Brussels, 17/01/2006 (Agence Europe) - The new directive concerning Community measures to combat bird flu is published in the Official Journal L 10 of 14 January 2006, after adoption of the text on 20 December by the Council of Ministers of EU Member States (EUROPE 9094). These new rules come into force the twentieth day after publication in the Official Journal. Nonetheless, Member States have until 1 July 2007 to transpose the directive into national legislation.
The new directive, which replaces that of 1992, makes it an obligation for Member States to achieve surveillance programmes with a view to detecting, among different poultry species, the prevalence of infection by the H5 and H7 sub-strains of the avian flu virus. Member States must also notify all outbreaks of bird flu. Epidemiological investigations will be carried out, covering the length of time during which avian flu may have been present on the holding or other premises or means of transport, and on the possible origin of avian influenza. The directive gives details of measures to be taken by the relevant Member State authorities during outbreaks of bird flu: - culling and destruction of poultry and other captive birds present on the holding, protection zones, bans on all movement and transport and the possibility of using emergency vaccination of poultry or other birds in captivity. Preventive vaccination is also a possibility. The new directive also provides for the possibility of creating a Community bank for stockpiling Community reserves of vaccines against avian influenza. Member States may have access to the Community vaccine bank, upon request to the Commission.