EUROPEAN COMMISSION HEALTH & CONSUMERS DIRECTORATE-GENERAL Brussels, SANCO G (2013)80028 SUMMARY REPORT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE FOOD CHAIN AND ANIMAL HEALTH HELD IN BRUSSELS ON 05 NOVEMBER 2012-06 NOVEMBER 2012 (Section Animal Health & Welfare) Chair: A.Fuessel. All Member States were present. Italy and Spain were partly absent and not represented. Croatia attended the meeting as an observer. A.1 Information from Italy on the low pathogenic avian influenza situation in poultry. This item was postponed. A.2 Information from Italy on the African swine fever situation in Sardinia. This item was postponed. A.3 Information from Germany on the results of the implementation of the classical swine fever eradication programme in 2011. Germany presented their results of the implementation of the control programme for classical swine fever (CSF) in 2011. Between 2009 and 2011, there were restricted areas with vaccination of wild boars on the right side of river Rhine (North Rhine-Westfalia), and Pfalz region (Rhineland Palatinate) and a vaccination area in the Eifel region where vaccination was stopped in 2010. Around 50.000 pigs and 50.000 wild boars were tested with no cases found in 2011. The good situation has led to the stop of vaccination in the spring of 2012. A.4 Applications and declarations from Member States to achieve a health status with regard to the diseases listed in Directive 2006/88/EC. The Commission presented the following declarations: a VHS and IHN free compartment Piscifactoria Valderrebollo declared by Spain and a VHS and IHN free zone Vincheto di Celarda declared by Italy.
A.5 Council Directive 1999/74/EC on the protection of laying hens: state of implementation of the ban on unenriched cages. Member States confirmed the updated data presented by the Commission during the meeting on the state of implementation of the ban on unenriched cages. A.6 Council Directive 2008/120/EC on the protection of pigs: state of implementation of the group housing of sows. Member States confirmed the updated data presented by the Commission during the meeting on the state of implementation of group housing of sows. A.7 Information from Greece on a rabies case detected on the north-west of the country. Greece has informed the Committee on the detection of the first rabies case in the country since the 80s. The Commission stressed that this development was a natural consequence as the disease showed a tendency of southward spread in other Balkan countries bordering Greece. Greece was invited to react quickly with the organisation of oral rabies vaccination campaigns in the area but also further reinforce the surveillance system so that there is soon a clear picture of the extent of the spread in the country. A.8 Information from the Commission on surveillance studies on bee colony losses: extension of programs for 2013-2014. The Commission informed about its intention to co-finance surveillance studies on bee colony losses for the period 2013-2014. However, its support would be limited to those 17 Member States already taking part to the on-going surveillance studies. The Commission reminded that in Decision 2012/362/EU Article 3 (2), first indent, there is an obligation for Member States to send an intermediate technical report within 1 March 2013. In view of the planning of the surveillance studies for 2013-2014 it would be useful to have also a financial report together with the technical one. A.9 Presentation of the Community Veterinary Emergency Team expert list (CVET) for 2013. The Commission has distributed before the meeting document SANCO/7143/2012 with title Draft Community Veterinary Emergency Team expert list 2013. The Commission s representative presented the list during the meeting and asked Member States to send any updates by 20 November 2012. The list will be published on the website of the Directorate General for Health and Consumers. Member States were furthermore requested to communicate their list of experts on foot-and-mouth disease trained in FAO-UEFMD real-time courses.
B.1 Exchange of views and possible opinion of the Committee on a draft Commission Implementing Decision on the evolution of animal diseases in the Union and in third countries. No item raised. B.2 Exchange of views and possible opinion of the Committee on a draft Commission Implementing Decision amending Decision 2010/221/EU as regards national measures for preventing the introduction of certain aquatic animal diseases into parts of Ireland, Finland and the United Kingdom. This draft Implementing Decision amends the list of Member States' territories in Annex II and III to Decision 2010/221/EC in order to take into account that: following request from Finland as regards the presence of BKD in the catchment area of Vesijarvi, this area should be excluded from the eradication program; following the detection of oyster herpes virus in Ireland in Drumcliffe, the Shannon Estuary should be listed in Annex III to Decision 2010/221/EC; following the detection of oyster herpes virus in certain areas in UK, these areas should be included in Annex III to Decision 2010/221/EC. Vote taken: qualified majority by 289 votes in favour, 56 votes absent. B.3 Exchange of views and possible opinion of the Committee on a draft Commission Implementing Decision amending Decision 2009/177/EC as regards surveillance programmes for Finland and the United Kingdom and the disease-free status of Finland and the United Kingdom for certain aquatic animal diseases. This draft Implementing Decision amends the list of Member States' territories in Annex I to Decision 2009/177/EC in order to take into account that: Finland submitted to the Commission documentation regarding the municipalities of Uusikapunki, Pyharanta and Rauma being free from ISA. The UK submitted to the Commission documentation regarding the South West Shetland Islands being free of ISA. Vote taken: qualified majority by 289 votes in favour, 56 votes absent. B.4 Exchange of views and possible opinion of the Committee on a draft Commission Implementing Decision approving annual and multiannual programmes and the financial contribution from the Union for the eradication, control and monitoring of certain animal diseases and zoonoses presented by the Member States for 2013 and following years. The Commission's representative presented the draft Implementing Decision and the draft was discussed. Several Member States made comments in relation to the following points: a) Bluetongue (BT): The exclusion of programmes submitted by certain Member States from the list of programmes to be eventually approved for bluetongue: not
acceptable that the exclusion could be based on the low EU financial contribution (foreseen based on the eligible measures) and the exclusion of the entomology surveillance as eligible measure. The Commission replied that in principle, EU does not co-finance voluntary measures, unless the disease situation require those as additional tool to tackle the disease and it is not a case now for BT. The BT situation in the EU is now favourable, with a very positive trend in the last 2 years and the Commission consider that voluntary measures, such as the entomological surveillance (Annex 1 to Regulation 1266/2007/EC) should no longer be co-financed. The EU financial contribution for BT programmes, in the case of certain Member States for 2013, was quite low and, as a consequence, as explained during the Chief Veterinary Officers (CVO) meeting on 25 October, for cost-benefit and administrative reasons, those Member States have not been included in the list of Member States for which EU financial contribution is foreseen for BT. b) Salmonellosis programmes: the lump sum for the cost of vaccines is too low and the total amount allocated for salmonella programmes lower that the amount estimated by Member States. The Commission explained that, for the first year, a lump sum for bacteriological test, serotyping, bacteriological test to verify the efficiency of disinfection and test for the detection of antimicrobial has been introduced. The unit cost for vaccine and testing, submitted by certain Member States, are higher than the lump sum and this explain the reason why the total amount allocated for those programmes is lower than expected. Concerning the lump sum for vaccine, the Commission explained that the lump sum was calculated on the basis of the claims submitted by each Member States in the last 3 years. In addition, the Commission explained that, in case the intermediate report for 2013, to be submitted by Member States by 31 July 2013, will show an increase of the price of the vaccine or other tests, during the re-allocation exercise for 2013, it could be possible to increase the lump sum originally calculated. c) France asked why their BT and classical swine fever programmes submitted for 2013 were not in the list of programmes to be approved. The Commission explained that both programmes were sent to the Commission out of the legal deadline for submission (30 April 2012, as stated in article 27 of Decision 2009/470/EU). As consultation on this draft was not finalised, vote was postponed. B.5 Exchange of views and possible opinion of the Committee on a draft Commission Implementing Decision authorising a laboratory in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to carry out serological tests to monitor the effectiveness of rabies vaccines. The Commission's representative presented the draft Implementing Decision aiming at authorising a laboratory in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to carry out serological tests to monitor the effectiveness of rabies vaccines and reminded the Member States of the rules for the maintenance of such
authorisations granted to laboratories in Member States and in third countries laid down in Commission Decision 2010/436/EU. Vote taken: qualified majority by 316 votes in favour, 29 votes absent. C.1 Exchange of views of the Committee on a draft Commission Decision on the harmonisation of Member States annual reports on inspections on animal welfare during transport. The Commission's representative presented the draft Decision and informed the Member States that the draft is based on the discussions and outcomes of the three working groups already held with the Member States' experts. Member States were invited to give further comments during the meeting and also to provide written comments before 12 November 2012. They were informed of the Commission's intention to present the draft for vote in this Committee before the end of the year. C.2 Exchange of views of the Committee on a draft Commission Regulation amending Regulation (EU) No 142/2011 implementing Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down health rules as regards animal by-products and derived products not intended for human consumption and implementing Council Directive 97/78/EC as regards certain samples and items exempt from veterinary checks at the border under that Directive on placing on the market of certain rendered fats. The Commission's representative presented revision 3 of the document which was discussed on the 5th of November at the animal by-products working group. Member States were asked to send their comments to the Commission by email. M.1 Information from the Commission on the use of decoy birds for hunting The Commission's representative informed about the reports received from the Spanish authorities on the implementation of Decision 2005/734/EC on biosecurity measures to reduce the risk of transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza caused by influenza virus A subtype H5N1 from birds living in the wild to poultry and other captive birds and providing for an early detection system in areas at particular risk with regard to granting derogations for the use of decoy birds for hunting. In Spain derogations have been granted for certain areas in Catalonia and Andalucía based on prior risk assessment. The reports describe in detail the required provisions such as record keeping, identification, biosecurity measures, surveillance and laboratory testing for avian influenza. The Commission recalled that all Member States making use of a derogation according to Article 2 (b) and (c) of the said Decision should submit the required reports to the Commission. M.2 Newcastle disease in Romania. The Romanian representative informed about the confirmation on 12 October 2012 of Newcastle disease in six backyard flocks in close vicinity to each other in one village located in Brasov County. The birds were stamped out the same day and cleaning and disinfection was carried out. The 3km protection and 10 km
surveillance zones with movement restrictions were established and farm investigations performed. No further suspicions were raised. M.3 Equine infectious anaemia (EIA) in Germany. Germany provided a follow-up information on their investigations into a case of needle-transmitted EIA in North Rhine-Westphalia (see presentation). M.4 Case of brucellosis in wildlife in Haute-Savoie, France. France has provided information on a case of brucellosis in wildlife (see presentation).