Special information obligations of the Member States concerned
1. The Member States concerned shall ensure that at least railway, coach, airport and port operators, travel agencies, hunting trip organisers and postal services operators are required to draw the attention of their customers to the special disease control measures laid down in this Regulation, by providing information at least on the main prohibitions laid down in Articles 9, 11, 12, 48 and 49 to travellers moving from restricted zones I, II and III and customers of postal services in an appropriate way.
For that purpose, the Member States concerned shall organise and carry out regular public awareness campaigns to promote and spread information on the special disease control measures laid down in this Regulation.
2. The Member States concerned shall inform the Commission and the other Member States within the framework of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, of the following:
(a)
changes in the epidemiological situation as regards African swine fever in their territory;
(b)
results of surveillance for African swine fever in kept and wild porcine animals carried out in restricted zones I, II and III and areas outside those restricted zones;
(c)
the results of surveillance for African swine fever in kept and wild porcine animals carried out in areas listed in Annex II;
(d)
other measures and initiatives taken to prevent, control and eradicate African swine fever.
Special trainings obligations of the Member States concerned
The Member States concerned shall organise and carry out regularly or at appropriate intervals specific trainings concerning the risks of African swine fever and possible prevention, control and eradication measures for at least the following targeted groups:
(a)
veterinarians;
(b)
farmers keeping porcine animals and other relevant operators and transporters;
(c)
hunters.
Special information obligations of all Member States
1. All Member States shall ensure that:
(a)
on major land infrastructure routes, such as international communication roads and railways, and related land transport networks, appropriate information on the risks of the transmission of African swine fever and on the special disease control measures laid down in this Regulation are brought to the attention of travellers:
(i)
in a visible and prominent manner;
(ii)
presented in a way that is easily understood by travellers coming from, and going to:
—
the restricted zones I, II and III; or
—
third countries at risk of the spread of African swine fever;
(b)
the necessary measures are in place to raise awareness among stakeholders active in the kept porcine animals sector including small-size establishments of the risks for the introduction and spread of the African swine fever virus and to provide them with the most appropriate information on reinforced biosecurity measures for establishments of kept porcine animals located in the restricted zones I, II or III as provided for in Annex III, in particular the measures to be enforced in restricted zones I, II and III, by the means best suited to bring such information to their attention.
2. All Member States shall raise awareness on African swine fever among the following:
(a)
the public as provided for in Article 15 of Regulation (EU) 2016/429;
(b)
veterinarians, farmers, other relevant operators and transporters and hunters.
3. All Member States shall provide the public and professionals listed in paragraph 2 with the most appropriate information on risk mitigation and reinforced biosecurity measures as set out in:
(a)
Annex III;
(b)
The Union’s guidelines on African swine fever as agreed with the Member States at the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed;
(c)
available scientific evidence provided by the European Food Safety Authority;
(d)
the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health.
