Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

Section 1 Criteria for the application of the disease prevention and control rules referred to in point (a) of Article 9(1)

The diseases for which the disease prevention and control rules referred to in point (a) of Article 9(1) apply shall be considered to have the most severe animal health, public health, economic, social or environmental impacts on the Union. Those diseases need to fulfil the following criteria:

(a)

the disease in question is:

(i)

not present in the territory of the Union;

(ii)

present only in exceptional cases (irregular introductions); or

(iii)

present in only in a very limited part of the territory of the Union;

and

(b)

the disease in question is highly transmissible; in addition to direct and indirect transmission, there may also be possibilities of airborne, waterborne or vector–borne spread. The disease may affect multiple species of kept and wild animals, or a single species of kept animals of economic importance, and may result in high morbidity and significant mortality rates.

In addition to the criteria set out in points (a) and (b), those diseases need to fulfil one or more of the following criteria:

(c)

the disease in question has a zoonotic potential with significant consequences for public health, including epidemic or pandemic potential or possible significant threats to food safety;

(d)

the disease in question has a significant impact on the economy of the Union, causing substantial costs, mainly related to its direct impact on the health and productivity of animals;

(e)

the disease in question has a significant impact on one or more of the following:

(i)

society, with in particular an impact on labour markets;

(ii)

animal welfare, by causing suffering to large numbers of animals;

(iii)

the environment, due to the direct impact of the disease or due to the measures taken to control it;

(iv)

in the long term, biodiversity or the protection of endangered species or breeds, including the possible disappearance of, or long-term damage to, those species or breeds.