Commission Regulation (EC) No 1974/2005 of  2 December 2005  amending Annexes X and XI to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards national reference laboratories and specified risk material   (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2005-12-02
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: animal product, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, cattle, disease vector, export (EU), export restriction, food safety, health control, health risk, research body

L 317/4

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Official Journal of the European Union

3.12.2005

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1974/2005

of 2 December 2005

amending Annexes X and XI to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the
Council as regards national reference laboratories and specified risk material

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(5)

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European
Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2001 laying down
rules for the prevention, control and eradication of certain
transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (1), and in particular
the first paragraph of Article 23 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 sets out
designated national
reference laboratories
missible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs).

a
list of
for Trans-

Certain Member States have notified to the Commission
changes
their national
reference laboratories, therefore the list of those labora-
tories should be updated.

in the name or address of

Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 designates certain bovine
tissues as specified risk materials and lays down the rules
for its removal.

set out

Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 provides that export of
specified risk material is prohibited but can be authorised
only with view to their final destruction. Transitional
measures
to that Regulation
in Annex XI
provide that carcases, half-carcases or quarters containing
no specified risk material other than vertebral column,
may be dispatched to another Member State, where the
vertebral column is to be removed in accordance with
is not certain in
Community legislation. Such removal
case of exports
food safety
reasons, such an exception should not be allowed for
exports of specified risk material to third countries.

to third countries. For

(1) OJ L 147, 31.5.2001, p. 1. Regulation as

last amended by
Commission Regulation (EC) No 1292/2005 (OJ L 205, 6.8.2005,
p. 3).

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

suggested a list of

In its opinion of 9 December 1997 the Scientific Steering
Committee (SSC)
specified risk
materials (SRM) in bovine animals to be excluded from
human and animal consumption on the basis of relative
tissue infectivity, species and age. This opinion was
revised and updated by SSC opinions on Bovine Spon-
giform Encephalopathy (BSE) risk on February 1998, on
the human exposure risk via food with respect to BSE in
December 1999, on the oral exposure of humans to the
BSE agent in April 2000 and on TSE infectivity distri-
bution in ruminant tissues in January 2002.

The SSC considered extremely unlikely that the central
nervous system was detectably infected below the age of
30 months even in cattle exposed to infection as calves.
the exceptional detection of young animals
However,
with clinical
cautious
the SSC recommended the
approach and,
removal of various SRM from cattle 12 months of age
or older. That recommendation led to the management
decision to set the age limit for the removal of certain
SRM in bovine animals at 12 months.

signs of BSE supported a
therefore,

Different factors indicate a favourable trend in the BSE
epidemic and a clear improvement of the situation in
recent years due to the risk-reducing measures in place,
in particular the total
feed ban and the removal and
destruction of SRM. Furthermore inspection reports
implementation of BSE requirements in
indicate that
the Member States has improved. Taking into account
the favourable evolution of the BSE epidemic and new
data
the
from BSE pathogenesis
European Commission submitted a new mandate to the
European Food Safety Authority in October 2004 for an
assessment of the age limit for the removal of SRM in
bovines.

available

studies,

The average age of BSE positive cases reported in the EU
increased from 86 to 108 months between 2001 and
2004. Only four BSE cases under the age of 35 months
of a total of 6 520 BSE cases on a total of close to 41
million animals tested since 2001 have been reported.

In its opinion of 28 April 2005 the EFSA concluded that
on the basis of the current scientific knowledge likely
detectable infectivity appears at about three quarters of
the incubation period.

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Official Journal of the European Union

L 317/5

(10)

the

infectivity in the

Therefore a scientific basis exists to review the age limit
for the removal of certain SRM in bovine animals,
in
particular as regards the vertebral column. In view of
the development of
central
nervous system during the incubation period, the age
structure of positive BSE cases and the decrease in
exposure of cattle born after 1 January 2001 the age
limit
including dorsal
root ganglia of bovine animals as specified risk material
can be increased to 24 months. This age limit can be
reviewed in the light of
the BSE
epidemic.

for removing vertebral column,

the evaluation of

(12)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in
accordance with
Standing
Committee of the Food Chain and Animal Health,

opinion

the

the

of

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Annexes X and XI
amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.

to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 are

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following
its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

(11)

Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 should therefore be
amended accordingly.

It shall apply from 1 January 2006.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 2 December 2005.

For the Commission

Markos KYPRIANOU
Member of the Commission

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ANNEX

Annexes X and XI to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 are amended as follows:

1. In Annex X, Chapter A, point 3 is replaced by the following:

‘3. The national reference laboratories are:

Austria:

Belgium:

Cyprus:

Czech Republic:

Denmark:

Estonia:

Finland:

France:

Germany:

Greece:

Hungary:

Ireland:

Italy:

Latvia:

Österreichische Agentur für Gesundheit und Ernährungssicherheit GmbH, Institut für
veterinärmedizinische Untersuchungen Mödling
Robert Koch Gasse 17
A-2340 Mödling

CERVA -CODA-VAR
Centre d'Étude et de Recherches Vétérinaires et Agrochimiques
Centrum voor Onderzoek in Diergeneeskunde en Agrochemie
Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre
Groeselenberg 99
B-1180 Bruxelles

State Veterinary Laboratories
Veterinary Services
CY-1417 Athalassa
Nicosia

Státní veterinární ústav Jihlava
Rantířovská 93
586 05 Jihlava

Danmarks Fødevareforskning
Bülowsvej 27
DK-1790 København V

Veterinaar- ja Toidulaboratoorium
Kreutzwaldi 30
Tartu 51006

Eläinlääkintä- ja elintarvikelaitos
Hämeentie 57
FIN-00550 Helsinki

Agence française de sécurité sanitaire des aliments
Laboratoire de pathologie bovine
31, avenue Tony Garnier
69 364 LYON CEDEX 07

Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Bundesforschungsinstitut für Tiergesundheit
Anstaltsteil Insel Riems Boddenblick 5A
D-17498 Insel Riems

Ministry of Agriculture — Veterinary Laboratory of Larisa
7th km of Larisa — Trikala Highway
GR-411 10 Larisa

Országos Állategészségügyi Intézet (OÁI)
Pf. 2.
Tábornok u. 2.
H-1581 Budapest

Central Veterinary Research Laboratory
Young's Cross
Celbridge
Co. Kildare

Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta — CEA
Via Bologna, 148
I-10154 Torino

State Veterinary Medicine Diagnostic Centre
Lejupes Str. 3
Riga LV 1076

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Lithuania:

Luxembourg:

Nacionalinė veterinarijos laboratorija
J. Kairiūkščio g. 10
LT-08409 Vilnius

CERVA -CODA-VAR
Centre d'Étude et de Recherches Vétérinaires et Agrochimiques
Centrum voor Onderzoek in Diergeneeskunde en Agrochemie
Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre
Groeselenberg 99
B-1180 Bruxelles

Malta:

National Veterinary Laboratory
Albert Town Marsa

Netherlands:

Centraal Instituut voor Dierziektecontrole-Lelystad
Houtribweg 3g
8221 RA Lelystad
Postbus 2004
8203 AA Lelystad

Poland:

Portugal:

Slovakia:

Slovenia:

Spain:

Sweden:

Państwowy Instytut Weterynaryjny (PIWet)
24-100 Puławy
al. Partyzantów 57

Laboratório Nacional de Investigação Veterinária Estrada de Benfica
701 P-1500 Lisboa

State Veterinary Institute Zvolen
Pod dráhami 918
SK-960 86, Zvolen

National Veterinary Institute
Gerbičeva 60
1000 Ljubljana

Laboratorio Central de Veterinaria (Algete)
Ctra. de Algete km. 8
28110 Algete (Madrid)

National Veterinary Institute
S-751 89 Uppsala

United Kingdom:

Veterinary Laboratories Agency
Woodham Lane
New Haw Addlestone Surrey KT15 3NB’

2. Annex XI, Part A is amended as follows:

(a) point 1(a)(i) is replaced by the following:

‘(i)

the skull excluding the mandible and including the brain and eyes, and the spinal cord of bovine animals aged
over 12 months, the vertebral column excluding the vertebrae of the tail, the spinous and transverse processes
of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebrae and the median sacral crest and wings of the sacrum, but
including the dorsal root ganglia of bovine animals aged over 24 months, and the tonsils, the intestines from
the duodenum to the rectum and the mesentery of bovine animals of all ages;’

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(b) point 13 is replaced by the following:

‘13. Member States may decide to allow dispatch of heads or of un-split carcases containing specified risk material
to another Member State, only after that other Member State has agreed to receive the material and has
approved the specific dispatching conditions applicable to such transport.

However, carcases, half carcases or half carcases cut into no more than three wholesale cuts, and quarters
containing no specified risk material other than the vertebral column, including dorsal root ganglia, may be
imported from a third country into a Member State, or may be dispatched to another Member State without
the latter's prior agreement.

Exports outside the Community of heads and of fresh meat of bovine, ovine or caprine animals containing
specified risk materials shall be prohibited.’