27.11.2003 Official Journal of the European Union L 311/41 COMMISSION DECISION of 25 November 2003 on protection and surveillance zones in relation to bluetongue (notified under document number C(2003) 4335) (Text with EEA relevance) (2003/828/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 8(2)(d), Article 8(3), Article 9(1)(c), and the third paragraph of Article 19 thereof, Whereas: (1)  Commission Decision 2003/218EC of 27 March 2003 on protection and surveillance zones in relation to blue- tongue and on rules applicable to movements of animals in and from those zones and repealing Decision 2001/ 783[EC (3, as amended by Decision 2003/535/EC (), was adopted in the light of the bluetongue situation prevailing in the early months of 2003. That Decision demarcates protection and surveillance zones corre- sponding to specific epidemiological situations and lays down the conditions for providing exemptions from the ban on the movements of animals in and from those zones. 2)  In view of the evolution of the situation, and in particu- lar the isolation of a new serotype in Sardinia and Corsica (serotype 4) and a new incursion of serotype 2 in the Balearic Islands, the global geographic areas where protection and surveillance zones are to be established should be reconsidered. (3)  Five global ‘restriction zones' should be distinguished on the basis of the serotype(s) isolated: Balearic Islands and northern continental Italy (serotype 2 only), Sardinia and Corsica (serotypes 2 and 4), southern continental Italy (serotypes 2 and 9 and to a lesser extent 4 and 16), and two zones for Greece where different serotypes have been isolated in different localities during the previous years. (4)  Pursuant to a request made by Greece, it is appropriate to establish a distinction between the continental part of the territory of that Member State, from which exemp- tions from the exit ban may be implemented with regard to intra-Community trade, and the rest of the territory where such exemptions should be limited to domestic movements only. 0J L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 74. () OJ L 82, 29.3.2003, p. 35. O] L 184, 23.7.2003, p. 40. (5)  In view of the prohibition of vaccination in surveillance zones laid down in Directive 2000/75/EC, and of the evolution of the epidemiological situation on the ground, it is appropriate to leave the demarcation between protection and surveillance zones to be decided by the competent authority of the Member States concerned. (6)  Exemptions from the exit ban applicable to movements of animals from protection and surveillance zones should be authorised on a risk-analysis approach taking into account the data collected through the surveillance programme on the virus activity at the place of origin, the destination of the animals, and their vaccination status. (7) It is appropriate to provide for the conditions under which the transit of animals through the protection and surveillance zones should take place. (8)  For the sake of clarity of Community legislation it is appropriate to repeal Decision 2003/218/EC and to replace it by this Decision. (9)  The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1 Subject matter The purpose of this Decision is to demarcate the global geographic areas where protection and surveillance zones (‘restricted zones') shall be established by the Member states as provided for in Article 8(1) of Directive 2000/75/EC. Its purpose is also to set out the conditions for exempting from the exit ban laid down in Article 9(1)(c) and Article 10(1) of Directive 2000/75/EC (the exit ban) certain movements of animals, their sperm, ova and embryos, from those zones and through those zones (transit). This Decision does not affect movements inside a restricted zone as laid down in Article 2.