Article 15

Where a Member State considers that its territory or part of its territory is free from one of the diseases listed in Annex B to which the animals covered by this Directive are susceptible, it shall present to the Commission appropriate supporting documentation, setting out in particular:

• the nature of the disease and the history of its occurrence in its territory,

• the results of surveillance testing based on serological, microbiological, pathological or epidemiological investigation,

• the period during which this disease was notifiable to the competent authorities,

• the period over which the surveillance was carried out,

• where applicable, the period during which vaccination against the disease has been prohibited and the geographical area concerned by the prohibition,

• the arrangements for verifying the absence of the disease.

The Commission shall examine the documentation provided for in paragraph 1 and submit to the Standing Veterinary Committee a decision approving or rejecting the plan submitted by the Member State. If the plan is accepted, the additional guarantees, general or specific, which may be required in trade shall be defined under the procedure laid down in Article 26. They must not exceed those which the Member State implements nationally.

Pending a decision, the Member State concerned may maintain in its trade dealings the relevant requirements needed in order to maintain its status.

The Member State concerned shall notify the Commission of any change in the particulars specified in paragraph 1. The guarantees defined as laid down in paragraph 2 may, in the light of such notification, be amended or withdrawn under the procedure laid down in Article 26.