Commission Decision of 27 July 2001 amending Decisions 92/160/EEC and 97/10/EC with regard to the regionalisation of South Africa and repealing Decision 1999/334/EC on protection measures with regard to registered horses coming from South Africa (notified under document number C(2001) 2367) (Text with EEA relevance) (2001/622/EC)

Commission Decision

of 27 July 2001

amending Decisions 92/160/EEC and 97/10/EC with regard to the regionalisation of South Africa and repealing Decision 1999/334/EC on protection measures with regard to registered horses coming from South Africa

(notified under document number C(2001) 2367)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2001/622/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 90/426/EEC of 26 June 1990 on animal health conditions governing the movement and import from third countries of equidae(1), as last amended by Commission Decision 2001/298/EC(2), and in particular Article 13(2)(a) thereof,

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(3), as last amended by Directive 96/43/EC(4), and in particular Article 18 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Commission Decision 92/160/EEC(5), as last amended by Decision 2000/619/EC(6), establishes the regionalisation of certain third countries for imports of equidae.

(2) The animal health conditions for the importation of registered horses from South Africa were laid down in Commission Decision 97/10/EC(7), which also established the regionalisation of South Africa.

(3) Following the notification of outbreaks of African horse sickness in the Western Cape Province of South Africa in May 1999, the Commission adopted Decision 1999/334/EC of 7 May 1999 laying down protection measures with regard to registered horses coming from South Africa(8).

(4) South Africa has not recorded cases of African horse sickness in the African horse sickness free area of metropolitan Cape Town or the surveillance zone surrounding the free area more than two years.

(5) The competent authorities of South Africa provided the Commission with a comprehensive final report about the outbreak in 1999 and the measures carried out since. The main findings in this report were also presented to the annual meeting of the National African horse sickness reference laboratories in Algete, Spain, in November 2000.

(6) However, the competent authorities of South Africa requested a modification of the regionalisation in line with Community legislation and standards of the Office Internationale des Epizootics (OIE).

(7) In order to allow imports of registered horses from South Africa it is necessary to adjust the regionalisation for imports of equidae by modifying the Annex to Decision 92/160/EEC, to modify the boundaries of the surveillance and protection zones described in the Annex to Decision 97/10/EC, and to repeal Decision 1999/334/EC.

(8) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Veterinary Committee,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

(1)

OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 42.

(2)

OJ L 102, 12.4.2001, p. 63.

(3)

OJ L 268, 24.9.1991, p. 56.

(4)

OJ L 162, 1.7.1996, p. 1.

(5)

OJ L 71, 18.3.1992, p. 24.

(6)

OJ L 215, 9.8.2001, p. 55.

(7)

OJ L 3, 7.1.1997, p. 9.

(8)

OJ L 126, 20.5.1999, p. 19.