CHAPTER IGeneral provisions

Article 3

Member States shall ensure that, in all cases, the acceleration provided for in Directive 77/391/EEC involves a significant shortening of the period of time necessary for successfully completing eradication plans as compared with the time taken by programmes currently in progress.

The measures to be taken to achieve this end shall be the following:

  1. 1.

    The proportion of the national cattle population which is the subject of eradication and preventive measures must be so increased that most or all such cattle may be placed or kept under monitoring controls as soon as possible.

  2. 2.

    Compensation for animals slaughtered on the instructions of the official veterinarian must be so adjusted that breeders are appropriately compensated.

  3. 3.

    The number of laboratory staff must be increased and there must be an improvement in the conditions for carrying out diagnoses in the laboratory — in so far as such steps still remain to be taken — so as to attain a level that is sufficient to make possible the measures defined in point 1.

  4. 4.

    Measures introduced to combat enzootic diseases must be systematically applied.

To guarantee that acceleration is fully effective, the Member States shall ensure that all the measures outlined in points 1 to 4 are applied.

Article 4

1.

For the purpose of officially monitoring the movement of the animals, Member States shall ensure that cattle are registered and identified in a permanent manner.

2.

Member States shall, for each of the diseases for which an eradication plan exists, draw up and keep up to date an official record of bovine herds covered by such a plan classified according to their health status.