Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2017/263Show full title

Article 3 Identification of high risk areas for the introduction of HPAI viruses

Member States shall identify and review the areas of their territory that are at particular risk for the introduction of HPAI viruses into holdings (hereafter referred to as ‘high risk areas’) as well as the time period for which such risk persists, taking into account the following matters:

(a)

the epidemiological situation on their territory or on the territory of nearby Member States or third countries, in particular with respect to:

(i)

the detection of HPAI viruses in wild birds or in faeces collected from them;

(ii)

outbreaks of HPAI in holdings keeping poultry or other captive birds that are most likely related to the detections of HPAI viruses as referred to in (i);

(iii)

past detections of HPAI viruses as referred to in (i) and (ii) and the risk of reoccurrences;

(b)

the risk factors for the introduction of HPAI viruses into holdings, in particular with respect to:

(i)

their location along migratory flyways of birds, in particular where the birds are coming from central and eastern Asia, the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea areas, the Middle East and Africa;

(ii)

the distance between the holding and wet areas, ponds, swamps, lakes or rivers where migratory birds, in particular those of the orders Anseriformes and Charadriiformes, may gather;

(iii)

the location of holdings in areas with a high density of migratory birds, particularly water birds;

(iv)

poultry kept in open-air holdings, where contact between wild birds and poultry cannot be sufficiently prevented;

(c)

additional risk factors for the spread of HPAI viruses within holdings and between such holdings, in particular, where:

(i)

the location of the holding is in areas with a high density of holdings;

(ii)

the intensity of movements of poultry, vehicles and persons within and from holdings and other direct and indirect contacts between holdings is high;

(d)

risk assessments in relation to the relevance of the spread of HPAI viruses by wild birds carried out by the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) and by national and international risk assessment bodies;

(e)

the results of surveillance programmes carried out in accordance with Article 4 of Directive 2005/94/EC.