Legislation
The European Parliament and the Council adopted the Regulation (EU) 2016/429 on transmissible animal diseases ("Animal Health Law") in March 2016. It is applicable from 21 April 2021. Several delegated and implementing acts have been adopted by the Commission to make the new rules applicable, including the list of animal diseases relevant for the Union intervention and categorization of animal diseases.
Implementing Regulation lists infection with bluetongue virus (serotypes 1-24) (infection with BTV) as a category C disease for optional eradication programme. Category C includes diseases with relevance to some Member States and for which measures are needed to prevent it from spreading to parts of the Union that are officially disease-free or that have eradication programs. In addition, category D and E are applicable to BT. It means that measures are needed to prevent it from spreading on account of its entry into the Union or movements between Member States and there is a need for surveillance within the Union.
This implies a change in the policy against this disease as Council Directive 2000/75/EC, applicable prior to this Regulation, provided for its immediate eradication. New provisions are laid down in Reg 689/2020 to address the new status of the disease.
Definition of BT confirmed case (Reg 689/2020 art.9):
a) the disease agent, excluding vaccine strains, has been isolated in a sample from an animal or from a group of animals; or
b) an antigen or nucleic acid specific to BTV that is not a consequence of vaccination has been identified in a sample from an animal or from a group of animals showing clinical signs consistent with BT or an epidemiological link with a suspected or confirmed case; or
c) a positive result from an indirect diagnostic method that is not a consequence of vaccination has been obtained in a sample from an animal or from a group of animals showing clinical signs consistent with the disease or an epidemiological link with a suspected or confirmed case.