Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 91/67/EEC of 28 January 1991 concerning the animal health conditions governing the placing on the market of aquaculture animals and products^f1, and in particular Article 10(2) thereof,

Whereas:

Pursuant to Directive 91/67/EEC, a Member State may submit to the Commission a programme designed to enable it subsequently to initiate the procedures for a zone, or a farm situated in a non-approved zone, to obtain the status of approved zone, or of approved farm situated in a non-approved zone, as regards one or more of the fish diseases viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS) and infectious haematopoietic necrosis (IHN). Commission Decision 2003/634/EC^f2 approves and lists programmes submitted by various Member States.

By letter dated 28 March 2007, the United Kingdom applied for approval of the programme to be applied in the river Ouse to regain the status of approved zone with regard to VHS. The Commission has scrutinised the programme submitted and found it to comply with Article 10 of Directive 91/67/EEC. Accordingly, that programme should be approved and included in the list in Annex I to Decision 2003/634/EC.

By letter dated 21 November 2006, Finland applied to extend the approved VHS free status to all its coastal zone excluding zones with special eradication measures. The documentation provided by Finland showed that the zone met the requirements of Article 5 of Directive 91/67/EEC. All coastal areas within its territory, excluding zones with special eradication measures, were regarded as disease-free and added to the list of approved zones with regard to VHS in Annex I to Commission Decision 2002/308/EC of 22 April 2002 establishing lists of approved zones and approved farms with regard to one or more of the fish diseases viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS) and infectious haematopoietic necrosis (IHN)^f3. Therefore, the programme for VHS-freedom applicable to all coastal areas of Finland, excluding the part of the programme covering zones with special eradication measures, has been finalised and should be deleted from Annex I to Decision 2003/634/EC.

By letter dated 11 January 2006, Italy applied for approval of the programme to be applied in a farm to obtain the status of approved farm in a non-approved zone with regard to VHS and IHN. The Commission has scrutinised the programme submitted and found it to comply with Article 10 of Directive 91/67/EEC. Accordingly, that programme should be approved and included in the list in Annex II to Decision 2003/634/EC.

The programmes applicable to the zone Val di Sole e Val di Non and to the zone Val Banale in the Autonomous Province of Trento and the programme applicable to the zone in Valle del Torrente Venina in the Lombardy region have been finalised. They should therefore be deleted from Annex I to Decision 2003/634/EC.

Decision 2003/634/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

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: