2006/564/EC: Commission Decision of 11 August 2006 amending Decision 2003/766/EC on emergency measures to prevent the spread within the Community of Diabrotica virgifera Le Conte (notified under document number C(2006) 3582)

17.8.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 225/28
COMMISSION DECISION
of 11 August 2006
amending Decision 2003/766/EC on emergency measures to prevent the spread within the Community of Diabrotica virgifera Le Conte
(notified under document number C(2006) 3582)
(2006/564/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Directive 2000/29/EC of 8 May 2000 on protective measures against the introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the Community (1), and in particular the fourth sentence of Article 16(3) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Commission Decision 2003/766/EC (2) requires Member States to take emergency measures against the dissemination of Diabrotica virgifera Le Conte (hereinafter referred to as the organism) as regards areas, other than those in which it is known to occur.
(2) On the basis of assessments by the Food and Veterinary Office in 2003, 2004 and 2005 in Member States and additional information from official surveys carried out in 2004 and 2005 by Member States, it would appear that the organism is established in some areas within the Community. However, a major part of Community territory remains free from the organism.
(3) The implementation of the emergency measures laid down in Decision 2003/766/EC was evaluated by the Standing Committee on Plant Health on several occasions during 2005. It was concluded that the emergency measures for eradication of the organism in areas where the organism was previously not known to occur should be supplemented by containment measures in all other areas.
(4) Decision 2003/766/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.
(5) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plant Health,