Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687Show full title

CHAPTER III Repopulation with terrestrial animals of establishments in restricted zones

Article 57 Conditions to authorise the repopulation of the affected establishment

1. The competent authority shall only authorise the repopulation of the affected establishment if the following requirements are met:

(a) a final cleaning and disinfection and, when relevant, control of insects and rodents has been:

(i)

carried out, in accordance with the procedures set out in points A and C of Annex IV, using the appropriate biocidal products to ensure destruction of the relevant category A disease agent; and

(ii)

adequately documented;

(b) the monitoring period set out in Annex II for the relevant disease, calculated forwards from the date on which the final cleaning and disinfection provided for in point (a) was carried out, has elapsed.

2. The competent authority shall supervise that the final cleaning and disinfection and, when relevant, control of insects and rodents in the affected establishment is carried out in compliance with the requirements in paragraph 1(a).

3. The competent authority shall not allow access to a pasture of kept animals of listed species during the period of time during which it is considered contaminated; this period of time shall be established after carrying out a risk assessment.

4. Where for duly justified reasons the final cleaning and disinfection and, when relevant, the control of insects and rodents referred to in paragraph 1, have not been entirely accomplished in the affected establishment, the competent authority may authorise the repopulation by way of derogation from paragraph 1, provided that:

(a) a period of at least 3 months has elapsed since the preliminary cleaning and disinfection, as referred to in Article 15, was performed; and

(b) prior to granting the authorisation, the competent authority has assessed the risks deriving from that authorisation and the assessment indicates that the risk of spreading the category A disease is negligible.

Article 58 Derogation from the requirement provided for in Article 55(1)(b)

In the event of the official confirmation of an outbreak of a category A disease in food and feed businesses, assembly centres, border control posts, animal by-products establishments or any other location of relevance, including means of transport, the competent authority may authorise the reintroduction of kept animals of listed species for slaughter, assembly operations, inspection or transport, 24 hours after completion of:

(a)

the measures referred to in Articles 12, Article 14, Article 15, Article 17, Article 18 and Article 57(1)(a); and

(b)

any additional measure applied by the competent authority adapted to the specific situation.

Article 59 Requirements for the repopulation of the affected establishment with kept animals of listed species

1. The competent authority shall supervise the repopulation with kept animals of listed species of the affected establishment complying with the provisions of this Article.

2. Kept animals of listed species intended for repopulation shall:

(a) not originate from an establishment subject to the restrictions provided for in Chapter III; and

(b) be sampled for laboratory examination to rule out the presence of the disease with favourable results prior to their introduction into the establishment.

3. For the purposes of paragraph 2(b), samples shall be collected from:

(a) a representative number of all the animals to be introduced in the establishment, if they are all introduced at the same time and from the same establishment of origin; or

(b) a representative number of animals of each consignment, if animals are all to be introduced at different times or from different establishments of origin.

In the case of day-old-chicks, the competent authority may decide not to perform the sampling for laboratory examination referred to in paragraph 2(b).

4. Kept animals of listed species intended for repopulation shall be introduced in the establishments as follows:

(a) in all the epidemiological units and buildings of the affected establishment;

(b) preferably at the same time or within the monitoring period set out in Annex II for the relevant disease, calculated forwards from the date on which the first animal was introduced; or

(c) in case of open-air farming establishments or when the requirement set out in point (a) is impractical, by using sentinel animals which have been sampled for laboratory examinations with favourable results for the relevant category A disease before being introduced in the establishment.

5. Official veterinarians shall carry out at least a visit to the affected establishment on the last day of the monitoring period set out in Annex II for the relevant disease, calculated forwards from the date on which the animals were placed in the establishment, and in any case before 30 days have elapsed since that day, performing at least:

(a) documentary checks, including production, health and traceability records analysis;

(b) clinical examination of kept animals of listed species; and

(c) collection of samples of animals for laboratory examination in order to confirm or rule out the presence of the relevant category A disease.

6. Any person entering or leaving the establishment shall comply with appropriate biosecurity measures aimed at preventing the spread of the relevant category A disease.

7. Kept animals of listed species shall only leave the establishment under the authorisation of the competent authority and only after obtaining favourable results from the laboratory examination referred to in paragraph 5(c).

8. From the date that the animals were placed in the establishment until the end of the repopulation, in accordance with Article 61, the operator shall:

(a) keep up to date the records of health and production data for kept animals of listed species; and

(b) immediately notify to the competent authority any significant change in production data and any other abnormalities.

9. If unusual mortalities or clinical signs of the relevant category A disease are notified to the competent authority during the period referred to in paragraph 8, the official veterinarians shall without delay collect samples for laboratory examination to rule out the presence of the relevant category A disease.

10. The competent authority may exempt confined establishments from one or more of the provisions laid down in paragraphs 1 to 9 after assessing the risks deriving from that exemption and the assessment indicates that the risk of spreading the category A disease is negligible.

Article 60 Additional requirements for the repopulation of the affected establishment

1. The competent authority shall authorise the repopulation of the affected establishment with animals other than kept listed species taking into account the risk of spreading the relevant category A disease and the risk of vector persistence.

2. The competent authority may extend some or all the provisions provided for in Articles 57 and 59 if preventive killing as provided for in paragraph 4 of Articles 7 and 9 is applied.

Article 61 End of the repopulation of the affected establishment and lifting of disease control measures in the affected establishment

1. The repopulation of the affected establishment shall be considered finalised when the measures provided in Articles 57 and 59, and when relevant in Article 60, have been successfully completed.

2. The competent authority shall lift all the disease control measures applied in the affected establishment in accordance with this Regulation when the repopulation is considered finalised as provided for in paragraph 1.