Commission Directive (EU) 2020/739 of 3 June 2020 amending Annex III to Directive 2000/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the inclusion of SARS-CoV-2 in the list of biological agents known to infect humans and amending Commission Directive (EU) 2019/1833

• CELEX: Directive (EU) 2020/739
• Articles: 6

Article 1

Annex III to Directive 2000/54/EC is amended as set out in the Annex to this Directive.

Article 2

In Article 2 of Directive (EU) 2019/1833, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following:

‘1.   Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by 20 November 2021 at the latest. However, Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with the amendments to Annexes V and VI to Directive 2000/54/EC, insofar as they relate to the biological agent SARS-CoV-2, by 24 November 2020 at the latest.

They shall forthwith communicate to the Commission the text of the provisions referred to in the first subparagraph.

When Member States adopt those measures, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or shall be accompanied by such a reference on the occasion of their official publication. Member States shall determine how such reference is to be made.’

Article 3

1.   Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by 24 November 2020 at the latest. They shall forthwith communicate to the Commission the text of those provisions.

When Member States adopt those measures, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or shall be accompanied by such a reference on the occasion of their official publication. Member States shall determine how such reference is to be made.

2.   Member States shall communicate to the Commission the text of the main provisions of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive.

Article 4

This Directive shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union .

Article 5

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

Schedules & Appendices

ANNEX

ANNEX

In Annex III to Directive 2000/54/EC, in the table concerning VIRUSES (Order ‘Nidovirales’, Family ‘

Coronaviridae

’, Genus ‘Betacoronavirus’) the following entry is inserted between ‘Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-virus)’ and ‘Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-virus)’:

‘Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)  ( 1 )

3

( 1 )   In line with Article 16(1)(c), non-propagative diagnostic laboratory work involving SARS-CoV-2 should be conducted at a facility using procedures equivalent to at least containment level 2. Propagative work involving SARS-CoV-2 should be conducted at a containment level 3 laboratory with air pressure negative to atmosphere. ’