L 327/24 Official Journal of the European Union 5.12.2008 COMMISSION DECISION of 28 November 2008 authorising certain Member States to revise their annual BSE monitoring programme (notified under document number C(2008) 7288) (Only the texts in Spanish, Danish, German, Greek, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Finnish and Swedish are authentic) (2008/908/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2001 laying down rules for the prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (1), and in particular the second subparagraph of Article 6(1b) thereof, Whereas: 1 Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 lays down rules for the prevention, control and eradication of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) in animals. It provides that each Member State is to carry out an annual monitoring programme for TSEs based on active and passive surveillance, in accordance with Annex III to that Regulation. Article 6(1b) of Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 provides that Member States which can demonstrate the improvement of the epidemiological situation of the country, according to certain criteria to be laid down in accordance with the procedure referred to in that Article, may apply for their annual monitoring programmes to be revised. Point 7 of Part I of Chapter A of Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 lays down information that has to be submitted to the Commission and epidemiological criteria that have to be complied with by Members States wishing to revise their annual monitoring programmes. On 17 July 2008, the European Food Safety Authority released two scientific opinions relating to the revision of the BSE monitoring regime in some Member States. Those opinions provide an assessment on the level of additional risk to human and animal health following the implementation of a revised BSE monitoring regime in the 15 Member States of the Community before () O] L 147, 31.5.2001, p. 1. (10) (11) 1 May 2004, and conclude that less than one BSE case would be missed annually in those Member States if the age of the bovine animal covered by the BSE monitoring was increased from 24 months to 48 months. On 17 July 2008, Italy submitted to the Commission an application to revise its annual BSE monitoring programme. On 7 August 2008, Ireland submitted to the Commission an application to revise its annual BSE monitoring programme. On 13 August 2008, Austria submitted to the Commission an application to revise its annual BSE monitoring programme. On 13 August 2008, Denmark submitted to the Commission an application to revise its annual BSE monitoring programme. On 15 August 2008, the United Kingdom submitted to the Commission an application to revise its annual BSE monitoring programme. On 20 August 2008, Luxembourg submitted to the Commission an application to revise its annual BSE monitoring programme. On 28 August 2008, Germany submitted to the Commission an application to revise its annual BSE monitoring programme. On 28 August 2008, the Netherlands submitted to the Commission an application to revise its annual BSE monitoring programme. On 29 August 2008, Finland submitted to the Commission an application to revise its annual BSE monitoring programme. On 29 August 2008, Sweden submitted to the Commission an application to revise its annual BSE monitoring programme.