2004/364/EC: Commission Decision of 6 April 2004 concerning protection measures in relation to highly pathogenic avian influenza in Canada (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2004) 1311)

Commission Decision
of 6 April 2004
concerning protection measures in relation to highly pathogenic avian influenza in Canada
(notified under document number C(2004) 1311)
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2004/364/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
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 countries and amending Directives 89/662/EEC, 90/425/EEC and 90/675/EEC(1), and in particular Article 18(6) and (7) thereof,
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 (6) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Avian influenza is a highly contagious viral disease in poultry and birds, which can quickly take epizootic proportions liable to present a serious threat to animal and public health and to reduce sharply the profitability of poultry farming.
(2) There is a risk that the disease agent might be introduced via international trade in live poultry and poultry products.
(3) On 9 March 2004 Canada confirmed a first outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a poultry flock in the province of British Columbia (Fraser Valley).
(4) The detected avian influenza virus strain is of subtype H7N3 and therefore different from the strain currently causing the epidemic in Asia. Current knowledge suggests that the risk for public health in relation to this subtype is inferior to the risk of the strain circulating in Asia, which is an H5N1 virus subtype.
(5) However, in view of the animal health risk of disease introduction into the Community, imports of live poultry, ratites, farmed and wild feathered game birds and hatching eggs of these species and of fresh meat of poultry, ratites, wild and farmed feathered game, meat preparations and meat products consisting of, or containing meat of those species, obtained from birds slaughtered after 17 February 2004, and imports of eggs for human consumption, have been suspended from Canada as of 11 March 2004 pursuant to Commission Decision 2004/242/EC(3).
(6) Commission Decision 94/984/EC of 20 December 1994 laying down animal health conditions and veterinary certificates for the importation of fresh poultrymeat from certain third countries(4), Commission Decision 96/482/EC of 12 July 1996 laying down animal health conditions and veterinary certificates for the importation of poultry and hatching eggs other than ratites and eggs thereof from third countries including animal health measures to be applied after such importation(5), Commission Decision 2000/585/EC drawing up a list from which Member States authorise imports of rabbit meat and certain wild and farmed game meat and laying down the animal and public health and the veterinary certification conditions for such imports(6), Commission Decision 2000/609/EC of 29 September 2000 laying down animal and public health conditions and veterinary certification for imports of farmed ratite meat(7) and Commission Decision 2001/751/EC of 16 October 2001 laying down animal health conditions and veterinary certification for imports of live ratites and hatching eggs thereof from third countries including animal health measures to be applied after such importation, amending Commission Decision 95/233/EC drawing up a list of third countries from which the Member States authorise imports of live poultry and hatching eggs and amending Commission Decision 96/659/EC on protective measures in relation to Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever(8), respectively, require that the veterinary authorities of Canada, before dispatching live poultry and hatching eggs, live ratites and hatching eggs and fresh meat of poultry, ratites, farmed and wild feathered game certify that Canada is free from avian influenza. The veterinary authorities of Canada had therefore to suspend all certification following that outbreak.
(7) The certificates for meat products and meat preparations consisting of or containing poultrymeat are laid down in Commission Decision 97/221/EC of 28 February 1997 laying down the animal health conditions and model veterinary certificates in respect of imports of meat products from third countries and revoking Decision 91/449/EEC(9) and Commission Decision 2000/572/EC of 8 September 2000 laying down the animal and public health and veterinary certification for imports of meat preparations into the Community from third countries and repealing Decision 97/29/EC(10) and make reference to the animal health requirements set out in Decision 94/984/EC for fresh poultrymeat.
(8) Commission Decision 97/222/EC of 28 February 1997 laying down the list of third countries from which Member States may authorise the importation of meat products(11) establishes treatment regimes in order to prevent the risk of disease transmission via such products. The treatment that must be applied to the product depends on the health status of the country of origin, in relation to the species the meat is obtained from; in order to avoid an unnecessary burden on trade, imports of poultrymeat products originating in Canada treated to a temperature of at least 70 °Celsius throughout the product should continue to be authorised.
(9) Sanitary control measures applicable to raw material for the manufacture of animal feedingstuffs and pharmaceutical or technical products allow the exclusion from the scope of this Decision of channelled imports of such products.
(10) Canada has signed an Agreement with the European Community on sanitary measures to protect public and animal health in trade in live animals and animal products(12).
(11) Canada has communicated additional information on the epidemiological situation and the control measures taken to confine the disease, with a view to obtaining the implementation by the Community of regionalisation measures in accordance with the provisions in the Veterinary Agreement; in the light of this information, Community measures can be reduced to an area within the province of British Columbia only.
(12) Decision 2004/242/EC should be repealed.
(13) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,