
Article 1 

1. Member States shall take appropriate and practicable measures to reduce the risk of transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza caused by Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 (hereinafter ‘avian influenza’) from birds living in the wild to poultry and other captive birds, taking into account the criteria and risk factors set out in Annex I to this Decision.
2. Depending on the specific epidemiological situation, the measures of paragraph 1 shall be directed in particular at:
(a) preventing direct and indirect contact between birds living in the wild, and in particular waterfowl, on the one hand and poultry and other birds, and in particular ducks and geese, on the other hand,
(b) ensuring separation between domestic ducks and geese from other poultry.
3. Member States shall ensure that when animal health checks are undertaken on poultry holdings, they shall be done in a way to ensure compliance with the provisions of this Decision.
Article 2 

1. Member States shall introduce early detection systems in the areas of their territory that they have identified as being particularly at risk for the introduction of avian influenza, taking into account the criteria set out in Annex II to this Decision.
2. The early detection systems shall be aimed at a rapid reporting of any sign of avian influenza in poultry and other captive birds by the owners or keepers to the competent veterinary authority.
3. In particular in this context, the criteria set out in Annex II shall be taken into account.
Article 3 
The Member States shall amend their legislation so as to bring it into compliance with this Decision and they shall give immediate appropriate publicity to the measures adopted. They shall immediatly inform the Commission of the measures taken to ensure proper implementation of this Decision.
Article 4 
The Decision shall apply until 31 January 2006.
Article 5 
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 19 October 2005.
For the Commission
Markos KYPRIANOU
Member of the Commission
ANNEX I
PART I

— Location of the holding along migratory flight paths of birds, in particular if proceeding from central and eastern Asia, the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea areas;
— Distance of the holding from wet areas, ponds, swamps, lakes or rivers where migratory water fowl may gather;
— Location of the poultry holdings in areas with a high density of migratory birds, particualrly waterfowl;
— Poultry or other captive birds kept in an open-air holdings, or in any other premises in which contact between wild birds and poultry or other captive birds cannot be sufficiently prevented.

PART II

— Location of poultry holding in areas with high densities of poultry holdings;
— Intensity of movements of poultry and other captive birds, vehicles and persons within and from holdings and other direct and indirect contacts between holdings.

ANNEX II


— Drop in feed and water intake higher than 20 %,
— Drop in egg production higher than 5 % for more than two days,
— Mortality rate higher than 3 % in a week,
— Any clinical sign or post-mortem lesion suggesting avian influenza.
