2008/908/EC: Commission Decision of 28 November 2008 authorising certain Member States to revise their annual BSE monitoring programme (notified under document number C(2008) 7288)
Date: 2008-12-05
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, EU control, animal disease, cattle, disease prevention, health control, public health

L 327/24

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

5.12.2008

COMMISSION DECISION

of 28 November 2008

authorising certain Member States to revise their annual BSE monitoring programme

(notified under document number C(2008) 7288)

(Only the texts in Spanish, Danish, German, Greek, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Finnish and
Swedish are authentic)

(2008/908/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

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 second subparagraph of Article 6(1b) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 lays down rules for the
transmissible
prevention, control and eradication of
It
spongiform encephalopathies
provides that each Member State is to carry out an
for TSEs based on
annual monitoring programme
active and passive surveillance,
in accordance with
Annex III to that Regulation.

in animals.

(TSEs)

States which can demonstrate
the epidemiological situation of

Article 6(1b) of Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 provides
the
that Member
the
improvement of
country, according to certain criteria to be laid down
in accordance with the procedure referred to in that
Article, may
annual monitoring
for
programmes to be revised.

apply

their

Point 7 of Part I of Chapter A of Annex III to Regulation
(EC) No 999/2001 lays down information that has to be
submitted to the Commission and epidemiological
criteria that have to be complied with by Members
States wishing
annual monitoring
programmes.

to revise

their

On 17 July 2008, the European Food Safety Authority
released two scientific opinions relating to the revision of
the BSE monitoring regime in some Member States.
Those opinions provide an assessment on the level of
additional risk to human and animal health following
the implementation of a revised BSE monitoring regime
the Community before
in the 15 Member States of

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

1 May 2004, and conclude that less than one BSE case
would be missed annually in those Member States if the
age of the bovine animal covered by the BSE monitoring
was increased from 24 months to 48 months.

On 17 July 2008, Italy submitted to the Commission an
annual BSE monitoring
application to revise
programme.

its

the
On 7 August 2008,
Commission an application to revise its annual BSE
monitoring programme.

submitted

Ireland

to

submitted to the
On 13 August 2008, Austria
Commission an application to revise its annual BSE
monitoring programme.

On 13 August 2008, Denmark submitted to the
Commission an application to revise its annual BSE
monitoring programme.

On 15 August 2008, the United Kingdom submitted to
the Commission an application to revise its annual BSE
monitoring programme.

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10) On 20 August 2008, Luxembourg submitted to the
Commission an application to revise its annual BSE
monitoring programme.

(11) On 28 August 2008, Germany submitted to the
Commission an application to revise its annual BSE
monitoring programme.

(12) On 28 August 2008, the Netherlands submitted to the
Commission an application to revise its annual BSE
monitoring programme.

(13) On 29 August 2008,

Finland submitted to the
Commission an application to revise its annual BSE
monitoring programme.

(14) On 29 August 2008, Sweden submitted to the
Commission an application to revise its annual BSE
monitoring programme.

5.12.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 327/25

(15) On 4 September 2008, Portugal

submitted to the
Commission an application to revise its annual BSE
monitoring programme.

(16) On 8 September 2008,

submitted to the
Commission an application to revise its annual BSE
monitoring programme.

France

(23)

(24)

reasons,

the
For practical
commencement date of the revised annual monitoring
programmes coincides with the Community budgetary
year.

appropriate

that

is

it

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

in this Decision are in
Standing
the

opinion

the

of

(17) On 9 September 2008, Spain submitted to the
Commission an application to revise its annual BSE
monitoring programme.

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

(18) On 11 September 2008, Belgium submitted to the
Commission an application to revise its annual BSE
monitoring programme.

(19) On 17 September 2008, Greece submitted to the
Commission an application to revise its annual BSE
monitoring programme.

(20) On 18 September 2008, applications submitted by those
15 Member States were assessed by an ad-hoc working
group of experts which concluded that the risk analyses
provided by the Member States in support of their appli­
cations were suitable and would ensure the protection of
human and animal health. All
the requirements laid
down in the third subparagraph of Article 6(1b) and
in point 7 of
all
Part I of Chapter A of Annex III to Regulation (EC) No
999/2001 that Member States have to comply with for
demonstrating the improvement of their epidemiological
situation were also checked and found to be met.

the epidemiological criteria set out

From 1 January 2009, the Member States listed in the Annex
hereto may revise their annual monitoring programme as
provided for in Article 6(1) of Regulation (EC) No 999/2001
(the revised annual monitoring programmes).

Article 2

The revised annual monitoring programmes shall apply only to
the national bovine population of the concerned Member State
and shall cover at least all bovine animals above 48 months of
age belonging to the following subpopulations:

(a) animals as referred to in point 2.2 of Part I of Chapter A of

Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001;

(b) animals as referred to in point 2.1 of Part I of Chapter A of

Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001;

(c) animals as referred to in point 3.1 of Part I of Chapter A of

Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001.

Article 3

(21)

(22)

It is therefore appropriate to authorise the 15 Member
States whose applications have been favourably evaluated
to revise their annual monitoring programme and to
retain 48 months as the new age limit for BSE testing
in those Member States.

to

also

years

Some Member States who joined the Community from
1 May 2004 but started the compliance effort during
their
the
pre-accession
submitted
to revise their annual BSE
Commission applications
monitoring programmes.
In addition to the scientific
assessment and in order to verify compliance with the
epidemiological criteria, the Food and Veterinary Office
(FVO)
is expected to carry out an inspection in these
Member States and also in those who will apply for a
review of
their programme. The Commission has
received review requests from Slovenia and Cyprus.

the Hellenic Republic,

This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of Belgium, the
the Federal Republic of Germany,
Kingdom of Denmark,
the
Ireland,
the Grand Duchy of
French Republic,
Luxembourg,
the Republic of
Austria, the Portuguese Republic, the Republic of Finland, the
Kingdom of Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland.

the Italian Republic,
the Kingdom of Netherlands,

the Kingdom of Spain,

Done at Brussels, 28 November 2008.

For the Commission

Androulla VASSILIOU
Member of the Commission

L 327/26

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

5.12.2008

ANNEX

List of Member States

— Belgium
— Denmark
— Germany
— Ireland
— Greece
— Spain
— France
— Italy
— Luxembourg
— Netherlands
— Austria
— Portugal
— Finland
— Sweden
— United Kingdom