2004/908/EC: Commission Decision of 23 December 2004 concerning protection measures in relation to Newcastle disease in Bulgaria (notified under document number C(2004) 5650)Text with EEA relevance
Date: 2004-12-23
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Bulgaria, animal disease, animal product, health certificate, health legislation, import, import restriction, poultry

L 381/82

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

28.12.2004

COMMISSION DECISION

of 23 December 2004

concerning protection measures in relation to Newcastle disease in Bulgaria

(notified under document number C(2004) 5650)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2004/908/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(6)

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

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
89/662/EEC,
90/425/EEC and 90/675/EEC (1), and in particular Article
18(1) thereof,

amending Directives

countries

and

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 (2), and in particular Article 22(1) thereof,

Whereas:

Newcastle disease is a highly contagious viral disease in
poultry and birds, which can quickly take epizootic
proportions liable to present a serious threat to animal
health and to reduce sharply the profitability of poultry
farming.

regimes

in order

to prevent

importation of meat products,

Commission Decision 97/222/EC (3) lays down the list of
third countries from which Member States may authorise
and establishes
the
the risk of
treatment
disease transmission via such products. The treatment
that must be applied to the product depends on the
health status of the country of origin, in relation to the
species the meat is obtained from; in order to avoid an
imports of poultry meat
unnecessary burden on trade,
products originating in Bulgaria treated to a temperature
of at least 70 °C throughout the product should continue
to be authorised.

(7)

(8)

As soon as Bulgaria has communicated further infor-
mation on the disease
control
measures taken in this respect the measures taken on
Community level in relation to this outbreak should be
reviewed.

situation and the

The provisions of this Decision will be reviewed at the
next meeting of the Standing Committee on the Food
Chain and Animal Health, foreseen on 11-12 January
2005,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

There is a risk that the disease agent might be introduced
trade in live poultry and poultry
via international
products.

Member States shall suspend the importation from the territory
of Bulgaria of live poultry, ratites, farmed and wild feathered
game and hatching eggs of these species.

On 23 December 2004 Bulgaria has confirmed an
outbreak of Newcastle disease in the Kardjali region.

In view of the animal health risk of disease introduction
into the Community,
it is therefore appropriate as an
immediate measure to suspend imports of live poultry,
ratites,
farmed and wild feathered game birds and
hatching eggs of these species from Bulgaria.

Furthermore the importation into the Community from
Bulgaria should be suspended for fresh meat of poultry,
ratites and wild and farmed feathered game, meat
preparations
consisting of, or
containing meat of those species, obtained from birds
slaughtered after 16 November 2004.

and meat products

Article 2

Member States shall suspend the importation from the territory
of Bulgaria of:

— fresh meat of poultry, ratites, farmed and wild feathered

game and of

— meat preparations and meat products consisting of, or

containing meat of, those species.

Article 3

By derogation from Article 2, Member States

1.
authorise the importation of
Article which have been obtained from birds
before 16 November 2004.

shall
the products covered by this
slaughtered

(1) OJ L 268, 24.9.1991, p. 56. Directive as last amended by the 2003

Act of Accession.

(2) OJ L 24, 31.1.1998, p. 9. Directive as last amended by the 2003 Act

(3) OJ L 98, 4.4.1997, p. 39. Decision as last amended by Decision

of Accession.

2004/857/EC (OJ L 369, 16.12.2004, p. 65).

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

28.12.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 381/83

In the veterinary certificates accompanying consignments
2.
of the products mentioned in paragraph 1 the following words
shall be included:

Decision and they shall give immediate appropriate publicity
to the measures adopted. They shall
immediately inform the
Commission thereof.

‘Fresh poultry meat/fresh ratite meat/fresh meat of wild
feathered game/fresh meat of farmed feathered game/meat
product consisting of, or containing meat of, poultry, ratites,
farmed or wild feathered game meat/meat preparation
ratites,
consisting of, or containing meat of, poultry,
farmed or wild feathered game meat (*) obtained from
birds slaughtered before 16 November 2004 in accordance
with Article 3 (1) of Decision 2004/908/EC.
___________
(*) Delete as appropriate.’.

3.
shall
By derogation from Article 2, Member States
authorise the importation of meat products consisting of, or
containing meat of, poultry, ratites, farmed and wild feathered
game, when the meat of these species has undergone one of the
specific treatments referred to under points B, C or D in part IV
of the Annex to Decision 97/222/EC.

Article 4

The Member States shall amend the measures they apply to
to bring them into compliance with this
imports

so as

Article 5

This Decision shall be reviewed in the light of
the disease
evolution and information supplied by the veterinary authorities
of Bulgaria at the Standing Committee foreseen for 11 and 12
January 2005.

Article 6

This Decision shall apply until 31 January 2005.

Article 7

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 23 December 2004.

For the Commission

Markos KYPRIANOU
Member of the Commission