PART III MISCELLANEOUS

Monitoring and Surveillance

17.  An inspector or officer of the Department may enter any premises on which animals are kept (whether or not in a control zone or restricted zone) for the purposes of monitoring or surveillance for the bluetongue virus or antibodies to the bluetongue virus.

Vaccination against bluetongue

18.  A person shall not vaccinate an animal against bluetongue unless authorised by the Department.

Powers of inspectors in case of default

19.  A notice served under this Order must be complied with at the expense of the person on whom it is served, and if it is not complied with an inspector may arrange for it to be complied with at the expense of that person.

General powers of inspectors

20.  An inspector or officer of the Department who enters premises under this Order may take with him—

(a) a vehicle;

(b) any equipment; and

(c) such other person(s) as is appropriate.

Damage

21.  A person shall not—

(a) damage, interfere with or remove any traps set for midges under this Order; or

(b) deface, obliterate or remove any mark made by any person under this Order.

Licences

22.—(1) A person moving anything under the authority of and in accordance with the conditions of a specific licence granted by the Department under this Order must—

(a) keep the licence or a copy of it with him at all times during the licensed movement;

(b) on demand by a veterinary inspector or other officer of the Department or by an inspector, produce the licence or copy and allow a copy or extract to be taken.

(2) A person moving anything under the authority of and in accordance with the conditions of a general licence granted by the Department under this Order shall—

(a) carry, at all times during the movement, a consignment note that contains details of—

(i) what is being transported, including the quantity,

(ii) the date of the movement,

(iii) the name of the consignor,

(iv) the address of the premises from which the movement started,

(v) the name of the consignee,

(vi) the address of the premises of destination;

(b) on demand by a veterinary inspector or other officer of the Department or by an inspector, produce the consignment note and allow a copy or extract to be taken.

Provision of assistance

23.—(1) Any person required to give assistance or information to a person acting under this Order must, unless he has reasonable cause, do so without delay.

(2) A person shall not provide information which he knows to be false or misleading to a person acting under this Order.

Revocations

24.  The Bluetongue Order (Northern Ireland) 2003 (8) is revoked.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order continues to implement Council Directive 2000/75/EC laying down specific provisions for the control and eradication of bluetongue. It revokes and remakes the Bluetongue Order (Northern Ireland) 2003 in order to enforce Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1266/2007.

Part I provides introductory provisions and exemptions.

The changes are that, following confirmation of bluetongue on any premises, a veterinary inspector may serve a notice removing the requirement for notification of further cases, and removing some or all of the restrictions on those premises.

The Order provides that references to the Commission Regulation are references to it as amended from time to time.

Part II of the Order provides for the reporting of symptoms of bluetongue and for the establishment of control zones and restricted zones. These zones can now be of a size appropriate for the control of bluetongue. It controls the movement of animals from those zones. It also provides for the separation of a restricted zone into a protection zone and a surveillance zone, and controls movement between these zones.

It provides for surveillance for bluetongue and prohibits vaccination against bluetongue without the consent of the Department.

Part III makes provision for enforcement.

Failure to comply with this Order is an offence under Article 52(1) of the Diseases of Animals Order (Northern Ireland) 1981.