2006/532/EC: Commission Decision of  28 July 2006  concerning certain protection measures in relation to highly pathogenic avian influenza in South Africa  (notified under document number C(2006) 3350)   (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2006-07-28
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: South Africa, animal disease, animal product, health certificate, import restriction, poultry, veterinary inspection

L 212/16

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

2.8.2006

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 28 July 2006

concerning certain protection measures in relation to highly pathogenic avian influenza in
South Africa

(notified under document number C(2006) 3350)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2006/532/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(3)

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

The avian influenza virus strain detected during that
outbreak is of subtype H5N2 and therefore different
from the strain currently causing the epidemic in Asia,
Northern Africa and Europe. Current knowledge suggests
that the risk for public health in relation to that subtype
is inferior to the risk from the strain circulating in Asia,
which is an H5N1 virus subtype.

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) 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) and (5)
thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

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

(2)

On 29 June 2006, South Africa confirmed an outbreak
of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a ratite farm in
the Western Cape Province.

(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 by OJ L 191, 28.5.2004, p. 1).

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

Under current Community legislation, South Africa is
only authorised to export to the Community live ratites
and their hatching eggs and fresh meat and meat
preparations and products containing meat of
those
species.

In view of the animal health risk of the introduction of
highly pathogenic avian influenza into the Community, it
is appropriate as an immediate measure to suspend
these
imports of
species from South Africa.

live ratites and hatching eggs of

In addition, it is appropriate to suspend imports into the
Community from South Africa of fresh meat of ratites
and meat preparations and meat products consisting of
or containing meat of those species. However, taking into
account the fact that the disease was introduced on the
affected farms in mid-June, it is appropriate to provide
for a derogation for fresh meat and meat preparations
and meat products consisting of or containing meat from
such species slaughtered before 1 May 2006 subject to
certain conditions.

South Africa has applied strict disease control measures
and has sent further information on the disease situation
to the Commission which justify limiting the suspension
of imports to the affected part of the territory of South
Africa.

2.8.2006

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Official Journal of the European Union

L 212/17

(8)

(9)

(10)

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 (1) lays
down the list of third countries from which Member
States may authorise the importation of certain meat
products and establishes treatment regimes considered
effective in inactivating the pathogens of certain animal
diseases. In order to prevent the risk of disease trans-
mission via such products, appropriate treatment must
the
be applied depending on the health status of
country of origin and the species
is
obtained from. It is therefore appropriate that imports
of meat products and meat preparations consisting of
ratites originating in South
or containing meat of
Africa
treatment
provided for in that Decision should continue to be
authorised.

and subjected to an appropriate

the product

As soon as South Africa has communicated further infor-
mation on the disease
situation concerning highly
pathogenic avian influenza and the control measures
respect,
taken
at
that
in
the measures
in relation to the recent outbreak in
Community level
South Africa should be reviewed. Accordingly,
this
Decision should only apply until 31 October 2006.

taken

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 2

1.
By way of derogation from points (b) and (c) of Article 1,
Member States shall authorise the importation of fresh meat,
meat products and meat preparations referred to in those points
which have been obtained from birds slaughtered before 1 May
2006.

In the veterinary certificates accompanying consignments
2.
of the meat, meat products and meat preparations referred to in
paragraph 1 the following words shall be included:

‘Fresh ratite meat/meat products consisting of or containing
meat of ratites/meat preparations consisting of or containing
meat of ratites (*) obtained from birds slaughtered before
1 May 2006 in accordance with Article 2(1) of Commission
Decision 2006/532/EC.

___________
(*) Delete as appropriate.’

By way of derogation from point (c) of Article 1, Member
3.
States shall authorise the importation of meat products and
meat preparations consisting of or containing meat of ratites
provided that
the
specific treatments referred to under points B, C or D in Part
4 of Annex II to Decision 2005/432/EC.

the meat has undergone at

least one of

Article 3

shall

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

Article 1

Article 4

Member States shall suspend imports, from that part of the
territory of South Africa referred to in the Annex to this
Decision, of:

(a)

live ratites and hatching eggs of ratites;

(b) fresh meat of ratites;

(c) meat products and meat preparations consisting of or

containing meat of ratites.

This Decision shall apply until 31 October 2006.

Article 5

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 28 July 2006.

For the Commission

Markos KYPRIANOU
Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 151, 14.6.2005, p. 3. Decision as amended by Decision

2006/330/EC (OJ L 121, 6.5.2006, p. 43).

L 212/18

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Official Journal of the European Union

2.8.2006

Part of the territory of South Africa referred to in Article 1

ANNEX

ISO country code

Name of country

Part of territory

ZA

South Africa

The districts of Riversdale and Mossel Bay in the Western Cape
Province