(1)

Avian influenza is an infectious viral disease in birds, including poultry. Infections with avian influenza viruses in domestic poultry cause two main forms of that disease that are distinguished by their virulence. The low pathogenic form generally only causes mild symptoms, while the highly pathogenic form results in very high mortality rates in most poultry species. That disease may have a severe impact on the profitability of poultry farming.

(2)

Although avian influenza is mainly found in birds, humans have also been infected with the causative virus occasionally and under certain circumstances also in humans.

(3)

In the event of an outbreak of avian influenza, there is a risk that the disease agent may spread to other holdings where poultry or other captive birds are kept. As a result it may spread from one Member State to other Member States or to third countries through trade in live poultry or other captive birds or their products.

(4)

Council Directive 2005/94/EC (3) sets out certain preventive measures relating to the surveillance and the early detection of avian influenza and the minimum control measures to be applied in the event of an outbreak of that disease in poultry or other captive birds. That Directive provides for the establishment of protection and surveillance zones in the event of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

(5)

Austria notified the Commission of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza of subtype H5N8 in a holding on its territory where poultry or other captive birds are kept and it took the measures required in accordance with Directive 2005/94/EC, including the establishment of protection and surveillance zones.

(6)

The Commission has examined the measures taken by Austria in accordance with Directive 2005/94/EC and it is satisfied that the boundaries of the protection and surveillance zones, established by the competent authority in that Member State, are at sufficient distance to any holding where an outbreak has been confirmed.

(7)

In order to prevent any unnecessary disturbance to trade within the Union and to avoid unjustified barriers to trade being imposed by third countries, it is necessary to rapidly describe at Union level, in collaboration with Austria, the protection and surveillance zones established in that Member State.

(8)

Accordingly, the protection and surveillance zones in Austria, where the measures provided for in Directive 2005/94/EC are applied, should be described in the Annex to this Decision and the duration of that regionalisation should be fixed.

(9)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,