CHAPTER IV

HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA (HPAI)
SECTION 4

Measures to be applied in the surveillance zones

Measures to be applied in the surveillance zones
Article 30
The competent authority shall ensure that the following measures are applied in surveillance zones:
1. a census of all commercial poultry holdings is made as soon as possible;
2. the movement of poultry, ready-to-lay poultry, day-old chicks, eggs within the surveillance zone is prohibited unless authorisation is granted by the competent authority, which ensures that appropriate biosecurity measures are applied to prevent the spread of avian influenza; this prohibition shall not apply to transit thorough the surveillance zone on road or rail without unloading or stopping;
3. the movement of poultry, ready-to-lay poultry, day-old chicks and eggs to holdings, slaughterhouses, packing centres or an establishment for the manufacture of egg products located outside the surveillance zone is prohibited; however, the competent authority may authorise the direct transport of:
  1. poultry for slaughter to a designated slaughterhouse, for the purpose of immediate slaughter subject to Article 23(1), points (a), (b) and (d);
The competent authority may authorise the direct transport of poultry from outside the protection and surveillance zones for immediate slaughter to a designated slaughterhouse within the surveillance zone and the subsequent movement of the meat derived from such poultry;
  2. ready-to-lay poultry to a holding in which there is no other poultry in the same Member State; that holding shall be placed under official surveillance following the arrival of the ready-to-lay poultry and the ready-to-lay poultry shall remain on the holding of destination for at least 21 days;
  3. day-old chicks:
    - to a holding or shed of such holding in the same Member State provided that appropriate biosecurity measures are applied and the holding is placed under official surveillance following the transport and day-old chicks shall remain on the holding of destination for at least 21 days, or
    - if hatched from hatching eggs originating from poultry holdings located outside the protection and surveillance zones, to any other holding, provided that the hatchery of dispatch can ensure by its logistics and biosecurity working conditions that no contact has occurred between these eggs and any other hatching eggs or day-old-chicks originating from poultry flocks within those zones and which are therefore of a different health status;
  4. hatching eggs to a designated hatchery located inside or outside the surveillance zone; the eggs and their packaging shall be disinfected before dispatch and the tracing back of these eggs must be ensured;
  5. table eggs to a designated packing centre, provided that they are packed in disposable packaging and that all biosecurity measures required by the competent authority are applied;
  6. eggs to an establishment for the manufacture of egg products as set out in Chapter II of Section X of Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 to be handled and treated in accordance with Chapter XI of Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 located inside or outside the surveillance zone;
  7. eggs for disposal;
4. any person entering or leaving holdings in the surveillance zone observes appropriate biosecurity measures aimed at preventing the spread of avian influenza;
5. vehicles and equipment used for transporting live poultry or other captive birds, carcases, feed, manure, slurry and bedding and any other material or substances likely to be contaminated, are cleansed and disinfected without delay after contamination by one or more of the procedures provided for in Article 48;
6. no poultry, other captive birds or mammals of domestic species may enter or leave a holding where poultry is kept without authorisation of the competent authority. This restriction shall not apply to mammals which have access only to the living areas for humans in which they:
  1. have no contact with resident poultry or other captive birds, and
  2. have no access to any cages or areas where such resident poultry or other captive birds are kept;
7. any increased morbidity or mortality or significant drop in production data in holdings is immediately reported to the competent authority, which shall carry out appropriate investigations in accordance with the diagnostic manual;
8. the removal or spreading of used litter, manure or slurry is prohibited unless authorised by the competent authority; the movement of manure may be authorised from a holding situated in the surveillance zone under biosecurity measures to a designated plant for treatment or for intermediate storage for subsequent treatment to destroy the possible presence of avian influenza viruses, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002 or with specific rules which may be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 64(2);
9. fairs, markets, shows or other gatherings of poultry or other captive birds are prohibited;
10. poultry for restocking of game are not released.