(1)

Reporting requirements play a key role in ensuring proper monitoring and correct enforcement of legislation. However, it is important to streamline those requirements, in order to ensure that they fulfil the purpose for which they were intended and to limit the administrative burden.

(2)

Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 contains a number of reporting requirements in the field of animal health, which should therefore be simplified, in line with the Commission’s Communication on ‘Long-term competitiveness of the EU: looking beyond 2030’ (2).

(3)

Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 lays down rules for the prevention, control and eradication of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) in bovine, ovine and caprine animals.

(4)

Article 6a of Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 provides that Member States may introduce breeding programmes to select for resistance to TSE in their ovine populations (the breeding programmes). In accordance with Article 6a(3) of that Regulation, Member States which introduce breeding programmes are required to submit regular reports to the Commission (the reports).

(5)

Part 5 of Chapter C of Annex VII to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 requires the reports to be submitted to the Commission on a yearly basis.

(6)

The proposed amendment will simplify the reporting requirements for Member States by moving from a systematic annual reporting to a reporting when there is a clear need, namely when changes have been made to the breeding programmes. The proposed amendment will not impact the main policy objective which is to ensure that Member States continue to monitor and report on their epidemiological situation as regards TSEs.

(7)

Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(8)

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