Prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs)

ACT: Commission Regulation 546/2006/EC implementing Regulation 999/2001/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards national scrapie control programmes and additional guarantees and derogating from certain requirements of Decision 2003/100/EC and repealing Regulation 1874/2003.

CONTENT: Regulation 999/2001 provides for the approval of “national scrapie control programmes” in cases where a Member State is likely to have a low prevalence, or indeed absence of scrapies on its territory. In addition, those Member States whose national scrapie programmes have been approved may derogate from Commission Decision 2003/100/EC. This Decision lays down minimum requirements for the establishment of breeding programmes for resistance to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in sheep.

In 2003, the Commission approved the national scrapie control programmes for Denmark, Sweden and Finland on the basis that they can all prove a low prevalence of, or indeed absence of, scrapies on their territories.  On the basis of this approval the Commission also granted Denmark, Sweden and Finland permission to derogate from the breeding programme established in Decision 2003/100/EC. Further, provisions on additional guarantees relating to holdings, official movement restrictions and derogations from the requirement to establish a breeding programme, have also been spelt out in implementing Regulation 1874/2003.

In November 2005, the Commission approved a similar “national scrapie control programme” for Austria based on the fact that it too can prove a low prevalence or absence of scrapies on its territory. Similarly, on the basis of that national scrapie control programme Austria has been granted a derogation from the breeding programme provided for in Commission Decision 2003/100/EC. Accordingly, trade guarantees required by Annex VIII, Chapter A and Annex IX, Chapter E of Regulation 999/2001/EC have been amended.

However, for practical reasons and in the interest of clarity, the Commission has decided to repeal Commission Regulation 1874/2004 and replace it by the present Regulation. Effectively, the new Regulation states that the national scrapie control programmes of Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Austria have been approved. Additional provisions relating to:

-          the actual approval of national scrapie control programmes,

-          additional guarantees relating to holdings,

-          official movement restrictions and

-          derogations from the requirement to establish a breeding programme,

have been included in this Regulation.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 21 April 2006.