Division 1 General requirementsF1

Bluetongue monitoring and surveillance programmes shall be aimed at;

1. (a)

   detecting any possible incursions of the bluetongue virus and;

2. (b)

   where appropriate, demonstrating the absence of certain serotypes of that virus in a Member State or epidemiologically relevant geographical area; or

3. (c)

   determining the seasonally vector free period (entomological surveillance).

The geographical unit of reference for the purposes of bluetongue monitoring and surveillance shall be defined by a grid of around 45 x 45 km (approximately 2 000 km ² ) unless specific environmental conditions justify a different size.

F2The appropriate Minister in relation to England and Wales must use counties, and the appropriate Minister in relation to Scotland must use districts or islands, as the geographical units of reference for monitoring and surveillance purposes.