16.12.2008   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 337/94

(1)

Pursuant to Article 16(1) of Directive 2006/88/EC aquaculture animals of species susceptible to diseases listed in Part II of Annex IV to that Directive which are to be introduced for farming or restocking into a Member State, zone or compartment declared free of a specific disease must originate from a Member State, zone or compartment also declared free of that disease. Pursuant to Article 44(4) of that Directive, the same is to apply to areas subject to a surveillance or eradication programme with regard to a specific disease.

(2)

Pursuant to Article 17(1) of Directive 2006/88/EC vector species to diseases listed in Part II of Annex IV to that Directive which are to be introduced for farming or restocking purposes into a Member State, zone or compartment declared free of a specific disease must either originate from another Member State, zone or compartment declared free of that disease or be held in quarantine in water free of the pathogen in question, for an appropriate period of time, where, in the light of the scientific data or practical experience provided, this proves to be sufficient to reduce the risk of transmission of the specific disease to a level acceptable for preventing the transmission of the disease concerned. Pursuant to Article 44(4) of Directive 2006/88/EC, the same is to apply to areas subject to a surveillance or eradication programme with regard to a specific disease.

(3)

A list of possible vector species to the diseases listed in Part II of Annex IV to Directive 2006/88/EC, including the conditions under which those species are to be regarded as vectors for the purpose of Article 17 of that Directive, is set out in Annex I to Commission Regulation (EC) No 1251/2008 of 12 December 2008 implementing Directive 2006/88/EC as regards conditions and certification requirements for the placing on the market and the import into the Community of aquaculture animals and products thereof and laying down a list of vector species (3).

(4)

Article 20(1) of Directive 2006/88/EC provides, by way of derogation from Article 16 of that Directive, that the release of wild aquatic animals of species susceptible to diseases listed in Part II of Annex IV to that Directive, caught in a Member State, zone or compartment not declared free of a specific disease, in a Member State, zone or compartment declared free of that disease is subject to the placing of the wild aquatic animals in quarantine under the supervision of the competent authority in suitable facilities, for a period of time sufficient to reduce to an acceptable level the risk of transmission of the disease. Pursuant to Article 44(4) of Directive 2006/88/EC, the same is to apply to areas subject to a surveillance or eradication programme with regard to a specific disease.

(5)

Pursuant to Articles 10 and 11 of Regulation (EC) No 1251/2008 animals of vector species and wild aquatic animals intended for farming, relaying areas, put and take fisheries and open ornamental facilities, and ornamental aquatic animals of susceptible species intended for closed ornamental facilities may be imported into a Member State, zone or compartment declared free of a specific disease or into areas subject to a surveillance or eradication programme with regard to a specific disease without having to originate from disease free areas if they have been subject to quarantine, as provided for in Directive 2006/88/EC, for an appropriate period of time. According to Article 10(1) first indent of Directive 91/496/EEC, the quarantine may be carried out in a third country.

(6)

To ensure that the quarantine is carried out in a manner that reduces the risk of transmission of diseases listed in Part II of Annex IV to Directive 2006/88/EC to an acceptable level, detailed rules on quarantine should be laid down.

(7)

Quarantine facilities in the Community are covered by the definition of ‘aquaculture production businesses’ in Article 3(1)(c) of Directive 2006/88/EC. In the interest of the animal health situation within the Community, quarantine facilities in third countries should comply with equivalent requirements as those laid down for aquaculture production businesses in Directive 2006/88/EC.

(8)

When quarantine is carried out in the Community it is of vital importance that the transport of the consignments of aquaculture animals to the quarantine facility is monitored to ensure that the animals to be quarantined are transported directly to the quarantine facility in a safe manner.

(9)

Quarantine facilities should be constructed and managed in a manner that prevents the spread of diseases between quarantine units and between the quarantine facilities and other aquaculture production businesses.

(10)

Certain activities relating to quarantine in the Community fall within the definition of ‘official controls’ in Article 2(1) of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules (4). Costs relating to quarantine in the Community should therefore be covered by Article 27 of that Regulation, which provides that Member States may collect fees or charges to cover the cost occasioned by official controls.

(11)

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

(a)

Articles 17 and 20 of Directive 2006/88/EC; and

(b)

Chapter IV of Regulation (EC) No 1251/2008 and the model certificates set out in Annex IV to that Regulation.

1.

‘quarantine facility’ means a facility:

2.

‘quarantine unit’ means an operationally and physically separated unit of a quarantine facility, which only contains aquaculture animals of the same consignment, with the same health status, and, when appropriate, sentinel aquaculture animals;

3.

‘sentinel aquaculture animals’ means aquaculture animals which are to be used as a diagnostic aid during quarantine;

4.

‘listed diseases’ means the diseases listed in Part II of Annex IV to Directive 2006/88/EC;

5.

‘approved qualified aquatic animal health professional’ means a qualified aquatic animal health professional designated by the competent authority to carry out specific official controls on quarantine facilities on its behalf.

(a)

visit the premises of the quarantine facility at least once a year;

(b)

ensure that the quarantine facility meets the conditions set out in this Decision;

(c)

audit the activity of the approved qualified aquatic animal health professional; and

(d)

verify that the conditions under which the authorisation was granted remain fulfilled.

(a)

in the case of susceptible species, Articles 13, 14 and 15;

(b)

in the case of vector species, Articles 16 and 17.

(a)

provisions which are at least equivalent to the authorisation conditions laid down in Article 5 of Directive 2006/88/EC;

(b)

the minimum conditions for quarantine facilities set out in Annex I to this Decision.

(a)

immediately suspend the authorisation of that facility;

(b)

ensure that the measures necessary to confirm or rule out the suspicion are taken in accordance with point 3 of Annex II.

(a)

the suspicion of the relevant listed disease(s) has been officially ruled out; or

(b)

the eradication of the relevant listed disease(s) in the quarantine facility is successfully completed and the relevant quarantine units are cleansed and disinfected.

(a)

be drawn up in at least one official language of the Member State of the border inspection post where the veterinary checks are carried out; however, that Member State may instead permit another official language of the Community to be used, accompanied, if necessary, by an official translation into one of its official languages;

(b)

include the registration number of the quarantine facility.

(a)

reach the border inspection post before the arrival of the consignment; or

(b)

be presented to the border inspection post by the importer or his agent before the aquaculture animals are released from that post.

(a)

the official veterinarian of the border inspection post shall notify the competent authority of the quarantine facility within one working day of the date of arrival of the consignment at the border inspection post, of the place of origin and the place of destination of the consignment via the computerised system provided for in Article 20(1) of Council Directive 90/425/EEC (5) (‘the Traces system’);

(b)

the person responsible for the quarantine facility shall notify, within one working day of the date of arrival of the consignment at the quarantine facility, the competent authority of that facility of the arrival of the consignment;

(c)

the competent authority of the quarantine facility shall notify via the Traces system, within three working days of the date of arrival of the consignment at that facility, the official veterinarian of the border inspection post which notified it of the shipment of the consignment as referred to in point (a), of the arrival of the consignment.

(a)

the quarantine period must be carried out in the same quarantine facility in the Community;

(b)

the aquaculture animals must be subject to the quarantine provisions laid down in the following Articles:

(c)

the aquaculture animals must only be released from quarantine on written authorisation by the competent authority.

(a)

take and analyse appropriate samples in accordance with point 3 of Annex II;

(b)

ensure that, pending the laboratorial results, no aquaculture animals are moved into or out of the quarantine facility.

(a)

all aquaculture animals in the quarantine units concerned are removed and disposed of, taking into account the risk of spreading the relevant listed disease(s);

(b)

the quarantine units concerned are cleansed and disinfected;

(c)

no aquaculture animals are moved into the quarantine units concerned during a period of 15 days following the final cleansing and disinfection;

(d)

water in the quarantine units concerned is treated in a manner that effectively inactivates the infectious agent responsible for the relevant listed disease(s).

(a)

of species susceptible to the relevant listed disease(s) and, where possible and taking into account their living conditions, being at the most susceptible life stages;

(b)

sourced from a Member State, zone or compartment, or from a third country or part thereof declared free of the relevant listed disease(s);

(c)

unvaccinated against the relevant listed disease(s);

(d)

placed in the quarantine unit immediately before or upon arrival of the aquaculture animals to be quarantined and kept in contact with those animals and under the same zootechnical and environmental conditions.

(a)

ensure that the environmental conditions conducive to the laboratorial detection of the relevant listed disease(s) are present;

(b)

examine the mortality records during the quarantine;

(c)

where relevant, check the aquaculture animals in the quarantine units.

(a)

examine the mortality records during the quarantine;

(b)

where relevant, check the aquaculture animals in the quarantine units.