Ministerial Decree No. 349702 establishing the Programme for monitoring, control and eradication of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) in small ruminants.

The present Decree approves the implementation, as from 1 January of 2010, of the Program for monitoring, control and eradication of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) in small ruminants which shall cover the entire national territory for the years 2010 and 2011. The Programme aims at: (a) the systematic research and differential diagnosis of TSE in small ruminants through the implementation of suitable laboratory testing techniques for active and passive monitoring of the disease; (b) on positive cases of BSE and scrapie, either the eradication of the causative factor or the control and containment of the disease; (c) the exclusion of the virus from the food chain of persons and animals. With the provisions of this Decree are determined the details of application of the Programme according to the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 as amended and in force. In particular, are outlined the status categories to be applied to the holdings, the standards which must be attained in each category and the test procedures to be used; the programme monitoring procedures; the action to be taken if, for any reason, a holding loses its status; the measures to be taken if the results of checks carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Programme are positive.