Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/1895
of 7 November 2019
recognising several islands in Portugal as free from varroosis and amending the Annex to Implementing Decision 2013/503/EU
(notified under document C(2019) 7905)
(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Directive 92/65/EEC of 13 July 1992 laying down animal health requirements governing trade in and imports into the Community of animals, semen, ova and embryos not subject to animal health requirements laid down in specific Community rules referred to in Annex A (I) to Directive 90/425/EEC, and in particular Article 15(2) thereof,
OJ L 268, 14.9.1992, p. 54.
Whereas:
(1) Article 15 of Directive 92/65/EEC provides that where a Member State considers that its territory or part of its territory is free from one of the diseases listed in Annex B thereto, it is to submit to the Commission appropriate documentation on the basis of which a Decision is to be adopted recognising that Member State or part of its territory as free and to define additional trade guarantees which may be required.
(2) Varroosis in honey bees is listed under its former name of ‘varroasis’ in Annex B to Directive 92/65/EEC and Commission Implementing Decision 2013/503/EU has already recognised several territories in Member States as free therefrom. Those territories are listed in the Annex to Implementing Decision 2013/503/EU together with the additional trade guarantees.
Commission Implementing Decision 2013/503/EU of 11 October 2013 recognising parts of the Union as free from varroosis in bees and establishing additional guarantees required in intra-Union trade and imports for the protection of their varroosis-free status (OJ L 273, 15.10.2013, p. 38).
(3) Portugal requested the Commission to recognise the islands of Corvo, Graciosa, São Jorge, Santa Maria, São Miguel and Terceira of the Açores Archipelago as free from varroosis, asked for additional trade guarantees to be defined corresponding to those which are implemented nationally and submitted appropriate detailed documentation defined in Article 15(1) of Directive 92/65/EEC to substantiate its request.
(4) In light of the detailed documentation, submitted by Portugal, the islands of Corvo, Graciosa, São Jorge, Santa Maria, São Miguel and Terceira should be considered as territories of Portugal free from varroosis and listed in the Annex to Implementing Decision 2013/503/EU along with the additional trade guarantees.
(5) Implementing Decision 2013/503/EU should therefore be amended accordingly.
(6) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1 The following entry shall be inserted in the table laid down in the Annex to Implementing Decision 2013/503/EU between the entry for Finland and the entry for the United Kingdom in that table:
PT	Portugal	Island of Corvo	PT01300 FLORES (SANTA CRUZ)	Bees (Apis mellifera) in any stage of their life cycle including swarms, queens, colonies and used beehives and frames
		Island of Graciosa	PT05200 GRACIOSA (SANTA CRUZ DA GRACIOSA)	
		Island of São Jorge	PT02700 SAO JORGE (VELAS)	
		Island of Santa Maria	PT02500 SANTA MARIA (VILA DO PORTO)	
		Island of São Miguel	PT02600 SAO MIGUEL (PONTA DELGADA)	
		Island of Terceira	PT02800 TERCEIRA (ANGRA DO HEROISMO)	
Article 2 This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 7 November 2019.
For the Commission
Vytenis Andriukaitis
Member of the Commission