

Lazio: 

Umbria: 
Marche: 

L’Aquila  with  the  exception  of  all  Municipalities  belonging  to  the  Local 
Health Unit of Avezzano-Sulmona 
Rieti (Municipalities of Accumoli, Amatrice, Antrodoco, Borbona, Borgorose, 
Borgo  Velino,  Cantalice,  Castel  Sant'angelo,  Cittaducale,  Cittareale,  Collalto 
Sabino,  Collegiove,  Colli  sul  Velino,  Fiamignano,  Labro,  Leonessa, 
Marcetelli,  Micigliano,  Morro  Reatino,  Nespolo,  Paganico,  Pescorocchiano, 
Petrella Salto, Poggio Bustone, Posta, Rivodutri, Turania, Varco Sabino). 
Perugia 
Ascoli Piceno, Macerata 

Areas where Article 3 (2) (a) is applicable 

Zone C (serotypes 2 and 4) 

France: 
Corse du sud, Haute Corse 

Spain: 
Islas Baleares 

Areas where Article 3 (2) (a) is not applicable 

Italy: 
Sardinia: 

Cagliari, Nuoro, Sassari, Oristano. 

4 

 
  
 
Zone D 

Greece 

The entire Greek territory with the exception of prefectorates listed in Zone E. 

Zone E 

Greece 

Dodekanisi, Samos, Chios and Lesvos prefectorates. 

Cyprus* 

5