6.7.2002 Official Journal of the European Communities L177/23 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 5 July 2002 for the implementation of a Bluetongue vaccination programme in Italy and the purchase of vaccine for this purpose (notified under document number C(2002) 2525) (Only the Italian text is authentic) (2002/545[EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Directive 2000/75/EC () laying down specific provisions for the control and eradication of Blue- tongue and in particular Article 9(2), Having regard to Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June 1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field (3, as last amended by Council Decision 2001/572/EC (°), and in particular Article 3(3) and (5), Whereas: (1)  During 2000 Bluetongue outbreaks were notified in different Italian regions: Sardinia, Sicily and Calabria. (2)  During 2001 the disease reappeared in those regions and extended up north to new areas in Tuscany and Lazio. (3)  The loss due to those two outbreaks can be estimated to about 300 000 sheep. (4)  The Italian authorities postponed the vaccination campaign which was supposed to be carried out in 2001. (5)  In 2002 Italy is in a situation to start this vaccination campaign in all the affected regions and the neigh- bouring ones. (6)  The objective of this campaign is to prevent further sheep mortality and a spread of the disease to the rest of the territory of the Community, by interrupting the virus circulation in the protection zone demarcated around the outbreaks. L 327,22.12.2000, p. 74. L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 19. L 203, 28.7.2001, p. 16. ) (10) (11) In addition to the vaccine already furnished by the Commission or directly purchased by Italy, the amount of vaccine still needed for the 2002 campaign is of 4200 000 doses of monovalent 2 and of 2 300 000 doses of monovalent 9. Up to now, no Bluetongue vaccine has been produced by the pharmaceutical industry based in the Member States and the Onderstepoort laboratory in South Africa is the only laboratory which may produce that vaccine type. Nevertheless the Italian institute of Teramo (IZS) could be soon in a situation to produce, for the first time in Europe, a monovalent serotype 9 vaccine which could be used in place of the vaccine produced in South Africa. Pursuant to Article 3(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1258/1999 (), veterinary and plant-health measures undertaken in accordance with Community rules shall be financed under the Guarantee Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund; for financial control purposes, Articles 8 and 9 of Council Regulation (EC) No 12581999 apply. The financial contribution from the Community shall be granted provided that the actions planned are efficiently carried out and that the authorities supply all the neces- sary information within the time limits laid down. The measures provided for in this Decision are in accor- dance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, () OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 103.