When deciding about the measures to be taken in application of this Directive, and in particular the measures provided for in Article 52(2), Member States shall in addition to a thorough epidemiological assessment consider the definitions of DPLAs as provided for in point 3.2. or where applicable as provided for in Article 2(u) of Directive 2001/89/EC and use the definition which is the more stringent.

The definition may be modified in the light of new scientific evidence in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 89(2).

In the case of animals of susceptible species a DPLA shall be a geographical area, with a radius of 10 km around a holding containing animals of susceptible species suspected of or infected with foot-and-mouth disease, where there is a density of animals of susceptible species higher than 1 000 head per km². The holding in question must be situated either in a sub-region as defined in Article 2(s) where there is a density of animals of susceptible species higher than 450 head per km² or at a distance of less than 20 km from such a sub-region.