CHAPTER II

CONTROL OF OUTBREAKS OF FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE
SECTION 6

PROTECTION AND SURVEILLANCE ZONES

Establishment of protection and surveillance zones
Article 21
1
Member States shall ensure that, without prejudice to measures provided for in Article 7, at least the measures laid down in paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 below are taken immediately after an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease is confirmed.
2
The competent authority shall establish a protection zone based on a minimum radius of 3 km and a surveillance zone based on a minimum radius of 10 km centred on the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease referred to in paragraph 1. The geographical delimitation of those zones shall take account of administrative boundaries, natural barriers, supervision facilities and technological progress which makes it possible to predict the probable dispersion of the foot-and-mouth disease virus by air or any other means. That delimitation shall be reviewed, if necessary, in the light of such elements.
3
The competent authority shall ensure that the protection and surveillance zones are marked by posting signs of sufficient size on roads entering the zones.
4
In order to ensure full coordination of all measures necessary to eradicate foot-and-mouth disease as quickly as possible, national and local disease control centres as referred to in Articles 74 and 76 shall be established. For the purpose of carrying out the epidemiological inquiry as provided for in Article 13, those centres shall be assisted by an expert group as provided for in Article 78.
5
Member States shall without delay trace animals dispatched from the zones during the period of at least 21 days before the estimated date of earliest infection on a holding in the protection zone and they shall inform the competent authorities in other Member States and the Commission about their results from tracing of animals.
6
Member States shall collaborate in tracing fresh meat, meat products, raw milk and raw milk products derived from animals of susceptible species originating in the protection zone and produced between the date of estimated introduction of the foot-and-mouth disease virus until the date the measures provided for in paragraph 2 come into force. Such fresh meat, meat products, raw milk and raw milk products shall be treated in accordance with Articles 25, 26 and 27 respectively or detained until possible contamination with the foot-and-mouth disease virus is officially ruled out.