L 266/42 Official Journal of the European Union 2.10.2012 COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION of 26 September 2012 on emergency measures to prevent the spread within the Union of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner et Buhrer) Nickle et al. (the pine wood nematode) (notified under document C(2012) 6543) (2012/535/EV) THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Having regard to Council Directive 2000/29/EC of 8 May 2000 on protective measures against the introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the Community (), and in particular Article 16(3) fourth sentence thereof, Whereas: (1) O] 0] Commission Decision 2006/133/EC (%) requires Member States temporarily to take additional measures against the dissemination of pine wood nematode (PWN) as regards areas in Portugal, other than those in which it is known not to occur. PWN outbreaks in Spain and repeated interceptions by other Member States of PWN-infested pine wood, wood packaging material and bark from Portugal show that the risk has increased that PWN might spread out of areas in Portugal, in which PWN is known to occur. The economic, social and environ- mental impact of PWN spread across the Union would be unacceptably large. It is therefore appropriate to extend the scope of the measures concerning PWN to all Member States. With a view to prevent PWN introduction and spread, Member States should carry out annual surveys for the presence of PWN in areas where it is not known to occur and adopt contingency plans to be prepared for findings of the presence of PWN. In case PWN is found to be present in an area where it was not known to occur, Member States should demarcate the areas where eradication measures are to be applied. Those measures should include precautionary felling of susceptible plants in the infested zone and in a zone with a radius of 500 m around the plants infested with PWN, together with intensified surveillance for the presence of PWN throughout the demarcated area. Where a Member State concludes that the felling of susceptible plants up to 500 m from the plants infested with PWN would be disproportionate, for example when L 169, 10.7.2000, p. 1. L 52, 23.2.2006, p. 34. () () the affected zone includes areas protected in accordance with Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (%) and Directive 2009/147EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds (4, alternative risk management options should be available involving a reduced amount of felling of susceptible plants. In that case, alternative safeguards should be provided to ensure an equivalent level of mitigation of the risk of spread of PWN. The main objective of measures concerning PWN should be eradication, with containment being allowed only in areas where eradication is not a feasible goal. In order to ensure that eradication is achieved where possible, Member States should implement eradication measures for as a minimum of four years. However, where eradi- cation is impossible, Member States should, in certain cases, be allowed to apply containment measures even before the expiry of the four-year period. Member States should communicate the eradication and containment measures that they have taken or have decided to take to the Commission and the other Member States. The operators concerned and the public should be informed about eradication and containment measures taken. Movements of susceptible plants and susceptible wood and bark within demarcated areas and out of those areas should be subject to certain restrictions. Member States should carry out checks on whether those prohib- itions and restrictions are complied with and, where relevant, impose corrective measures. Where the restrictions concerning movement of susceptible wood and bark include requirements for treatment of such wood and bark, Member States should authorise and supervise facilities which are adequately equipped to carry out such treatment and to issue plant passports or to mark treated susceptible wood or bark. Rules should be set out for the authorisation and supervision of such facilities. Rules should also be set out for the authorisation and supervision of wood packaging material producers that apply such marking. 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7. 0J L 0J L 20, 26.1.2010, p. 7.