{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2004-908/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2004-908/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "eudn/2004/908",
  "legislation_title": "Commission Decision of 23 December 2004 concerning protection measures in relation to Newcastle disease in Bulgaria (notified under document number C(2004) 5650) (Text with EEA relevance) (2004/908/EC)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2004-908",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "Commission Decision\nof 23 December 2004\nconcerning protection measures in relation to Newcastle disease in Bulgaria\n(notified under document number C(2004) 5650)\n(Text with EEA relevance)\n(2004/908/EC)\nTHE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,\nHaving regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,\nHaving regard to Council Directive 91/496/EEC of 15 July 1991 laying down the principles governing the organisation of veterinary checks on animals entering the Community from third countries and amending Directives 89/662/EEC, 90/425/EEC and 90/675/EEC, and in particular Article 18(1) thereof,\nHaving regard to Council Directive 97/78/EC of 18 December 1997 laying down the principles governing the organisation of veterinary checks on products entering the Community from third countries, and in particular Article 22(1) thereof,\nWhereas:\n(1)\nNewcastle disease is a highly contagious viral disease in poultry and birds, which can quickly take epizootic proportions liable to present a serious threat to animal health and to reduce sharply the profitability of poultry farming.\n(2)\nThere is a risk that the disease agent might be introduced via international trade in live poultry and poultry products.\n(3)\nOn 23 December 2004 Bulgaria has confirmed an outbreak of Newcastle disease in the Kardjali region.\n(4)\nIn view of the animal health risk of disease introduction into the Community, it is therefore appropriate as an immediate measure to suspend imports of live poultry, ratites, farmed and wild feathered game birds and hatching eggs of these species from Bulgaria.\n(5)\nFurthermore the importation into the Community from Bulgaria should be suspended for fresh meat of poultry, ratites and wild and farmed feathered game, meat preparations and meat products consisting of, or containing meat of those species, obtained from birds slaughtered after 16 November 2004.\n(6)\nCommission Decision 97/222/EC lays down the list of third countries from which Member States may authorise the importation of meat products, and establishes treatment regimes in order to prevent the risk of disease transmission via such products. The treatment that must be applied to the product depends on the health status of the country of origin, in relation to the species the meat is obtained from; in order to avoid an unnecessary burden on trade, imports of poultry meat products originating in Bulgaria treated to a temperature of at least 70 °C throughout the product should continue to be authorised.\n(7)\nAs soon as Bulgaria has communicated further information on the disease situation and the control measures taken in this respect the measures taken on Community level in relation to this outbreak should be reviewed.\n(8)\nThe provisions of this Decision will be reviewed at the next meeting of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, foreseen on 11-12 January 2005,\nHAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "OJ L 268, 24.9.1991, p. 56. Directive as last amended by the 2003 Act of Accession."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "OJ L 24, 31.1.1998, p. 9. Directive as last amended by the 2003 Act of Accession."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f3",
      "text": "OJ L 98, 4.4.1997, p. 39. Decision as last amended by Decision 2004/857/EC (OJ L 369, 16.12.2004, p. 65)."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2004/908/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:18:03.205340+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}