CHAPTER 1U.K.SUBJECT MATTER AND DEFINITIONS

Article 1U.K.Subject matter

This Regulation lays down rules for the control, monitoring, surveillance and restrictions on movements of animals with the meaning of Article 2(c) of Directive 2000/75/EC, in relation to bluetongue, in and from the restricted zones.

[F1References in this Regulation to Directive 2000/75/EC are to be read as if within that Directive—

(a)each function of the competent authority were a function of the appropriate Minister for the relevant constituent parts of Great Britain;

(b)each function of a Member State were a function of the appropriate Minister;

(c)functions of or involving the Commission were omitted;

(d)references to the Community were to be references to Great Britain;

(e)the last sentence of Article 7(2) were omitted;

(f)Articles 15(3), 16, 17 and Articles 19 to 23, and Annex 2 were omitted.]

Textual Amendments

Article 2U.K.Definitions

For the purposes of this Regulation, the definitions in Article 2 of Directive 2000/75/EC shall apply.

In addition, the following definitions shall apply:

(a)‘case of bluetongue’ means an animal that meets one of the following requirements:

(i)it presents clinical signs consistent with the presence of bluetongue;

(ii)it is a sentinel animal that had showed negative serological results in a previous test and has seroconverted from negative to positive for antibodies to at least one bluetongue serotype since that test;

(iii)it is an animal from which the bluetongue virus has been isolated and identified as such;

(iv)it is an animal which has tested positive to bluetongue serological tests or from which viral antigen or viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) specific to one or more of the bluetongue serotypes has been identified.

In addition, a set of epidemiological data must indicate that the clinical signs or results of laboratory tests suggesting bluetongue infection are the consequence of virus circulation in the holding in which the animal is kept and not the result of the introduction of vaccinated or seropositive animals from restricted zones;

[F2(b)‘outbreak of bluetongue’ means the holding or place where animals are assembled and where one or more cases has or have been officially confirmed and Culicoides are believed to be actively transmitting the bluetongue virus;]

[F3(c)‘primary outbreak of bluetongue’ means an outbreak of bluetongue—

(i)that is not epidemiologically linked with a previous outbreak in Great Britain; or

(ii)that implies the demarcation of a restricted zone or a change in an existing restricted zone where an outbreak of bluetongue may not have been confirmed;]

(d)‘restricted zone’ means a zone consisting of both protection and surveillance zones established pursuant to Article 8(1) of Directive 2000/75/EC;

(e)‘bluetongue seasonally-free zone’ means an epidemiological relevant geographical area of [F4Great Britain] for which, for a part of the year, surveillance demonstrates no evidence of bluetongue virus transmission or of adult Culicoides likely to be competent bluetongue vectors;

(f)‘transit’ means the movement of animals:

(i)from or through a restricted zone;

(ii)from a restricted zone through a non-restricted zone back to the same restricted zone; or

(iii)from a restricted zone through a non-restricted zone to another restricted zone;

[F5(g)“the competent authority” means the appropriate Minister for the relevant constituent part of Great Britain;

(h)“the appropriate Minister” means—

(i)in relation to England, the Secretary of State;

(ii)in relation to Scotland, the Scottish Ministers;

(iii)in relation to Wales, the Welsh Ministers;

(i)‘exit point’ means any place situated in close proximity to the external frontier of a member State offering customs supervision facilities;

(j)‘third country’ means any country other than the United Kingdom or a Member State.]

Textual Amendments