The Dutch authorities informed the Commission, on 18 August 2006, of an outbreak of Bluetongue in Kerkrade, an area close to the Belgian and German borders. A few days later, German and Belgian authorities confirmed cases of Bluetongue in their territories, near the Dutch border.
The situation was discussed by member states' veterinary experts in the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCFCAH) on 21 August 2006. A decision was taken, in line with Directive 2000/75 on the control and eradication of Bluetongue, defining a 150 kilometre surveillance zone covering most of the Netherlands and Belgium, all of Luxembourg and areas in the German Lander of North Rhine Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Hessen. In addition, 20 kilometre standstill zones have been established around the infected farms.
The member states are invited to apply the protection measures immediately, even though the Commission still needs to formally approve the SCFCAH decision.
To reduce the spread of midges that carry the disease, farmers close to the infected areas have been instructed to spray insecticide.
