L 214/66 Official Journal of the European Union 9.8.2008 COMMISSION DECISION of 24 July 2008 approving the emergency vaccination plans against bluetongue of certain Member States and fixing the level of the Community’s financial contribution for 2007 and 2008 (notified under document number C(2008) 3757) (Only the Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish texts are authentic) (2008/655[EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Directive 2000/75/EC  of 20 November 2000 laying down specific provisions for the control and eradication of bluetongue ('), and in particular Article 9(2) thereof, Having regard to Council Decision 90/424[/EEC of 26 June 1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field (?), and in particular Article 3(3), (4) and the second indent of (5) thereof, Whereas: (1) In 2007 outbreaks of bluetongue have occurred in several Member States, and more particularly bluetongue serotype 8 in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Spain, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and bluetongue serotype 1 in France, Spain and Portugal. In 2008 outbreaks of bluetongue serotype 8 occurred for the first time in Italy. (2)  Bluetongue is a vector-borne disease, for which slaughter of animals of susceptible species is not in general an appropriate measure except in the case of animals clinically affected with bluetongue. The emergence of this disease may represent a serious risk to the Community’s livestock population. (3)  Commission Regulation (EC) No 1266/2007 of 26 October 2007 on implementing rules for Council Directive 2000/75/EC as regards the control, monitoring, surveillance and restrictions on movements of certain animals of susceptible species in relation to blue- tongue (}) was adopted by the Commission in order to demarcate the restricted zones, including the protection () O] L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 74. Directive as last amended by Commission Decision 2007/729/EC (O] L 294, 13.11.2007, p. 26). (3 OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 19. Decision as last amended by Decision 2006/965(EC (O] L 397, 30.12.2006, p. 22). (®) OJ L 283, 27.10.2007, p. 37. Regulation as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 708/2008 (O] L 197, 25.7.2008, p. 18). and surveillance zones, and set out the conditions governing movements of animals from these zones. Vaccination is the most efficient veterinary measure that may be used to fight bluetongue, and a mass emergency vaccination campaign is the best option to achieve the objectives of reducing clinical disease and losses, containing the spread of the disease, protecting free terri- tories in the Member States and facilitating safe trade in live animals. The vaccination of animals against blue- tongue in the Member States concerned should therefore be approved in accordance with Article 9(2) of Directive 2000/75/EC. Vaccination against a particular bluetongue serotype has to be considered an emergency measure when it is im- plemented for the first time in a territory after the incursion of a new serotype. However, subsequent vacci- nation campaigns against the same serotype in the same territories are not anymore to be considered as emergency measures but should be considered in the context of eradication programmes. In order to prevent the spread of the disease as rapidly as possible, the Community should contribute financially to the eligible expenditure incurred by the Member States concerned in the context of the emergency measures taken to combat the disease, as provided for in Decision 90/424/EEC. Since the Community is not in a position to supply the vaccines, the purchase of the vaccine doses should be considered eligible expenditure. The Member States concerned have informed the Commission and the other Member States of the measures applied in accordance with the Community legislation to combat the recent outbreaks of bluetongue. Those Member States have presented their plans for emergency vaccination indicating the approximate number of vaccine doses to be used in 2007 and 2008 and the estimated costs of carrying out those vacci- nations. The Commission has assessed these plans from both the veterinary and the financial point of view and the plans were found to comply with relevant Community veterinary legislation.