2004/697/EC:Commission Decision of 14 October 2004 on certain protective measures against bluetongue in Spain (notified under document number C(2004) 4055)Text with EEA relevance
Date: 2004-10-14
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Spain, animal disease, export restriction, public health, sheep

L 316/96

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

15.10.2004

COMMISSION DECISION

of 14 October 2004

on certain protective measures against bluetongue in Spain

(notified under document number C(2004) 4055)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2004/697/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(5)

Pending a meeting of the Standing Committee on the
Food Chain and Animal Health and in collaboration
with the Member State concerned,
the Commission
should take provisional protective measures with regard
to movements of live animals of susceptible species from
the territory of the regions affected,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Spain shall ban the movement of
live animals of species
susceptible to bluetongue and their sperm, ova and embryos
from the territory of the districts listed in the Annex to this
Decision.

Article 2

Member States shall amend the measures they apply to trade so
that
immediately
inform the Commission thereof.

they conform to this Decision and shall

Article 3

This Decision shall be reviewed in the light of developments
and investigations and studies carried out by the Spanish autho-
rities.

This Decision shall be reviewed at the meeting of the Standing
Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health scheduled for
19 October 2004.

Article 4

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 14 October 2004.

For the Commission

David BYRNE
Member of the Commission

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Commu-
nities,

Having regard to Council Directive 90/425/EEC of 26 June
1990 concerning veterinary and zootechnical checks applicable
in intra-Community trade in certain live animals and products
with a view to the completion of the internal market (1), as last
amended by European Parliament
and Council Directive
2002/33/EC (2), and in particular Article 10(3) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

surveillance
On 13 October 2004 the bluetongue
programme set up by Spain revealed an outbreak of
the bluetongue virus in the east of
the province of
Cádiz in southern Spain.

To prevent
the Spanish
the disease from spreading,
authorities have banned the movement of animals of
species susceptible to bluetongue and their sperm, ova
and embryos from the territory of the Provinces of Cádiz,
Seville and Málaga and certain districts of the Provinces
of Córdoba, Granada and Huelva.

Bluetongue appears on List A of the International Office
of Epizootics (IOE). Its spread would be a grave risk to
the Community and could have an international impact
on trade.

For the sake of clarity and transparency, Community
measures should be adopted to prevent the spread of
the disease, particularly with regard to movements of
animals of species susceptible to bluetongue and their
sperm, ova and embryos from the territory of
the
regions placed under restriction by the Spanish autho-
rities. Such measures will take account of the measures
already adopted by the Spanish authorities.

(1) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 29.
(2) OJ L 315, 19.11.2002, p. 14.

15.10.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 316/97

ANNEX

Province of Cádiz: all districts

Province of Málaga: all districts

Province of Seville: all districts

Province of Huelva: districts of La Palma del Condado and Ayamonte

Province of Córdoba: districts of Lucena, Montilla and Posada

Province of Granada: districts of la Alhama, Granada and Loja