Presidential Decree No. 31 introducing measures for the control of avian influenza, in compliance with Council Directive 92/40/EEC.

This Decree defines control measures to be applied in the event of an outbreak of avian influenza in poultry holdings, without prejudice to the Community provisions governing intra-Community trade and in compliance with Council Directive 92/40/EEC and the Annexes attached thereto. The provisions of the Decree shall not apply where avian influenza is detected in other birds; however, in this case, the competent authority of the Ministry of Agriculture (General Directorate for Livestock) shall inform the European Commission of any measure taken. For the purpose of this Decree, the definitions given in Presidential Order No. 211/1992 shall apply as appropriate. If poultry in a holding are suspected of being infected or contaminated with avian influenza, immediate and compulsory notification must be given to the competent authorities so as to activate the official veterinary investigation arrangements with the aim to confirm or rule out the presence of the disease. If the presence of avian influenza is officially confirmed, the rules and procedures for the destruction and incineration of infected animals, demarcation of protection and surveillance zones, cleaning and disinfection operations, drawing up contingency plans, use of vaccines, etc., prescribed to this Decree, shall apply. the Institute of Infections and Parasitological Diseases in Thessaloniki shall be the designated national reference laboratory. Its functions and duties are defined in Annex V to this Decree.