3.12.2015   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 317/37

(1)

Avian influenza is an infectious viral disease in birds, including poultry. Infections with avian influenza viruses in domestic poultry cause two main forms of that disease that are distinguished by their virulence. The low pathogenic form generally only causes mild symptoms, while the highly pathogenic form results in very high mortality rates in most poultry species. That disease may have a severe impact on the profitability of poultry farming.

(2)

Avian influenza is mainly found in birds, but under certain circumstances infections can also occur in humans even though the risk is generally very low.

(3)

In the event of an outbreak of avian influenza, there is a risk that the disease agent might spread to other holdings where poultry or other captive birds are kept. As a result it may spread from one Member State to other Member States or to third countries through trade in live birds or their products.

(4)

Council Directive 2005/94/EC (3) sets out certain preventive measures relating to the surveillance and the early detection of avian influenza and the minimum control measures to be applied in the event of an outbreak of that disease in poultry or other captive birds. That Directive provides for the establishment of protection and surveillance zones in the event of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

(5)

France notified the Commission of outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) of the subtype H5 namely H5N1 and H5N2 in holdings on its territory where poultry or other captive birds are kept.

(6)

Ongoing laboratory investigations including sequencing in order to further characterise the causative virus of the first outbreak suggest that the genetics of the HPAI H5N1 virus strain are different from the HPAI virus of the H5N1 subtype that first appeared in Europe in 2005. Rather it appears that the HPAI virus strain of the H5N1 subtype detected in France recently mutated from a low pathogenic form previously detected in the Union to a virus of high pathogenicity. It appears therefore not necessary to apply the same additional protection measures as those laid down in Commission Decision 2006/415/EC (4) which were specifically adopted for the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus of H5N1 subtype that first appeared in Europe in 2005.

(7)

France took therefore immediately control measures required pursuant to Directive 2005/94/EC, including the establishment of protection and surveillance zones.

(8)

The Commission has examined those measures in collaboration with France, and it is satisfied that the borders of the protection and surveillance zones, established by the competent authority in that Member State, are at a sufficient distance to the actual holdings where the outbreaks were confirmed.

(9)

In order to prevent any unnecessary disturbance to trade within the Union and to avoid unjustified barriers to trade being imposed by third countries, it is necessary to rapidly define the protection and surveillance zones established in France at Union level in collaboration with that Member State.

(10)

Accordingly, the protection and surveillance zones in France, where the animal health control measures as laid down in Directive 2005/94/EC are applied, should be defined in the Annex to this Decision and the duration of that regionalisation fixed.

(11)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,