Article 49 Disease-free Member State
United Kingdom
A Member State shall be declared free of one or more of the non-exotic diseases listed in Part II of Annex IV in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 62(2), if paragraph 2 of this Article is complied with and:
none of the species susceptible to the disease(s) in question is present in its territory;
or
the pathogen is known not to be able to survive in the Member State, and in its water source;
or
the Member State meets the conditions laid down in Part I of Annex V.
Where neighbouring Member States, or water catchment areas shared with neighbouring Member States, are not declared disease-free, the Member State shall establish appropriate buffer zones in its territory. The demarcation of buffer zones shall be such that they protect the disease-free Member State from passive introduction of the disease.
The specific requirements for surveillance, buffer zones, sampling and diagnostic methods that shall be used by Member States to declare disease-free status in accordance with this Article shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 62(2).