No L 133/38 Official Journal of the European Communities 24. 5. 97 COMMISSION DECISION of 12 May 1997 approving the measures to be implemented as regards bovine spongiform encephalopathy in Ireland (97/312/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Directive 90/425/EEC of 26 June 1990 concerning veterinary and zootechnical checks applicable in intra-Community trade in certain live animals and products with a view to the completion of the internal market ('), as last amended by Directive 92/118/EEC (3, and in particular Article 10 (4) thereof, Having regard to Council Directive 89/662/EEC of 11 December 1989 concerning veterinary checks in intra- Community trade with a view to the completion of the internal market (?), as last amended by Directive 92/118/EEC, and in particular Article 9 (4) thereof, Whereas according to the second subparagraph of Article 9 (1) of Directive 89/662/EEC and the second subpara- graph of Article 10 (1) of Directive 90/425/EEC, the Member State of origin shall implement on its territory the appropriate measures to prevent all situations which may constitute a serious hazard to animals or to human health; Whereas, to protect animal and human health in the Community, the Commission adopted Decision 94/474/EC of 27 July 1994 concerning certain protection measures relating to bovine spongiform encephalopathy and repealing Decisions 89/469/EEC and 90/200/EEC (%), as last amended by Decision 95/287/EC(°), Decision 92/290/EEC of 14 May 1992 concerning certain protec- tion measures relating to bovine embryos in respect of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the United Kingdom (¢), as amended by the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden, Decision 94/381/EC of 27 June 1994 concerning certain protection measures with regard to bovine spongiform encephalopathy and the feeding of mammalian derived protein (), as amended by Decision 95/60/EC (*), Decision 94/382/EC of 27 June L 224, 18. 8. 1990, p. 29. L 62, 15. 3. 1993, p. 49. L 395, 30. 12. 1989, p. 13. 9 O] No L 194, 29. 7. 1994, p. 96. L 181, 1. 8. 1995, p. 40. L 152, 4. 6. 1992, p. 37. L 172, 7. 7. 1994, p. 23. L 55 11. 3. 1995, p. 43. 1994 on the approval of alternative heat treatment systems for processing animal waste of ruminant origin, with a view to the inactivation of spongiform encephalo- pathy agents (°), as amended by Decision 95/29/EC (%), Decision 96/239/EC of 27 March 1996 on emergency measures to protect against bovine spongiform encephalo- pathy ('), as amended by Decision 96/362/EC ('3 and Decision 96/449/EC of 18 July 1996 on the approval of alternative heat treatment systems for processing animal waste with a view to the inactivation of spongiform ence- phalopathy agents (**); Whereas upon the publication in March 1996 of new information on certain cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease where the link to BSE could not be ruled out, Com- munity institutions have recognized that decisive action must be taken in order to control and finally eradicate BSE; Whereas Ireland has had cases of BSE in its native cattle; Whereas in order to control BSE, Decision 96/449/EC will require from 1 April 1997 that animal waste is processed in a system which achieves a minimum of 133 °C at 3 bars for 20 minutes; whereas in addition the Scientific Veterinary Committee has recommended that specified risk material (SRM), which are defined as: (a) the skull, including the brain and eyes but excluding the tongue, and spinal cord of: — bovine animals aged over 12 months, — ovine and caprine animals aged over 12 months or which have a permanent incisor tooth erupted through the gum; (b) the spleen of animals of the ovine and caprine species; should be excluded from the food and feed chains; Whereas, in November 1996, Ireland presented to the Commission a plan laying down supplementary measures to control and eradicate BSE in Ireland, hereafter referred to as ‘the plan’, whereas Ireland has, on 24 February 1997, presented an amended version of the plan; ) OJ No L 38, 18. 2. 1995, p. 17. ) OJ No L 78, 28. 3. 1996, p. 47. ) OJ No L 139, 12. 6. 1996, p. 17. ) OJ No L 184, 24. 7. 1996, p. 43.