Directive 2000/75/EC lays down control rules and measures to combat and eradicate bluetongue. They include the establishment of protection and surveillance zones (‘restricted zones’), the implementation of bluetongue monitoring and surveillance programmes, and an exit ban on animals leaving the restricted zones (‘the exit ban’).

Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 1266/2007 sets out the minimum requirements for the bluetongue monitoring and surveillance programmes. Annex III to that Regulation sets out the conditions for exemption from the exit ban with regard to animals, their semen, ova and embryos. Annex V to that Regulation sets out criteria for the purpose of determining a bluetongue seasonally-free zone.

It is essential that appropriate bluetongue monitoring and surveillance programmes are in place to achieve, among others, the objectives of the detection of the presence of the bluetongue virus at the earliest possible stage, to demonstrate the absence of general or specific bluetongue virus serotypes, and for the determination of the seasonally vector-free period. The bluetongue monitoring and surveillance programmes should include minimum requirements for Member States, while ensuring sufficient flexibility to take account of local epidemiological conditions.

A mass emergency vaccination campaign against various types of bluetongue is being implemented in the EU. The vaccination of animals against that disease represents a major change of the immune status of the susceptible species population and has implications for bluetongue surveillance and monitoring programmes. Therefore, certain modifications to the requirements for the programmes need to be made.

Annex V to Regulation (EC) No 1266/2007 sets out criteria for the purpose of determining a bluetongue seasonally-free zone. For reasons of clarification and a more harmonized approach, the beginning and the end of the seasonally vector-free period should be based on standardized surveillance data.

Section B of Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 1266/2007 sets out conditions for exemption from the exit ban with regard to semen. It provides that semen must have been obtained from donor animals which comply with certain conditions, in order to be exempted. In the interests of certainty of Community legislation, it is appropriate to clarify certain requirements as regards the testing regimes of semen donor animals, in particular as regards post-collection testing.

Regulation (EC) No 1266/2007 should therefore be amended accordingly.

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