(1)

In accordance with Council Decision 91/666/EEC of 11 December 1991 establishing Community reserves of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines (3), stocks of antigens have been established for the express formulation of vaccines against foot-and-mouth disease and are kept for security reasons at distinct designated sites of the premises of the manufacturer.

(2)

Under Directive 2003/85/EC, the Commission is to ensure that Community reserves of concentrated inactivated antigens for the production of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines are maintained on the premises of the Community antigen and vaccine bank.

(3)

For that purpose the number of doses and the diversity of strains and subtypes of antigens of foot-and-mouth disease viruses stored in the Community antigen and vaccine bank is to be decided taking into account the needs as estimated in the context of the contingency plans and the epidemiological situation, where appropriate after consultation with the Community Reference Laboratory.

(4)

Pending the designation of a Community Reference Laboratory for foot-and-mouth disease, account is taken of the report of the FAO World Reference Laboratory for Foot-and-Mouth Disease on a list of priority antigens recommended for antigen banks, which was endorsed by the Technical Committee of the European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EUFMD) at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) at the 36th General Session of EUFMD.

(5)

The deterioration of the foot-and-mouth disease situation in certain parts of the world requires certain stocks of antigens to be supplemented urgently in accordance with the risks associated with this development for the epidemiological situation in the Community and neighbouring countries.

(6)

When deciding about the procurement of additional quantities and subtypes of foot-and-mouth disease virus antigens account should be taken of existing quantities of such antigens, of the compatibility required for combination in polyvalent vaccines and of the marketing authorisation held by the manufacturer of the antigens in at least one of the Member States in accordance with Directive 2001/82/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 November 2001 on the Community code relating to veterinary medicinal products (4).

(7)

Because the information on quantities and subtypes of antigens or authorised vaccines stored in the Community antigen and vaccine bank is to be treated as classified information in accordance with Directive 2003/85/EC, the Annex to this Decision should not be published.

(8)

In accordance with Article 14 of Decision 90/424/EEC, the level of Community participation to set up such antigen reserves and the conditions to which such participation may be subject should also be set out.

(9)

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