Directive 77/391/EEC shall take effect on 1 January 1978.

Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary for implementation of national plans for accelerated eradication adopted in accordance with Article 9 (2) of Directive 77/391/EEC, on the date laid down by the Commission in its Decision approving the plans, and for plans approved during 1978, not later than 31 December 1978.

The three-year period of execution provided for in Article 6 (1) of Directive 77/391/EEC shall run, for each Member State, from the date laid down by the Commission pursuant to paragraph 2. However, Community finance shall in all cases be restricted to slaughterings carried out before 1 January 1982.

The Council, acting unanimously on a proposal from the Commission, may, where implementation of the plan on the date laid down would meet with considerable difficulties in some Member States, postpone for such States the dates specified in paragraphs 2 and 3 by not more than one year.