2009/125/EC: Commission Decision of 12 February 2009 concerning a financial contribution by the Community towards controlling sheep and goat plague in Morocco

13.2.2009 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 42/20
COMMISSION DECISION
of 12 February 2009
concerning a financial contribution by the Community towards controlling sheep and goat plague in Morocco
(2009/125/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June 1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field (1), and in particular Article 8 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Pursuant to Decision 90/424/EEC, the Community may give its support to control measures against a disease by a third country, if the occurrence or the development of such a disease in the third country concerned may constitute a danger to the Community.
(2) Sheep and goat plague (known also by the French name Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR)) is a highly infectious and contagious disease of small ruminants very similar to Cattle Plague (Rinderpest). In the last decade this disease has shown a very clear tendency to spread, both in Africa and Asia.
(3) Morocco has informed the Commission that sheep and goat plague has been detected on its territory and has spread in a very short time extensively. The strain of the virus detected recently in Morocco is of a type that was not found hitherto in Africa.
(4) Sheep and goat plague can be controlled through vaccination, and a vaccine is available that will protect against all serotypes and which gives a long lasting protection against the disease.
(5) The authorities in Morocco have prepared a vaccination strategy. They have sent the strategy to the Commission and have asked for Community financial support.
(6) The spread to the Community of sheep and goat plague cannot always be prevented by the measures put in place at the Community borders, while an outbreak of such a disease in the Community would have very serious consequences and therefore needs to be averted. For this reason it is appropriate to support Morocco in its efforts to control the disease, to prevent it becoming endemic in this country, and to make vaccines available to Morocco for the vaccination campaign against Sheep and goat plague. The maximum amount of that contribution should be specified.
(7) Because of the urgency of the situation, the measures provided for in this Decision should preferably be completed by 31 May 2009 at the latest.
(8) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,