Introductory text

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Decision 2009/470/EC of 25 May 2009 on expenditure in the veterinary field^f1, and in particular Article 8(2) thereof,

Whereas:

Decision 2009/470/EC provides that where a Member State is directly threatened by the occurrence or the development, in the territory of a third country or Member State, of one of the diseases listed in Annex I to that Decision, it may be decided to adopt measures appropriate to the situation and to grant a Union financial contribution towards the measures deemed particularly necessary for the success of the actions undertaken.

Rabies is an animal disease that mainly affects wild and domestic carnivores and has serious public health implications. It is one of the diseases listed in Annex I to Decision 2009/470/EC.

In recent years, the Union has co-financed programmes for the oral immunisation of wild carnivores, which are the reservoir of that disease, and they have resulted in a favourable situation in most Member States with a drastic reduction in the number of cases of rabies in wild and domestic animals and the disappearance of human cases.

Italy has been considered a rabies free country since 1997. However, in October 2008 in the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one case of rabies was detected, followed by eight new cases in the same region. In 2009, the sylvatic rabies spread also to the Veneto region. By the end of 2009, 35 cases were detected in Friuli Venezia Giulia and 33 cases in Veneto.

Neighbouring Member States have expressed concern that their territories are threatened by the rabies situation in north-east Italy.

Accordingly, emergency measures are necessary to prevent the further spread of the disease in Italy, as well as the spread to the neighbouring Member States of Austria and Slovenia, and to reinforce the efforts to eradicate the disease as soon as possible.

On 9 December 2009, Italy submitted to the Commission an emergency plan for the oral vaccination of foxes, ‘Rabies control programme in the regions of north-east Italy – Special vaccination plan for foxes’. The plan was found to be acceptable and it is therefore appropriate that certain measures receive Union financing. A Union financial contribution should therefore be granted for its implementation.

The Union financial contribution should be paid on the basis of the official request for reimbursement submitted by Member States and supporting documents referred to in Article 7 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 349/2005 of 28 February 2005 laying down rules on the Community financing of emergency measures and of the campaign to combat certain animal diseases under Council Decision 90/424/EEC.^f2

Taking into account the urgency to implement the extended vaccination plan in order to prevent spread to other Member States it is justified that Union financial contribution is made available from 9 December 2009 when the plan was submitted to the Commission for financing.

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: