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PART 6Area controls following confirmation of disease in domestic pigs

Protection and surveillance zones

23.—(1) This regulation applies where the existence of disease has been confirmed on premises.

(2) Where the premises comprise—

(a)a slaughterhouse,

(b)a veterinary surgery where a pig has been brought for examination, or

(c)any other place to which a pig has been brought temporarily and the appropriate authority does not consider that place to be the centre of infection,

the appropriate authority may declare a protection zone and a surveillance zone around the premises.

(3) In any other case the appropriate authority must declare a protection zone and a surveillance zone around the premises.

(4) The zones must be centred on the part of the premises that the appropriate authority considers most appropriate for disease control and—

(a)a protection zone must have a radius of at least 3 kilometres;

(b)a surveillance zone around the outside of the protection zone must, subject to paragraph (5), have a radius of at least 10 kilometres.

(5) The appropriate authority may reduce the size of a surveillance zone if approval to do so is obtained from the European Commission.

(6) The appropriate authority must ensure that within those zones, as far as is reasonably practicable—

(a)premises that contain pigs are identified; and

(b)veterinary inspectors visit such identified premises to—

(i)inspect, and as necessary examine, the pigs on the premises; and

(ii)collect and have tested such samples as the Chief Veterinary Officer considers necessary.

(7) The measures in Part 1 of Schedule 3 apply in a protection zone.

(8) The measures in Part 2 of Schedule 3 apply in a surveillance zone.

(9) The measures in Schedule 4 apply in a protection and surveillance zone.

(10) The appropriate authority may in a declaration apply any other measure that it deems to be necessary in order to reduce the spread of disease in respect of the whole or any part of any protection zone or surveillance zone.

Declarations of zones

24.—(1) The declaration of a zone under these Regulations—

(a)must be in writing;

(b)must define the extent of the zone being declared;

(c)must specify the disease to which it relates; and

(d)may be amended or revoked by further declaration at any time.

(2) A person who keeps a pig within the zone to which the declaration relates must comply with any applicable measure that is specified in the declaration.

(3) Where a zone crosses a country border, the zone may be jointly declared by more than one appropriate authority.

Removal of protection and surveillance zones

25.—(1) The appropriate authority must keep in place a surveillance zone for at least the following periods—

(a)in the case of African swine fever, 40 days (but if an intensive testing programme has been carried out then 20 days),

(b)in the case of classical swine fever, 20 days, or

(c)in the case of swine vesicular disease, 28 days,

after pigs from infected premises have been killed and until such cleansing and disinfection as the Chief Veterinary Officer considers sufficient has been carried out on those premises.

(2) The appropriate authority must keep in place a protection zone for at least the following periods—

(a)in the case of African swine fever, 45 days (but if an intensive testing programme has been carried out then 30 days),

(b)in the case of classical swine fever, 30 days, or

(c)in the case of swine vesicular disease, 28 days,

after pigs from infected premises have been killed and until such cleansing and disinfection as the Chief Veterinary Officer considers sufficient has been carried out on those premises.

(3) In this regulation “intensive testing programme” means testing for African swine fever in accordance with sections F and G of Chapter IV of the Diagnostic Manual(1).

Premises straddling a protection or a surveillance zone

26.—(1) Premises which are partly inside a protection zone and partly inside a surveillance zone must be deemed to be wholly inside the protection zone.

(2) Premises which are partly inside and partly outside the outer boundary of a surveillance zone must be deemed to be wholly inside that zone.

Publicity of declared zones

27.—(1) The appropriate authority must publicise—

(a)the extent of any zone declared under these Regulations (including any emergency vaccination zone or feral pig control zone);

(b)the date of the commencement of the application of the zone;

(c)the nature of the measures relating to that zone;

(d)any amendment to the extent of a zone or measures applicable in the zone; and

(e)the date from which the zone no longer applies.

(2) The local authority may where practicable erect signs or posters indicating the existence of any zone declared under these Regulations.

(1)

Commission Decision 2003/422/EC, approving an African swine fever Diagnostic Manual (OJ No L 143, 11.6.2003, p.5).