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Document 32004D0666

    2004/666/EC: Commission Decision of 29 September 2004 on introducing vaccination to supplement the measures to control infections with low pathogenic avian influenza in Italy and on specific movement control measures and repealing Decision 2002/975/EC (notified under document number C(2004) 3581)(Text with EEA relevance)

    OJ L 303, 30.9.2004, p. 35–44 (ES, CS, DA, DE, ET, EL, EN, FR, IT, LV, LT, HU, NL, PL, PT, SK, SL, FI, SV)
    OJ L 267M, 12.10.2005, p. 163–172 (MT)

    Legal status of the document No longer in force, Date of end of validity: 31/12/2005; Repealed by 32005D0926

    ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2004/666/oj

    30.9.2004   

    EN

    Official Journal of the European Union

    L 303/35


    COMMISSION DECISION

    of 29 September 2004

    on introducing vaccination to supplement the measures to control infections with low pathogenic avian influenza in Italy and on specific movement control measures and repealing Decision 2002/975/EC

    (notified under document number C(2004) 3581)

    (Text with EEA relevance)

    (2004/666/EC)

    THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

    Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

    Having regard to Council Directive 89/662/EEC of 11 December 1989 concerning veterinary checks in intra-Community trade with a view to the completion of the internal market (1), and in particular, Article 9(4) thereof,

    Having regard to Council Directive 90/425/EEC of 26 June 1990 concerning veterinary and zootechnical checks applicable in intra-community trade in certain live animals and products with a view to the completion of the internal market (2), and in particular, Article 10(4) thereof,

    Having regard to Council Directive 92/40/EEC of 19 May 1992 introducing Community measures for the control of avian influenza (3), and in particular Article 16 thereof,

    Having regard to Council Directive 2002/99/EC of 16 December 2002 laying down animal health rules governing the production, processing, distribution and introduction of products of animal origin for human consumption (4), and in particular Article 13(3) thereof,

    Whereas:

    (1)

    In October 2002, Italy reported to the Commission that infections with low pathogenic avian influenza virus of subtype H7N3 had occurred in the regions of Veneto and Lombardia and that the disease was spreading quickly.

    (2)

    Italy took immediate action including stamping out of infected poultry flocks to control the propagation of the infection. As a supplementary measure the Italian authorities also requested approval for a vaccination programme against avian influenza for at least 18 months in order to avoid the further spread of infection.

    (3)

    The vaccination programme was approved by Commission Decision 2002/975/EC, of 12 December 2002 introducing vaccination to supplement the measures to control infections with low pathogenic avian influenza in Italy and on specific movement control measures (5), which lays down the rules concerning vaccination against avian influenza in a defined geographical area. The Decision also includes specific control measures such as movement restrictions on live poultry, hatching and table eggs for intra-Community trade.

    (4)

    The results of the vaccination programme reported at several meetings of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health were generally favourable concerning the control of the disease within the vaccination area. However, the infection had spread to some areas adjacent to the established vaccination area. Accordingly, Decision 2002/975/EC, as amended by Decision 2003/436/EC (6) extended the vaccination area to cover those adjacent areas.

    (5)

    Since the end of September 2003, no further circulation of the avian influenza field virus subtype H7N3 has been detected during the intense monitoring carried out in the vaccination area. Consequently Italy requested to introduce some changes to the vaccination programme and the restrictions on intra-Community trade. Accordingly, Decision 2002/975/EC, as amended by Decision 2004/159/EC approved those changes and restrictions.

    (6)

    In February 2004, a low pathogenic avian influenza virus strain of subtype H5N3 was isolated in one duck flock in the region of Lombardia within the vaccination area. Although the epidemiological investigations have not revealed any spread of the infection, the risk of introduction of avian influenza subtype H5 has been demonstrated. At present neither the poultry vaccinated against H7 subtype within the framework of the existing vaccination campaign nor the non-vaccinated poultry population is protected against disease possibly caused by avian influenza subtype H5. Therefore Italy has requested to amend the current vaccination programme in order to authorise the vaccination of poultry within the established vaccination area with a bivalent vaccine which protects against avian influenza virus infection of both H7 and H5 subtypes and to carry out this kind of vaccination until at least 31 December 2005.

    (7)

    As Decision 2002/975/EC has already been amended twice, for reasons of clarity of Community legislation, it is appropriate to repeal that Decision and replace it by this Decision.

    (8)

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

    HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

    Article 1

    1.   The amended vaccination programme against avian influenza presented by Italy to the Commission is approved and shall be carried out in the vaccination area described in Annex I.

    2.   Intensive monitoring and surveillance as set out in the vaccination programme referred to in paragraph 1 shall be carried out in the vaccination area described in Annex I and in the bordering area described in Annex II.

    Article 2

    The restrictions on movements of live poultry, hatching eggs and fresh poultry meat into, out of and within the area described in Annex I shall apply as laid down in the vaccination programme referred to in Article 1 and in the following articles.

    Article 3

    No live poultry and hatching eggs coming from and/or originating from poultry holdings from the area described in Annex I shall be dispatched from Italy.

    Article 4

    Animal health certificates accompanying consignments of live poultry and hatching eggs from Italy shall include the words: ‘The animal health conditions of this consignment are in accordance with Decision 2004/666/EC’.

    Article 5

    1.   Fresh meat of poultry shall be marked in accordance with Annex II of Council Directive 2002/99/EC and shall not be dispatched from Italy if it is derived from:

    (a)

    poultry vaccinated against avian influenza.

    (b)

    poultry from avian influenza sero-positive poultry flocks destined for slaughter under official control in accordance with the vaccination programme referred to in Article 1.

    (c)

    poultry originating from holdings located in a restriction zone established in accordance with the provisions laid down in the vaccination programme referred to in Article 1.

    2.   By way of derogation from paragraph 1(a) fresh meat derived from turkeys and chickens vaccinated against avian influenza with a heterologous vaccine of subtype (H7N1) and (H5N9) shall not be marked in accordance with Annex II of Council Directive 2002/99/EC and may be dispatched to other Member States, provided that the meat comes from turkeys and chickens which:

    (i)

    originate from flocks which have been regularly inspected and tested with negative results for avian influenza as laid down in the approved vaccination programme, with particular attention to be paid to the sentinel birds.For the testing of:

    vaccinated birds, the iIFA-test shall be used,

    sentinel birds, either the Haemagglutination-Inhibition Test (HI), the AGID-test or the ELISA-test shall be used. However, the iIFA-test shall also be used if necessary;

    (ii)

    originate from flocks which have been clinically inspected by an official veterinarian within 48 hours before loading, with particular attention to be paid to the sentinel birds;

    (iii)

    originate from flocks which have been tested serologically with negative results at the National Laboratory for avian influenza, by using the sampling and testing procedure laid down in Annex III to this Decision;

    (iv)

    shall be sent directly to a slaughterhouse designated by the competent authority and shall be slaughtered immediately after arrival. The birds shall be kept separated from other flocks not complying with the present provisions.

    3.   Fresh turkey and chicken meat fulfilling the requirements as set out in paragraph 2 shall be accompanied by the health certificate laid down in Annex VI to Council Directive 71/118/EEC (7), which shall include under point IV(a) of the certificate the following attestation of the official veterinarian:

    ‘The turkey meat/chicken meat (*1) described above is in accordance with Decision 2004/666/EC.

    Article 6

    Italy shall ensure that in the vaccination area described in Annex I:

    (a)

    only disposable packaging material, or packaging material which can be effectively washed and disinfected, is used for the collection, storage and transport of table eggs;

    (b)

    all means of transport used for transporting live poultry, hatching eggs, fresh poultry meat, table eggs and poultry feedstuff are cleaned and disinfected immediately before and after each transport with disinfectants and methods of use approved by the competent authority.

    Article 7

    1.   Italy shall notify to the Commission and to other Member States the date of the commencement of the vaccination programme with the bivalent vaccine, at least one day in advance.

    2.   The provisions of Articles 2 to 6 shall be enforced from the date of the commencement of the vaccination.

    Article 8

    1.   Italy shall, at six-month intervals, present a report to the Commission containing information on the effectiveness of the vaccination programme referred to in Article 1.

    2.   This Decision, and in particular the period of time during which the movement restrictions provided for in Articles 2 to 6 shall continue to apply after the completion of the vaccination programme, shall be reviewed accordingly.

    Article 9

    Decision 2002/975/EC is repealed.

    Article 10

    This Decision shall apply from 1 October 2004.

    Article 11

    This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

    Done at Brussels, 29 September 2004.

    For the Commission

    David BYRNE

    Member of the Commission


    (1)   OJ L 395, 30.12.1989, p. 13. Directive as last amended by Directive 2004/41/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 157, 30.4.2004, p. 33).

    (2)   OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 29. Directive as last amended by Directive 2002/33/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 315, 19.11.2002, p. 14).

    (3)   OJ L 167, 22.6.1992, p. 1. Directive as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 806/2003 (OJ L 122, 16.5.2003, p. 1).

    (4)   OJ L 18, 23.1.2003, p. 11.

    (5)   OJ L 337, 13.12.2002, p. 87. Decision as last amended by Decision 2004/159/EC (OJ L 50, 20.2.2004, p. 63).

    (6)   OJ L 149, 17.6.2003, p. 33.

    (7)   OJ L 55, 8.3.1971, p. 23. Directive as last amended by Directive 2004/41/EC.


    ANNEX I

    VACCINATION AREA

    Veneto Region

    Verona Province

    ALBAREDO D'ADIGE

     

    ANGIARI

     

    ARCOLE

     

    BELFIORE

     

    BONAVIGO

     

    BOVOLONE

     

    BUTTAPIETRA

     

    CALDIERO

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    CASALEONE

     

    CASTEL D'AZZANO

     

    CASTELNUOVO DEL GARDA

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    CEREA

     

    COLOGNA VENETA

     

    COLOGNOLA AI COLLI

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    CONCAMARISE

     

    ERBÈ

     

    GAZZO VERONESE

     

    ISOLA DELLA SCALA

     

    ISOLA RIZZA

     

    LAVAGNO

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    MINERBE

     

    MONTEFORTE D'ALPONE

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    MOZZECANE

     

    NOGARA

     

    NOGAROLE ROCCA

     

    OPPEANO

     

    PALÙ

     

    PESCHIERA DEL GARDA

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    POVEGLIANO VERONESE

     

    PRESSANA

     

    RONCO ALL'ADIGE

     

    ROVERCHIARA

     

    ROVEREDO DI GUÀ

     

    SALIZZOLE

     

    SAN BONIFACIO

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    SAN GIOVANNI LUPATOTO

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    SANGUINETTO

     

    SAN MARTINO BUON ALBERGO

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    SAN PIETRO DI MORUBIO

     

    SOAVE

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    SOMMACAMPAGNA

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    SONA

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    SORGÀ

     

    TREVENZUOLO

     

    VALEGGIO SUL MINCIO

     

    VERONA

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    VERONELLA

     

    VIGASIO

     

    VILLAFRANCA DI VERONA

     

    ZEVIO

     

    ZIMELLA

     

    Lombardia Region

    Brescia Province

    ACQUAFREDDA

     

    ALFIANELLO

     

    BAGNOLO MELLA

     

    BASSANO BRESCIANO

     

    BORGOSATOLLO

     

    BRESCIA

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    CALCINATO

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    CALVISANO

     

    CAPRIANO DEL COLLE

     

    CARPENEDOLO

     

    CASTENEDOLO

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    CIGOLE

     

    DELLO

     

    DESENZANO DEL GARDA

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    FIESSE

     

    FLERO

     

    GAMBARA

     

    GHEDI

     

    GOTTOLENGO

     

    ISORELLA

     

    LENO

     

    LONATO

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    MANERBIO

     

    MILZANO

     

    MONTICHIARI

     

    MONTIRONE

     

    OFFLAGA

     

    PAVONE DEL MELLA

     

    PONCARALE

     

    PONTEVICO

     

    POZZOLENGO

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    PRALBOINO

     

    QUINZANO D'OGLIO

     

    REMEDELLO

     

    REZZATO

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    SAN GERVASIO BRESCIANO

     

    SAN ZENO NAVIGLIO

     

    SENIGA

     

    VEROLANUOVA

     

    VEROLAVECCHIA

     

    VISANO

     


    Mantova Province

    CASTIGLIONE DELLE STIVIERE

     

    CAVRIANA

     

    CERESARA

     

    GOITO

     

    GUIDIZZOLO

     

    MARMIROLO

     

    MEDOLE

     

    MONZAMBANO

     

    PONTI SUL MINCIO

     

    ROVERBELLA

     

    SOLFERINO

     

    VOLTA MANTOVANA

     


    ANNEX II

    AREA BORDERING THE VACCINATION AREA WHERE INTENSIVE MONITORING IS CARRIED OUT

    Lombardia Region

    Bergamo province

    ANTEGNATE

     

    BAGNATICA

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    BARBATA

     

    BARIANO

     

    BOLGARE

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    CALCINATE

     

    CALCIO

     

    CASTELLI CALEPIO

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    CAVERNAGO

     

    CIVIDATE AL PIANO

     

    COLOGNO AL SERIO

     

    CORTENUOVA

     

    COSTA DI MEZZATE

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    COVO

     

    FARA OLIVANA CON SOLA

     

    FONTANELLA

     

    GHISALBA

     

    GRUMELLO DEL MONTE

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    ISSO

     

    MARTINENGO

     

    MORENGO

     

    MORNICO AL SERIO

     

    PAGAZZANO

     

    PALOSCO

     

    PUMENENGO

     

    ROMANO DI LOMBARDIA

     

    SERIATE

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    TELGATE

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    TORRE PALLAVICINA

     


    Brescia province

    AZZANO MELLA

     

    BARBARIGA

     

    BASSANO BRESCIANO

     

    BERLINGO

     

    BORGO SAN GIACOMO

     

    BRANDICO

     

    CASTEGNATO

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    CASTEL MELLA

     

    CASTELCOVATI

     

    CASTREZZATO

     

    CAZZAGO SAN MARTINO

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    CHIARI

     

    COCCAGLIO

     

    COLOGNE

     

    COMEZZANO-CIZZAGO

     

    CORZANO

     

    ERBUSCO

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    LOGRATO

     

    LONGHENA

     

    MACLODIO

     

    MAIRANO

     

    ORZINUOVI

     

    ORZIVECCHI

     

    OSPITALETTO

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    PALAZZOLO SULL'OGLIO

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    POMPIANO

     

    PONTOGLIO

     

    ROCCAFRANCA

     

    RONCADELLE

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    ROVATO

    area to the south of the A4 motorway

    RUDIANO

     

    SAN PAOLO

     

    TORBOLE CASAGLIA

     

    TRAVAGLIATO

     

    TRENZANO

     

    URAGO D'OGLIO

     

    VILLACHIARA

     


    Cremona province

    CAMISANO

     

    CASALE CREMASCO-VIDOLASCO

     

    CASALETTO DI SOPRA

     

    CASTEL GABBIANO

     

    SONCINO

     


    Mantova province

    ACQUANEGRA SUL CHIESE

     

    ASOLA

     

    BIGARELLO

     

    CANNETO SULL'OGLIO

     

    CASALMORO

     

    CASALOLDO

     

    CASALROMANO

     

    CASTEL D'ARIO

     

    CASTEL GOFFREDO

     

    CASTELBELFORTE

     

    GAZOLDO DEGLI IPPOLITI

     

    MARIANA MANTOVANA

     

    PIUBEGA

     

    PORTO MANTOVANO

     

    REDONDESCO

     

    RODIGO

     

    RONCOFERRARO

     

    SAN GIORGIO DI MANTOVA

     

    VILLIMPENTA

     

    Veneto Region

    Padua province

    CARCERI

     

    CASALE DI SCODOSIA

     

    ESTE

     

    LOZZO ATESTINO

     

    MEGLIADINO SAN FIDENZIO

     

    MEGLIADINO SAN VITALE

     

    MONTAGNANA

     

    OSPEDALETTO EUGANEO

     

    PONSO

     

    SALETTO

     

    SANTA MARGHERITA D’ADIGE

     

    URBANA

     


    Verona province

    BEVILACQUA

     

    BOSCHI SANT'ANNA

     

    BUSSOLENGO

     

    PESCANTINA

     

    SOMMACAMPAGNA

    area to the north of the A4 motorway

    SONA

    area to the north of the A4 motorway


    Vicenza province

    AGUGLIARO

     

    ALBETTONE

     

    ALONTE

     

    ASIGLIANO VENETO

     

    BARBARANO VICENTINO

     

    CAMPIGLIA DEI BERICI

     

    CASTEGNERO

     

    LONIGO

     

    MONTEGALDA

     

    MONTEGALDELLA

     

    MOSSANO

     

    NANTO

     

    NOVENTA VICENTINA

     

    ORGIANO

     

    POIANA MAGGIORE

     

    SAN GERMANO DEI BERICI

     

    SOSSANO

     

    VILLAGA

     


    ANNEX III

    SAMPLING AND TESTING PROCEDURE

    1.   Introduction and general use

    The developed indirect Immunofluorescence Assay (iIFA-test) is aimed at the differentiation between vaccinated/field exposed and vaccinated/non field exposed turkeys and chickens in the framework of a ‘DIVA’ (Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals) vaccination strategy using a heterologous subtype vaccine from the field virus subtype.

    2.   Use of the test for the purpose of dispatching fresh turkey and chicken meat from the vaccination area in Italy to other Member States

    Meat originating from turkey and chicken flocks vaccinated against avian influenza may be dispatched to other Member States provided that, where all the birds are kept in one building, blood samples have been taken by the official veterinarian within seven days prior to slaughter from at least 10 vaccinated turkeys or chickens destined for slaughter. However, where the poultry are kept in more than one group or shed, at least 20 vaccinated birds selected randomly from all the groups or sheds on the farm shall be sampled.


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