THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Directive 64/432/EEC of 26 June 1964 on animal health problems affecting intra-Community trade in bovine animals and swine(1), and in particular Article 9(2) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Directive 64/432/EEC lays down rules applicable to intra-Community trade in bovine animals and swine. Article 9 of that Directive provides criteria for approving compulsory national control programmes for certain contagious diseases, including Aujeszky’s disease.
(2) Commission Decision 2008/185/EC of 21 February 2008 on additional guarantees in intra-Community trade of pigs relating to Aujeszky’s disease and criteria to provide information on this disease(2) lays down the additional guarantees for movements of pigs between Member States. Those guarantees are linked to the classification of Member States according to their disease status.
(3) Annex II to Decision 2008/185/EC lists Member States or regions thereof where approved control programmes for Aujeszky’s disease are in place.
(4) United Kingdom has submitted supporting documentation to the Commission as regards the Aujeszky’s disease status in Northern Ireland. A national control programme for Aujeszky’s disease has been implemented for several years.
(5) The Commission has examined the documentation submitted by the Member State and has found that the national control programme in Northern Ireland complies with the criteria laid down in Article 9(1) of Directive 64/432/EEC. Accordingly, Northern Ireland should be included in the list set out in Annex II to Decision 2008/185/EC.
(6) Decision 2008/185/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.
(7) 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: