Introductory text
United Kingdom
Commission Decision
of 18 February 2011
authorising France, pursuant to Council Directive 92/66/EEC, to transport day-old chicks and ready-to-lay pullets outside the protection zone established due to an outbreak of Newcastle disease in the department of Côtes d’Armor
(notified under document C(2011) 869)
(Text with EEA relevance)
(Only the French text is authentic)
(2011/111/EU)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Directive 92/66/EEC of 14 July 1992 introducing Community measures for the control of Newcastle diseasef1, and in particular Article 9(2)(f)(ii) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Directive 92/66/EEC defines the Union control measures to be applied in the event of an outbreak of Newcastle disease in poultry or in racing pigeons and other birds kept in captivity. Pursuant to that Directive, once the diagnosis of Newcastle disease has been officially confirmed in poultry, the Member State concerned is to ensure that the competent authority establishes around the infected holding a protection zone based on a minimum radius of 3 kilometres, itself contained in a surveillance zone based on a minimum radius of 10 kilometres.
(2)
The measures applied in the protection zone are to include a prohibition on removing poultry and hatching eggs from the holding on which they are kept, unless the competent authority has authorised the transport under certain conditions.
(3)
In particular, the competent authority may authorise the transport of day-old chicks or ready-to-lay pullets only to a holding within the surveillance zone at which there are no other poultry. However, Member States in which the transport of such chicks and pullets to a holding situated within the surveillance zone is not possible are to be authorised, in accordance with the procedure laid down in Directive 92/66/EEC, to have the chicks and pullets transported to a holding outside the surveillance zone.
(4)
On 3 January 2011 France confirmed an outbreak of Newcastle disease in a holding of meat pigeons in the municipality of Langoat, in the department Côtes d’Armor. A protection and a surveillance zone had already been established around that holding on 30 December 2010.
(5)
On 4 January 2011 France informed the Commission about the confirmation of the outbreak and the control measures adopted, including the prohibition of the movement and transport of poultry outside the established protection and surveillance zones, as provided for in Directive 92/66/EEC.
(6)
The protection zone established by France comprises holdings with a considerable output of day-old chicks and ready-to-lay pullets and the holdings situated in the surveillance zone do not have sufficient capacity to receive that output. France has therefore informed the Commission that the transport of day-old chicks or ready-to-lay pullets to a holding situated within the surveillance zone is not possible.
(7)
As a consequence, France has requested an authorisation to transport such chicks and pullets to holdings located outside the surveillance zone. Day-old chicks and ready-to-lay pullets originating from the holdings situated in the protection zone would remain in France.
(8)
It is appropriate to provide for the requested authorisation subject to the condition that France takes strict control and precaution measures in accordance with Directive 92/66/EEC, that guarantee that there is no risk of spread of Newcastle disease.
(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,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: