Disease free status & eradication programmes for Category C diseases, Declarations

Disease free status for a Category C disease of aquatic animals may be granted to a Member State, zone or compartment, which complies with the rules, which are set out in Chapter 4 of Part II of Regulation (EU) 2016/429. 

Those rules are supplemented by further rules, which are set out in Chapter 4 of Part II of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689.

One of the pathways by which disease free status for a particular Category C disease may be obtained is following the completion of an eradication programme in accordance with the rules, which are set out in Chapter 3 of Part II of Regulation (EU) 2016/429. 

Those rules are supplemented by further rules, which are set out in Chapter 3 of Part II of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689.

Annexes XII to XVII to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/620, set out details of the Member States whose whole territory have disease free status or an approved eradication programme for a Category C disease, as well as zones or compartments of a Member State where >75% of the territory of the Member State have disease free status or are subject to an eradication programme, and zones or compartments of a Member State which have disease free status or are subject to an eradication programme, where the water catchment supplying those zones or compartments is shared with another Member State or non-EU country.

Declarations of disease-free status or of the commencement of an eradication programme for zones and compartments other than those referred to in the above paragraph, may be declared in accordance with the procedure set out in Article 83 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689.

Details of Member States, zones and compartments which have disease-free status for a Category C disease of aquatic animals may be found here.

Declarations made in accordance with Article 83 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689, should contain data pursuant to:

• Chapter 3 of Part II of Regulation (EU) 2020/689 and Article 10 of Regulation (EU) 2020/2002, concerning eradication programmes;
• Chapter 4 of Part II of Regulation (EU) 2020/689 and Article 11 of Regulation (EU) 2020/2002, concerning declarations of disease-free status.

The data to be included in such declarations is as follows:

• eradication programmes
• disease-free status

For further information contact SANTE-AQUA-DECLARATIONSec [dot] europa [dot] eu (SANTE AQUA DECLARATIONS).

Before obtaining the disease free status or the status of under an eradication programme for compartments or zones comprising less than 75% of their territory, Member States shall publish electronically a provisional declaration and alert the Commission and the other Member States. Declarations shall take effect 60 days after the date of the publication. 

Within the 60-day period, the Commission or Member States may seek clarification or additional information in relation to the supporting evidence provided by the Member State making the provisional declaration and follow other elements of the procedure provided for in Article 83 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689.