THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Directive 90/425/EEC of 26 June 1990 concerning veterinary and zootechnical checks applicable in intra-Community trade in certain live animals and products with a view to the completion of the internal market, and in particular Article 10(4) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Outbreaks of swine vesicular disease have been recorded in certain regions of Italy.
(2)
Italy has taken measures to deal with outbreaks under Council Directive 92/119/EEC of 17 December 1992 introducing general Community measures for the control of certain animal diseases and specific measures relating to swine vesicular disease.
(3)
Italy has also taken additional eradication and monitoring measures for swine vesicular disease covering the whole of Italy. These measures are laid down in yearly programmes for the eradication and monitoring of swine vesicular disease presented by Italy and approved in accordance with Article 24(6) and Articles 29 and 32 of Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June 1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field.
(4)
Commission Decision 2004/840/EC of 30 November 2004 approving programmes for the eradication and monitoring of certain animal diseases and of checks aimed at the prevention of zoonoses presented by the Member States for the year 2005 and fixing the level of the Community’s financial contribution approved the programme for the eradication and monitoring of swine vesicular disease presented by Italy for 2005.
(5)
The measures laid down in the yearly programmes for the eradication and monitoring of swine vesicular disease seek to recognise pig holdings as free of swine vesicular disease and to ensure that all regions of Italy achieve that status. The programmes also include rules on movement of and trade in live pigs from regions and holdings not of the same status as regards swine vesicular disease.
(6)
Most regions of Italy with the exception of Abruzzi, Campania, Calabria and Sicily have been recognised as free from swine vesicular disease following the favourable results of repeated sampling and testing of pigs on all holdings under the yearly eradication and monitoring programmes.
(7)
However, given the nature of the disease and its persistence in certain regions of Italy, surveillance to detect swine vesicular disease at an early stage should be maintained in regions recognised as free from swine vesicular disease.
(8)
The disease situation in regions that are not recognised as free from swine vesicular disease is also liable to endanger pig holdings in other regions of Italy through trade in live pigs. Pigs should therefore not be moved from regions not recognised as free from swine vesicular disease to other regions of Italy unless they originate from holdings that fulfil certain conditions.
(9)
Pigs in regions not recognised as free from swine vesicular disease should not be dispatched to other Member States. Pigs in regions recognised as free from swine vesicular disease should only be dispatched from holdings recognised as free from that disease.
(10)
The rules laid down in this Decision should apply without prejudice to those laid down in Council Directive 92/119/EEC. It is appropriate to lay down a definition for ‘assembly centre for pigs’ different to the one laid down in Council Directive 64/432/EEC of 26 June 1964 on animal health problems affecting intra-Community trade in bovine animals and swine.
(11)
For the sake of transparency, rules should be laid down at Community level on the status of pig holdings and regions as regards swine vesicular disease and on movements of and intra-Community trade in live pigs from holdings and regions of a different disease status.
(12)
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: