THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Directive 2000/75/EC of 20 November 2000 laying down specific provisions for the control and eradication of bluetongue(1), and in particular Article 8(2)(d), Article 8(3) and the third paragraph of Article 19 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Directive 2000/75/EC lays down control rules and measures to combat bluetongue in the Community, including the establishment of protection and surveillance zones and a ban on animals leaving those zones.
(2) Commission Decision 2005/393/EC of 23 May 2005 on protection and surveillance zones in relation to bluetongue and conditions applying to movements from or through these zones(2) provides for the demarcation of the global geographic areas where protection and surveillance zones (the restricted zones) are to be established by the Member States in relation to bluetongue.
(3) Spain has informed the Commission that virus circulation has been detected in a number of peripheral areas of the restricted zone.
(4) As a consequence the restricted zone should be extended taking account of the data available on the ecology of the vector and the evolution of its seasonal activity.
(5) Decision 2005/393/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.
(6) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
OJ L 130, 24.5.2005, p. 22. Decision as last amended by Decision 2005/603/EC (OJ L 206, 9.8.2005, p. 11).