Section 2 Maintenance of the status of a Member State or zone free from infestation with varroa spp.

The status free from infestation with Varroa spp. granted to the relevant honeybee population of a Member State or of a zone may only be maintained if:

1. (a)

   the competent authority maintains a surveillance that:

   1. (i)

      demonstrates the absence of infestations with Varroa spp. annually on a representative sample of kept honeybees of the free area;

   2. (ii)

      enables the early detection of infestation with Varroa spp. in apiaries and beehives;

   3. (iii)

      takes into consideration specifically target areas with higher likelihood of introduction of or infestation with Varroa spp., based on a risk assessment;

2. (b)

   all the suspected cases have been investigated and no case of infestation with Varroa spp. has been confirmed, either in kept or in wild honeybee colonies;

3. (c)

   either there is no wild self-sustaining population of the species of the genus Apis or there is an ongoing surveillance programme in the wild population which demonstrates no evidence of infestation with Varroa spp.; and

4. (d)

   the honeybees in any stage of their lifecycle, including honeybee brood, are only moved into the free area when:

   1. (i)

      they come from a Member State or zone thereof or from a third country or territory with disease-free status regarding infestation with Varroa spp.; and

   2. (ii)

      they are protected from infestation with Varroa spp. during transport.