2005/758/EC: Commission Decision of 27 October 2005 concerning certain protection measures in relation to a suspicion of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Croatia and repealing Decision 2005/749/EC (notified under document number C(2005) 4286)   (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2005-10-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Croatia, animal disease, animal product, disease prevention, health certificate, import restriction, poultry

L 285/50

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

28.10.2005

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 27 October 2005

concerning certain protection measures in relation to a suspicion of highly pathogenic avian
influenza in Croatia and repealing Decision 2005/749/EC

(notified under document number C(2005) 4286)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2005/758/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

protection measures in relation to a suspicion of highly
pathogenic avian influenza in Croatia (3).

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), (3) and (6) 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), (5) and (6)
thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

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
via international
trade in live poultry and poultry
products.

threat

Croatia has notified to the Commission the isolation of
an H5 avian influenza virus collected from a clinical case
in a wild species. The clinical picture allows the suspicion
of highly pathogenic avian influenza pending the deter-
the
mination of
pathogenicity index.

the neuraminidase (N)

type and of

Commission

The
Decision
therefore
2005/749/EC of 24 October 2005 concerning certain

adopted

(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 the 2003 Act

of Accession.

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

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, live birds
other than poultry and hatching eggs of these species
from Croatia. As Croatia is authorised for imports of
game trophies and untreated feathers,
imports into the
Community of these products should be suspended as
well because of the animal health risk involved.

Furthermore the importation into the Community from
Croatia should be suspended for fresh meat of wild
feathered game and importation of meat preparations
and meat products consisting of or containing meat of
those species.

Certain products derived from poultry slaughtered before
1 August 2005 should also continue to be authorised,
taking into account the incubation period of the disease.

Commission Decision 2005/432/EC of 3 June 2005
laying down the animal and public health conditions
and model certificates for imports of meat products for
human consumption from third countries and repealing
Decisions 97/41/EC, 97/221/EC and 97/222/EC (4) 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, appro-
priate treatment must be applied depending on the health
the country of origin and the species the
status of
product is obtained from.
It appears therefore appro-
imports of wild feathered game meat
priate,
and treated to a
products originating in Croatia
temperature of at least 70 °C throughout the product
should continue to be authorised.

that

(3) OJ L 280, 25.10.2005, p. 23.
(4) OJ L 151, 14.6.2005, p. 3.

28.10.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 285/51

(8)

The measures provided for
accordance with
Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

in this Decision are in
Standing
the

opinion

the

of

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

1. Member States shall suspend the importation from the
territory of Croatia of:

— live poultry, ratites, farmed and wild feathered game,
live
third
birds other than poultry as defined in Article 1,
indent, of Decision 2000/666/EC,
including birds accom-
panying their owners (pet birds), and hatching eggs of
these species,

— fresh meat of wild feathered game,

— meat preparations and meat products consisting of or

containing meat of wild feathered game,

— raw pet food and unprocessed feed material containing any

parts of wild feathered game,

— non-treated game trophies from any birds, and

— unprocessed feathers and parts of feathers.

before 1 August 2005 and in accordance with Article 1(2) of
Commission Decision 2005/758/EC.
___________
(A) Delete as appropriate.’

4.
By derogation from paragraph 1, Member States shall
authorise the importation of meat products consisting of or
containing meat of wild feathered game under the condition
that the meat of these species has undergone at least one of
the specific treatments referred to under points B, C or D in
Part IV of Annex II to Decision 2005/432/EC.

Article 2

shall ensure that
feathers or parts of

the importation of
Member States
processed
commercial
document stating that the processed feathers or parts thereof
have been treated with a steam current or by some other
method
transmitted
ensuring
accompany the consignment.

for
feathers,

pathogens

that

are

no

a

However, that commercial document shall not be required for
processed decorative feathers, processed feathers carried by
travellers for their private use or consignments of processed
feathers sent to private individuals for non-industrial purpose.

Article 3

Member States shall immediately take the necessary measures to
comply with this Decision and publish those measures. They
shall immediately inform the Commission thereof.

By way of derogation from paragraph 1, Member States
2.
shall authorise the importation of
the products covered by
paragraph 1 second to fourth indent, which have been
obtained from birds slaughtered before 1 August 2005.

Article 4

Decision 2005/749/EC is repealed.

Article 5

In the

veterinary

documents
3.
the products referred to in
accompanying consignments of
paragraph 2 the following words as appropriate to the species
shall be included:

certificates/commercial

consisting of, or

‘Fresh poultry meat/fresh ratite meat/fresh meat of wild
feathered game/fresh meat of farmed feathered game/meat
product
containing meat of poultry,
ratites, farmed or wild feathered game meat/meat preparation
consisting of, or containing meat of poultry, ratites, farmed
or wild feathered game meat/raw pet food and unprocessed
feed material containing any parts of poultry, ratites, farmed
or wild feathered game (A) obtained from birds slaughtered

This Decision shall apply until 30 April 2006.

Article 6

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 27 October 2005

For the Commission

Markos KYPRIANOU
Member of the Commission