Commission Decision of 20 November 2008 on guidelines for the purpose of the risk-based animal health surveillance schemes provided for in Council Directive 2006/88/EC (notified under document number C(2008) 6787) (Text with EEA relevance) (2008/896/EC)

6.1. INTRODUCTION

The risk level of farms and mollusc farming areas varies, not only between areas having a different health status, but also within areas with the same health status(1).

Section 6.2 gives guidance on the risk factors to be taken into account when determining the risk level of farms and mollusc farming areas.

Section 6.3 sets out a model which may be used for the classification of farms and mollusc farming areas as having a high, medium or low risk level. Member States may use other models to determine the risk level of farms and mollusc farming areas, if such models are considered more suited in a given situation.

These guidelines do not provide information concerning the way Member States should apply the model set out in Section 6.3. Member States may:

(a)

apply that model to each individual farm and mollusc farming area to determine its individual risk level; or

(b)

use the model to catalogue the different types of farms and mollusc farming areas on their territory and, on that basis, define which categories of farms and mollusc farming areas should be regarded as having a low, medium or high risk level.

(1)

For example, a farm which is declared free of a listed non-exotic disease, in general presents a low risk of spreading such a disease. However, a farm producing its own juveniles presents a much lower risk than a farm buying all its juveniles from one or more different suppliers.