Foot-and-mouth disease is one of the most contagious diseases of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. The virus causing the disease has the potential for rapid spread, notably through products obtained from infected animals and contaminated objects including means of transport like livestock vehicles or vessels. The virus can also persist in a contaminated environment outside the host animal for several weeks depending on the temperature. Accordingly, veterinary checks should be carried out on means of transport upon their return to the Union from certain third countries after such transport, in order to reduce the risk of the introduction of the foot-and-mouth disease virus into the Union.

The latest outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in the third countries referred to in Implementing Decision (EU) 2017/675 were notified to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) by Algeria in June 2019 and by Libya in March 2020. However, despite the absence of notified outbreaks in the other third countries referred to in that Implementing Decision, the circulation of the foot-and-mouth disease virus in their territory cannot be excluded, as scheduled serosurveillance has not been completed.

The Member States export a significant number of consignments of live animals to those third countries. Livestock vehicles and vessels used for the transport of these animals may be contaminated with the foot-and-mouth disease virus and therefore constitute a risk for the introduction of that disease upon their return to the Union.

Cleansing and disinfection of livestock vehicles and vessels has been shown to be the most appropriate way to reduce the risk of virus transmission over large distances.

It is therefore necessary to ensure that all livestock vehicles and vessels returning from those third countries to the Union are appropriately cleansed and disinfected. The operator or driver should submit an appropriate documented declaration of such cleansing and disinfection to the competent authority at the point of entry into the Union.

Member States should also have the possibility to subject vehicles which transport feed from or have transported feed to the third countries not free from foot-and-mouth disease, and for which a significant risk of the introduction of the disease into the territory of the Union cannot be excluded, to on-the-spot cleaning and disinfection of the wheels or any other part of the vehicle deemed necessary to mitigate that risk.

Considering the foot-and-mouth disease situation in Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia and the Anatolian part of Turkey, it is appropriate to lay down measures in this Decision to prevent the introduction of the foot-and-mouth disease virus into the Union.

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,