Ministerial Decree No. 349703 establishing the Programme for Bluetongue monitoring.

The Decree implements, as from 1 January 2010, the Programme for epidemiological monitoring of Bluetongue in Greece for the year 2010. The Programme shall have the duration of one year. The objectives of the Programme are: (a) the systematic research and differential diagnosis of Bluetongue disease with the application of suitable laboratory testing techniques and its monitoring; (b) on the appearance of any signs suggesting bluetongue on sentinel groups and vector populations, the enabling of further research (clinical and laboratorial) for the exclusion or not of the Bluetongue virus circulation within specific areas; (c) the research through monitoring of the type and the propagation of the insects of the genus Culicoides capable of transmitting bluetongue. The Decree lays down the technical detailed rules for the implementation of the Programme, according to the requirements of Council Directive 2000/75/EC and Regulation (EC) No 1266/2007.