Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June 1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field^f1 and in particular the fourth subparagraph of Article 24(2) and Article 24(10) thereof,

Having regard to Council Directive 2005/94/EC of 20 December 2005 on Community measures for the control of avian influenza and repealing Directive 92/40/EEC^f2 and in particular Article 4(2) thereof,

Whereas:

Commission Decision 2007/268/EC^f3 lays down guidelines for the performance of the surveillance programmes for avian influenza in poultry and wild birds to be carried out by the Member States. Those guidelines include provisions on the submission of laboratory results to the Community Reference Laboratory for avian influenza.

Since the adoption of Decision 2007/268/EC, the Commission has introduced an online system for reporting laboratory results obtained during surveillance in poultry and wild birds. It is appropriate that that online system be used for the purposes of the reporting obligations provided for in Decision 2007/268/EC.

In addition, Decision 2007/268/EC provides that all positive serological findings are to be confirmed by the National Laboratories for avian influenza by a haemaglutination-inhibition test, using designated strains supplied by the Community Reference Laboratory for avian influenza. It is appropriate that the strains used for confirmation of the avian influenza H5 subtype be replaced by other strains, which may achieve the same diagnostic parameters in a more rapid and cost-efficient manner.

Decision 2007/268/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

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

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: