1.8.2008   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 205/51

(1)

Commission Decision 2006/805/EC of 24 November 2006 concerning animal health control measures relating to classical swine fever in certain Member States (3) was adopted in response to outbreaks of classical swine fever in certain Member States. That Decision lays down certain disease control measures concerning classical swine fever in those Member States.

(2)

Decision 2006/805/EC applies until 31 July 2008. In the light of the disease situation of classical swine fever in certain areas of Bulgaria, Germany, France, Hungary and Slovakia, it is appropriate to extend the period of application of that Decision until 31 July 2009.

(3)

Bulgaria has informed the Commission about the recent evolution of classical swine fever in feral pigs and pigs on holdings in its territory. According to that information, the disease situation in that Member State has significantly improved as regards feral pigs. In addition, classical swine fever is no longer suspected to be endemic in pigs on holdings. Bulgaria has also informed the Commission that additional measures have been taken to exclude the presence of classical swine fever virus infection in pigs on commercial farms which are dispatched for slaughter. The prohibition on the dispatch of fresh pork meat, pork meat preparations and pork meat products from Bulgaria to other Member States, provided for in Decision 2006/805/EC should therefore no longer apply.

(4)

Even though the disease situation in feral pigs in Bulgaria has improved, there is still a continuing risk of outbreaks of classical swine fever in that Member State. Therefore the prohibition on the dispatch of live pigs to other Member States should continue to apply as regards the whole territory of Bulgaria. That whole territory should accordingly be included in Part II of the Annex to Decision 2006/805/EC.

(5)

Hungary and Slovakia have also informed the Commission about the recent evolution of classical swine fever in feral pigs in their territories. In the light of the epidemiological information available, the areas in those Member States where control measures relating to classical swine fever apply need to be extended to include also certain areas of the counties of Heves and Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén in Hungary and the whole districts of Rimaská Sobota, Nové Zámky, Levice and Komárno in Slovakia. Decision 2006/805/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

(6)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

1.

in Article 14, ‘31 July 2008’ is replaced by ‘31 July 2009’;

2.

Parts II and III of the Annex are replaced by the text in the Annex to this Decision.