http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/eudn/2011/277

Commission Implementing Decision

of 10 May 2011

amending Annex II to Decision 93/52/EEC as regards the recognition of certain regions in Italy as officially free of brucellosis (B. melitensis) and amending the Annexes to Decision 2003/467/EC as regards the declaration that certain regions of Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom are officially free of bovine tuberculosis, bovine brucellosis and enzootic bovine leukosis

(notified under document C(2011) 3066)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2011/277/EU)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Directive 64/432/EEC of 26 June 1964 on animal health problems affecting intra-Community trade in bovine animals and swine1, and in particular Annex A(I)(4), Annex A(II)(7) and Annex D(I)(E) thereto,

Having regard to Council Directive 91/68/EEC of 28 January 1991 on animal health conditions governing intra-Community trade in ovine and caprine animals2, and in particular Section II of Chapter 1 of Annex A thereto,

Whereas:

(1)

Directive 91/68/EEC defines the animal health conditions governing trade in the Union in ovine and caprine animals. It lays down the conditions whereby Member States or regions thereof may be recognised as being officially brucellosis-free.

(2)

Commission Decision 93/52/EEC of 21 December 1992 recording the compliance by certain Member States or regions with the requirements relating to brucellosis (B. melitensis) and according them the status of a Member State or region officially free of the disease3 lists, in Annex II thereto, the regions of the Member States which are recognised as officially free of brucellosis (B. melitensis) in accordance with Directive 91/68/EEC.

(3)

Italy has submitted to the Commission documentation demonstrating for the regions of Emilia-Romagna and Valle d’Aosta compliance with the conditions laid down in Directive 91/68/EEC in order for those regions in Italy to be recognised as officially free of brucellosis (B. melitensis).

(4)

Following evaluation of the documentation submitted by Italy, the regions of Emilia-Romagna and Valle d’Aosta should be recognised as being officially free of that disease. The entry for Italy in Annex II to Decision 93/52/EEC should therefore be amended accordingly.

(5)

Directive 64/432/EEC applies to trade within the Union in bovine animals and swine. It lays down the conditions whereby a Member State or region of a Member State may be declared officially tuberculosis-free, brucellosis-free and enzootic-bovine-leukosis-free as regards bovine herds.

(6)

Even though the Isle of Man, as an internally self-governing dependency of the British Crown, is not part of the Union, it has a special, limited relationship with the Union. As a result, Regulation (EEC) No 706/73 of the Council of 12 March 1973 concerning the Community arrangements applicable to the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man for trade in agricultural products4 provides that for the purpose of applying rules concerning, amongst others, animal health legislation, the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man are to be treated as a single Member State.

(7)

The Annexes to Commission Decision 2003/467/EC of 23 June 2003 establishing the official tuberculosis, brucellosis and enzootic-bovine-leukosis-free status of certain Member States and regions of Member States as regards bovine herds5 list the Member States and regions thereof which are declared respectively officially tuberculosis-free, officially brucellosis-free and officially enzootic-bovine-leukosis-free.

(8)

Italy has submitted to the Commission documentation demonstrating compliance with the conditions for the officially tuberculosis-free status laid down in Directive 64/432/EEC for the provinces of Rieti and Viterbo in the region of Lazio.

(9)

Following evaluation of the documentation submitted by Italy, the provinces of Rieti and Viterbo in the region of Lazio should be declared as officially tuberculosis-free regions of Italy.

(10)

Italy and the United Kingdom has also submitted to the Commission documentation demonstrating compliance with the conditions for the officially brucellosis-free status laid down in Directive 64/432/EEC for the provinces of Frosinone, Latina and Viterbo in the region of Lazio in Italy and the Isle of Man in the United Kingdom.

(11)

Following evaluation of the documentation submitted by Italy and the United Kingdom, the provinces of Frosinone, Latina and Viterbo in the region of Lazio in Italy and the Isle of Man in the United Kingdom should be declared as officially brucellosis-free regions of Italy and the United Kingdom respectively.

(12)

Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom respectively have submitted to the Commission documentation demonstrating compliance with the appropriate conditions provided for in Directive 64/432/EEC as regards the province of Viterbo in the region of Lazio in Italy, 44 administrative regions (powiaty) within the superior administrative units (voivodships) of Lubuskie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Mazowieckie, Podlaskie, Warmińsko-Mazurskie and Wielkopolskie in Poland and the Isle of Man in the United Kingdom so that those regions may be considered officially enzootic-bovine-leukosis-free regions of Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom.

(13)

Following evaluation of the documentation submitted by Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom, the regions concerned should be declared as officially enzootic-bovine-leukosis-free regions of Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom respectively.

(14)

The Annexes to Decision 2003/467/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

(15)

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: