2005/705/EC: Commission Decision of 10 October 2005 concerning certain protection measures in relation to a suspicion of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Turkey (notified under document number C(2005) 3966)   (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2005-10-10
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Türkiye, animal disease, disease prevention, health certificate, import (EU), import restriction, poultry farming, zoonosis

12.10.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 267/29

COMMISSION DECISION

of 10 October 2005

concerning certain protection measures in relation to a suspicion of highly pathogenic avian
influenza in Turkey

(notified under document number C(2005) 3966)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2005/705/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

clinical picture allow the suspicion of highly pathogenic
avian influenza pending the determination of the neur-
aminidase (N) type and of the pathogenicity index.

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

(3)

(4)

(5)

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:

(1)

Avian influenza is an infectious viral disease in poultry
and birds, causing mortality and disturbances which can
quickly take epizootic proportions liable to present a
serious
to animal and public health and to
reduce sharply the profitability of poultry farming.
There is a risk that the disease agent might be introduced
trade in live poultry and poultry
via international
products.

threat

(2)

On 9 October 2005 Turkey notified to the Commission
an outbreak of avian influenza in a poultry farm in the
western parts of Anatolia. The isolated H5 virus and the

(6)

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

Act of Accession.

(2) OJ L 24, 30.1.1998, p. 9. Directive as last amended by Regulation
(EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council
(OJ L 165, 30.4.2004, p. 1); corrected version in OJ L 191,
28.5.2004, p. 1.

Imports from Turkey of birds and poultry and products
derived from these species are not authorised with the
exception of
live birds other than poultry, untreated
feathers and heat-treated poultry meat products.

In view of the animal health risk of disease introduction
into the Community,
it is therefore appropriate as an
immediate measure to temporarily suspend imports
from Turkey of
live birds other than poultry and of
untreated feathers.

for

and

countries

from third

Commission Decision 2005/432/EC (3) laying down the
animal and public health conditions and model certi-
for human
ficates
imports of meat products
consumption
repealing
Decisions 97/41/EC, 97/221/EC and 97/222/EC lays
down the list of third countries from which Member
States may authorise the importation of meat products
and establishes treatment regimes considered effective in
inactivating the respective pathogens. In order to prevent
the risk of disease transmission via such products,
appropiate treatment must be applied depending on the
health status of the country of origin and the species the
product is obtained from.
It appears therefore appro-
priate, that imports of poultry meat products originating
in Turkey and treated to a temperature of at least 70 °C
throughout
be
authorised.

continue

product

should

the

to

In the light of the information communicated to the
Commission on the disease situation and the control
measures taken by the competent authorities in Turkey,
the provisions of this Decision will be reviewed at the
next meeting of the Standing Committee on the Food
Chain and Animal Health,

(3) OJ L 151, 14.6.2005, p. 3.

L 267/30

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

12.10.2005

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

have been treated with a steam current or by some other
method ensuring the inactivation of the pathogen.

Article 1

Article 3

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

— ‘live birds other than poultry’ as defined in Article 1, third
indent, of Commission Decision 2000/666/EC (1), including
birds accompanying their owners (pet birds), and

— unprocessed feathers and parts of feathers.

Member States shall amend the measures they apply to imports
so as 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.

Article 4

This Decision shall apply until 20 October 2005.

Article 5

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

feathers

Member States shall ensure that when imported from the
territory of Turkey, consignments of processed feathers or
parts of
(excluding processed decorative feathers,
processed feathers carried by travelers for their private use or
consignments of processed feathers sent to private individuals
for non industrial purposes) are accompanied by a commercial
document stating that the processed feathers or parts thereof

Done at Brussels, 10 October 2005.

For the Commission

Markos KYPRIANOU
Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 278, 31.10.2000, p. 26. Decision as last amended by Decision

2002/279/EC (OJ L 99, 16.4.2002, p. 17).