L 50/46 Official Journal of the European Union 23.2.2012 COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION of 10 February 2012 concerning preventive vaccination against low pathogenic avian influenza in mallard ducks in Portugal and certain measures restricting the movements of such poultry and their products (notified under document C(2012) 676) (Only the Portuguese text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2012/110/EV) THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Having regard to Council Directive 2005/94/EC  of 20 December 2005 on Community measures for the control of avian influenza and repealing Directive 92/40/EEC (), and in particular Article 57(2) thereof, Whereas: (1)  Directive 2005/94/EC sets out certain preventive measures relating to the surveillance and the early detection of avian influenza and increasing the level of the competent authorities’ and the farming community’s awareness of, and preparation for, the risks of that disease. (2)  Following outbreaks of low pathogenic avian influenza in 2007 and 2008 in certain poultry holdings in central and western Portugal, in particular in holdings that keep poultry intended for re-stocking supplies of game, an emergency vaccination plan was carried out pursuant to Commission Decision 2008/285/EC of 19 March 2008 concerning emergency vaccination against low pathogenic avian influenza in mallard ducks in Portugal and certain measures restricting the movements of such poultry and their products (?) and that disease was successfully eradicated. (3)  However, based on a risk assessment it was decided that high value mallard breeding ducks kept on one holding located in the region of Lisboa e Vale do Tejo, Ribatejo Norte, Vila Nova da Barquinha continued to be exposed to the potential risk of avian influenza infection, in particular by possible indirect contact with wild birds (‘the holding’). () O] L 10, 14.1.2006, p. 16. () O] L 92, 3.4.2008, p. 37. (4)  Portugal therefore submitted a preventive vaccination plan against avian influenza to be carried out as a long term measure until 31 July 2009 which was approved by Commission Decision 2008/838/EC of 3 November 2008 concerning preventive vaccination against low pathogenic avian influenza in mallard ducks in Portugal and certain measures restricting the movements of such poultry and their products (*). A further preventive vacci- nation plan approved by Commission Decision 2010/189/EU of 29 March 2010 concerning preventive vaccination against low pathogenic avian influenza in mallard ducks in Portugal and certain measures restricting the movements of such poultry and their products () was implemented by Portugal until 31 July 2011. (5)  In accordance with Article 8 of Decision 2010/189/EU Portugal has submitted a report on the implementation of the preventive vaccination plan to the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health. (6) On 28 November 2011, Portugal submitted a new preventive vaccination plan to the Commission for approval which is to be applied until 31 July 2013 (‘the preventive vaccination plan’). (7 In its scientific opinions on the use of vaccination to control avian influenza issued by the European Food Safety Authority in 2005 (°), 2007 (¢) and 2008 (7), the Animal Health and Welfare Panel stated that emergency and preventive vaccination against avian influenza is a valuable tool to complement the control measures for that disease. (8)  In addition, the Commission has examined the preventive vaccination plan submitted by Portugal which concerns () OJ L 299, 8.11.2008, p. 40. (% OJ L 83, 30.3.2010, p. 62. (°) EFSA Journal (2005) 266, 1-21; Scientific opinion on animal health and welfare aspects of avian influenza. (°) EFSA Journal (2007) 489, Scientific opinion on vaccination against avian influenza of H5 and H7 subtypes in domestic poultry and captive birds. (7) EFSA Journal (2008) 715, 1-161, Scientific opinion on animal health and welfare aspects of avian influenza and the risks of its intro- duction into the EU poultry holdings.