Introductory text

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

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

Having 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^f1, and in particular Article 18(6) thereof,

Having 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^f2, and in particular Article 22(5) thereof,

Whereas:

Directive 91/496/EEC lays down the principles of veterinary checks on animals entering the Union from third countries. It lays down the measures which can be adopted by the Commission, if a disease liable to present a serious threat to animal or public health manifests itself or spreads in the territory of a third country.

Directive 97/78/EC lays down the principles of veterinary checks on products entering the Union from third countries. It lays down the measures which can be adopted by the Commission, if a disease liable to present a serious threat to animal or public health manifests itself or spreads in the territory of a third country.

Foot-and-mouth disease is one of the most contagious diseases of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. The virus causing the disease has the potential for rapid spread, notably through products obtained from infected animals and contaminated inanimated objects including means of transport like livestock vehicles. The virus can also persist in a contaminated environment outside the host animal for several weeks depending on the temperature.

Following outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in Algeria, Libya and Tunisia in 2014, Commission Implementing Decision 2014/689/EU^f3 provided for protection measures to avoid the introduction in the Union of that disease.

In particular, Implementing Decision 2014/689/EU established measures on the cleansing and disinfection of livestock vehicles and vessels from Algeria, Libya and Tunisia. As Morocco is a potential country of transit for the livestock vehicles returning from Algeria, Libya and Tunisia to the Union, those measures also applied to vehicles and vessels from that country. That Decision was applicable until 1 October 2015.

On 2 November 2015 Morocco notified to the World Organisation for Animal Health (‘OIE’) the confirmation of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease of serotype O in the western part of its territory.

The presence of foot-and-mouth disease in Morocco is liable to constitute a serious risk to the livestock population of the Union.

The foot-and-mouth disease situation in Libya remains uncertain and a significant number of consignments of live bovine animals is exported from EU Member States to that country.

In addition, Libya and Morocco are potential countries of transit for the livestock vehicles returning from other African countries to the Union.

Therefore, the foot-and-mouth disease situation in Libya and Morocco requires to adopt protection measures at Union level which take into account the survival of the foot-and-mouth disease virus in the environment and potential transmission routes of that virus.

Livestock vehicles and vessels used for the transport of live animals to Libya and Morocco may be contaminated with the foot-and-mouth disease virus in those countries and therefore constitute a risk of introducing the disease upon their return to the Union.

Appropriate cleansing and disinfection of livestock vehicles and vessels is the most appropriate way to reduce the risk of rapid virus transmission over large distances.

It is therefore appropriate to ensure that all livestock vehicles and vessels which have transported live animals to destinations in Libya and Morocco are appropriately cleansed and disinfected and that such cleansing and disinfection is properly documented in a declaration to be submitted by the operator or driver to the competent authority at the point of entry into the Union.

The operator or driver should ensure that for each livestock vehicle and vessel which has transported live animals to destinations in Libya and Morocco, a cleansing and disinfection certificate is retained for a minimum period of three years.

Member States should also have the possibility to subject vehicles which transport feed from or have transported feed to infected countries, and for which a significant risk of introduction of foot-and-mouth disease into the territory of the Union cannot be excluded, to on-the-spot disinfection of the wheels or any other part of the vehicle deemed necessary to mitigate that risk.

In addition, although imports of live animals of species susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease are not authorised from any country in Africa, the importation of certain categories of equidae is authorised from Morocco in accordance with Council Directive 2009/156/EC^f4 and equidae from that third country may transit the Union on their way to another third country in accordance with Commission Decision 2010/57/EU^f5. Therefore, Member States should have the possibility to subject livestock vehicles carrying equidae coming from that third country to on-the-spot disinfection of the wheels or any other part of the vehicle deemed necessary to mitigate the risk of introduction of foot-and-mouth disease into the Union.

The measures provided for by this Decision should apply for a period of time which allows a full evaluation of the evolution of the foot-and-mouth disease in the affected areas.

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: