CELEX: 51989PC0499
Language: en
Date: 1989-10-17
Title: PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION ON FINANCIAL AID FROM THE COMMUNITY FOR THE ERADICATION OF AFRICAN SWINE FEVER IN SARDINIA

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                          C0MC89) 499 final
                                          Brussels, 17 October 1989
                          Proposal for a
                         COUNCIL DECISION
    on financial aid from the Community for the eradication
               of African swine fever in Sardinia
                  (presented by the Commission)
 ---pagebreak---                             EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
The presence of African Swine Fever In Sardinia creates a barrier to trade in
live pigs, pigmeat and certain meat products. The disease has been present on
the island since 1978 and certain disease control measures have been imple-
mented In order to eradicate the disease. With the aim of promoting disease
eradication the Council adopted In 1980 a Decision concerning financial mea-
sures from the Community for the eradication of the disease. The disease,
however, has not been eradicated.
It seems necessary, to follow-up and reinforce the present programme. This re-
inforced action would allow to complete the eradication of African Swine Fever
which presents a permanent danger to the pig herds      In the Community. The
eradication of African Swine Fever is a requirement for the completion of the
internal market and Is Included In the time table of the "White Book".
The Commission in its proposal has retained the Committee Regulatory proce-
dure. This choice Is Justified in this case by the requirement not to upset
the mechanism of management In the veterinary field. It does not prejudice the
preferance of the Commission for the consultative Committee procedure.
 ---pagebreak---                                  Proposal for a
                                COUNCIL DECISION
            on financial aid from the Community for the eradication
                       of African swine fever In Sardinia
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and
in particular Article 43 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee,
Whereas  African  swine   fever appeared  in Sardinia   in 1978; whereas,   the
Community has already provided for financial assistance to Italy under Council
Decision 80/l097/EEC<1>, as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 3768/85*2>;
Whereas the continued presence of this disease prevents the free movement of
live pigs, fresh pigmeat and certain plgmeat products;
Whereas the final eradication of this disease constitutes an essential prere-
quisite for the establishment - with regard to trade In live pigs and pig-
meat - of the Internal market in the pig sector as well as for Increasing the
productivity of breeding and, consequently, Improving the standard of living
of persons engaged In this sector;
Whereas Italy must present a new plan for the eradication of African Swine
Fever within a period of five years;
(1) 0J No L 325, 01.12.1980, p.   8.
(2) OJ No L 362, 31.12.1985, p. 8.
 ---pagebreak---                                      - 2 -
Whereas this eradication plan must include certain measures which ensure that
the action taken is effective and a change In strategy; whereas adoption of
these measures and their adaptation to developments     In the situation must
Involve a procedure In which the Member States and the Commission are closely
associated;
Whereas the Member States should be kept regularly Informed of the progress of
the measures undertaken,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION :
                                   Article 1
Italy shall draw up a new plan for the eradication of African swine fever in
Sardinia.
                                   Article 2
The plan referred to in Article 1 must, apart from an Indication of the orga-
nization that Is to implement and coordinate it, provide for :
1. Measures to eliminate outbreaks of African swine fever, and more particu-
   larly :
   (a) the Immediate killing and destruction of all the animals of porcine
       species on those holdings
       -   where a clinical case of African swine fever is diagnosed,
       -   which, as a result of an epizootiological Investigation, can be con-
          sidered as contaminated,
       Killing and destruction shall be effected In such a way as to avoid any
       danger of spreading the virus;
 ---pagebreak---                                          - 3 -
   (b) the cleansing and disinfection of, and elimination of insect and rodent
       pests from, holdings after the elimination of the pigs;
   (c) Immediate and adequate compensation for the owners of holdings whose
       pigs have been slaughtered In accordance with (a);
   (d) a delay for health reasons before restocking of holdings, the duration
       of such delay being at least one month after slaughter and the comple-
       tion of the operations provided for in paragraph (b) for holdings ope-
       rating     in enclosed   premises   and  at  least   three months    for  other
       ho Id i ngs;
   (e) the    gradual   restocking  of   holdings  by   the   prior   Introduction  of
       "sentinel" pigs, in which the absence of African swine fever antibodies
       has been checked prior to their entry into the holding and again one
       month later;
   (f) continuous serological surveillance of holdings until they are fully
       restocked.
   (g) the establishment of a protection zone with a radius of at least 3 km
       when a clinical case as referred to In the first Indent of (a) has been
       diagnosed.     The zone must be established for at least 30 days.         Swine
       may not     leave the holdings on which they are kept during the first
       15 days.     Between the 15th day and the 30th day the pigs may not leave
       the holding except to be transported under official supervision direct-
       ly to a slaughterhouse for Immediate slaughter.          Such transport may be
       authorized by the competent authority only after the official veteri-
       narian has carried out an examination of all swine on the holding and
       confirmed that none of the swine may be suspected of being             infected
       with African swine fever;
2. Measures for the surveillance of pig farms, and in particular :
   (a) serological     testing by representative samples from ail pig farms in
       each province beginning In the Nuoro province.
       However, the following rules shall apply In the special cases described
       below :
 ---pagebreak---                                        - 4 -
        - In the case of breeding farms, multiplication farms or mixed closed
           circuit farms, all breeding sows and sows Intended for breeding must
           be subjected to serological Investigation at regular intervals,
        - in the case of mixed farms receiving pigs from external sources, if
           no clear separation exists between the breeding unit and the pig
           fattening unit, all the pigs on the holding must be subjected to
           serological investigation at regular intervals;
   (b)  systematic serological    Investigation on all farms where one or more
        animals have reacted positively to the serological test provided for
         In (a) and the continuation of this investigation until all positive
        animals have been detected and eliminated;
   (c)  an eplzootlologlcal   Investigation to Identify the holdings on which
        pigs reacting positively to serological tests originate or may have
        had contact and systematic serological      investigation on such hold-
        ings;
   (d)  a serological screening (pre-movement test) of all pigs being moved
        for breeding and fattening;
   (e)  serological   testing  by   sampling  of  pigs  at   the time of   their
        slaughter;
   (f) elimination by slaughter and destruction of all animals reacting posi-
        tively to serological tests following measures provided for in (a),
        (b), (c) and (d);
   (g)  Immediate and adequate compensation for owners of pigs slaughtered and
        destroyed In accordance with (f);
   (h)  laboratory testing of samples from slaughtered wild pigs.
3. Measures for identification of pigs and registration of pig farms, and in
   particular :
   (a)  the establishment of a system identifying all pigs In Sardinia so that
        the province and holding of origin can be traced at any time;
   (b)  the registration of all holdings engaged in pig farming In Sardinia,
        specifying the type of production, the size of their stock, entries of
        pigs to the holding and their origin, exit of pigs and their destina-
        tion.
4. Mesures to construct facilities for sanitary control, identification and
   bleeding of pigs kept mainly in the free grazing areas.
 ---pagebreak---                                       - 5 -
                                    Article 3
The Commission shall examine the plan drawn up by the Italian authorities in
order to ascertain whether It meets the conditions for Its approval or whether
it should be amended In any way. The plan, Including any amendments to it,
shall be approved In accordance with the procedure provided for In Article 9.
                                    Article 4
The measure provided for in this Decision shall qualify for financial aid from
the Community.
                                    Article 5
1. Community financial assistance shall be granted for a period of five years
   from the date fixed by the Commission in Its decision approving the plan
   referred to In Article 1.
2. The estimated assistance to be charged to the Community budget under the
   chapter covering expenditure relating to agriculture shall be 9 million ecus
   for the duration of the period provided for in paragraph 1.
                                    Article 8
1. On condition that all the measures laid down are applied and are in com-
   pliance with the plan approved by the Commission pursuant to Article 3, the
   expenditure Incurred by Italy
   -   under Article 2(1)(a), (b), (c), (e) and (f), and (2),
   -   under Article 2(3) and (4),
   shall qualify for Community financial aid within the limits laid down In
   Article 5.
2. The Community shall refund 50 % of the expenditure referred to In the first
    indent of paragraph 1 and 30 % of the expenditure referred to in the second
   Indent of paragraph 1.
3. Detailed rules for the application of this Article shall be adopted, as re-
   quired In accordance with the procedure laid down In Article 9.
 ---pagebreak---                                        Article 7
1. Applications for payment      shall   relate to expenditure   Incurred by    Italy
   during the calendar year and shall be submitted to the Commission before
   1 July of the following year.
2. The Commission shall decide on aid after consulting the Committee referred
   to In Article 9.
3. Detailed rules for the application of this Article shall be adopted in
   accordance with the procedure laid down In Article 9.
                                       Article 8
Articles 8  and  9 of   Council     Regulation   (EEC) No 729/70 H )    shall   apply
mutatis mutandis.
                                       Article 9
1. The Commission   shall   be assisted     by the Standing Veterinary      Committee
   (hereinafter   referred    to    as   "the  Committee"),  set   up    by   Council
                        C2)
   Decision 68/361/EEC      .
2. Where the procedure laid down In this Article is to be followed, the chair-
   man shall refer the matter to the committee, either on his own Initiative
   or at the request of the representative of a Member State.
3. The representative of the Commission shall submit to the committee a draft
   of the measures to be taken.        The committee shall deliver   Its opinion on
   the draft within a time limit which the chairman may lay down according to
   the urgency of the matter.      The opinion shall be delivered by the majority
   laid down In Article 148(2) of the Treaty In the case of decisions which
   the Council Is required to adopt on a proposal from the Commission.            The
   votes of the representatives of the Member States within the committee
   shall be weighted   In the manner set out       In that Article.    The chairman
   shalI not vote.
(1) OJ No L  94, 28.04.1970, p. 13
(2) OJ No L 255, 18.10.1968, p. 23
 ---pagebreak---                                      - 7-
4. The Commission shall adopt the measures envisaged If they are In accordance
   with the opinion of the committee.
5. If the measures envisaged are not In accordance with the opinion of the
   committee, or If no opinion is delivered, the Commission shall, without
   delay, submit to the Council a proposal relating to the measures to be
   taken.  The Council shall act by a qualified majority.
   If, on the expiry of three months from the date of referral to the Council,
   the Council has not acted, the proposed measures shall be adopted by the
   Commission.
                                  Article 10
1. The Commission shall carry out regular on-the-spot checks to ensure that
   the eradication plan is being applied.
   The Commission shall Inform the Member States within the committee of deve-
   lopments regularly, as least once a year, in the light of the Information
   provided by the Italian authorities, who shall submit a progress report to
   the Commission together with the applications for payment and any reports
   from experts who, acting on behalf of the Community and appointed by the
   Commission, have made on-the-spot visits.
2. Should the eradication plan require amendment In the course of Its execu-
   tion, a new decision approving it shall be taken In accordance with the
   procedure laid down In Article 9.
                                  Article 11
This Decision Is addressed to the Italian Republic.
Done at Brussels,
                                          For the CounclI,
 ---pagebreak---   FINANCIAL          STATEMENT           concerning :
  Draft Council Decision introducing a Community financial measure for the eradica-
  tion of African Swine Fever in Sardinia
  1. BUDGET HEADING: III B 381
                     Disease eradication programmes in the Community
  2. LEGAL BASIS: Article 43 of the Treaty
  3. CLASSIFICATION:         compulsory expenditure
 4. PURPOSE/DESCRIPTION OF THE MEASURE:
     Eradication of African Swine Fever in Sardinia by providing financial assistance
     for slaughtering of animals, serological screenings and control measures.
  5.  METHOD OF CALCULATION:
  5.1.Form of expenditure: Reimbursement of part of national expenditure
  5.2.Community contribution: 30 % of control measures
                               SO % of other eligible expenditure
  5.3.Calculâtion: (ECU million)    Eligible expenditure   Rate    Community contribution
                   slaughterings             10,3          50 %             5,15
                   serology                   5,0          50 %             2,5
                   controls                   3.0          30 %             1.0
                   Total                     18,3                           8,65
T     FINANCIAL IMPLICATION AS REGARDS OPERATING APPROPRIATIONS
  6.1.Schedule of             appropriations                             (ECU million)
          Year                                CA.           P.A.
          1990                                                  pm
          1991                                              1,350
          1992                                              2,450
          1993                                              2,850
          1994                                              1,300
          1995                                              0,700
          following years
          Total                                             8.650
  6.2.Financing during current year: nihil
  7. OBSERVATIONS: This proposal is necessary for the completion of the internal market
 ---pagebreak---                                                                      ISSN 0254-1475
                                                              COM(89) 499 final
                                                      DOCUMENTS
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