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 swine(1), and in particular paragraph 4 of Annex A.I and paragraph 7 of Annex A.II thereto,
Whereas:
(1) Directive 64/432/EEC applies to trade within the Union in bovine animals. It lays down the conditions whereby a Member State may be declared officially tuberculosis-free or officially brucellosis-free as regards bovine herds.
(2) Commission Decision 2003/467/EC(2) provides that the Member States listed in Chapter 1 of Annex I and in Chapter 1 of Annex II thereto are declared officially free of tuberculosis and officially free of brucellosis, respectively, as regards bovine herds.
(3) Malta has submitted to the Commission documentation demonstrating compliance for the entire territory of that Member State with the conditions laid down in Directive 64/432/EEC for officially tuberculosis-free and officially brucellosis-free status as regards bovine herds. Accordingly, Malta should be listed in Annexes I and II to Decision 2003/467/EC as an officially tuberculosis-free and officially brucellosis-free Member State as regards bovine herds.
(4) Annexes I and II to Decision 2003/467/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.
(5) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
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 herds (OJ L 156, 25.6.2003, p. 74).