Commission Decision

of 15 March 2005

amending Decision 2003/135/EC as regards the termination of the plans for the eradication of classical swine fever in feral pigs and the emergency vaccination of feral pigs against classical swine fever in certain areas of the Federal State of Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany)

(notified under document number C(2005) 596)

(Only the German and French texts are authentic)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2005/236/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 2001/89/EC of 23 October 2001 on Community measures for the control of classical swine fever [1], and in particular Article 16(1) and 20(2) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Commission Decision 2003/135/EC of 27 February 2003 on the approval of the plans for the eradication of classical swine fever and the emergency vaccination of feral pigs against classical swine fever in Germany, in the Federal States of Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland [2] was adopted as one of a number of measures to combat classical swine fever.

(2) The German authorities have informed the Commission about the recent evolution of the disease in feral pigs in certain areas of Rhineland-Palatinate.

(3) This information indicates that classical swine fever in feral pigs has been successfully eradicated and that the approved eradication and vaccination plans do not need to be applied anymore in these areas.

(4) Decision 2003/135/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

(5) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The Annex to Decision 2003/135/EC is replaced by the text in the Annex to this Decision.

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to the Federal Republic of Germany and the French Republic.

Done at Brussels, 15 March 2005.

For the Commission

Markos Kyprianou

Member of the Commission

[1] OJ L 316, 1.12.2001, p. 5. Directive as amended by the 2003 Act of Accession.

[2] OJ L 53, 28.2.2003, p. 47. Decision as last amended by Decision 2005/58/EC (OJ L 24, 27.1.2005, p. 45).

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