L 244/24 Official Journal of the European Union 20.9.2005 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 15 September 2005 concerning a financial contribution by the Community in the context of the vaccination campaigns against bluetongue in France in 2004 and 2005 (notified under document number C(2005) 3445) (Only the French text is authentic) (2005/659/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 9(2) thereof, Having regard to Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June 1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field (?), and in particular Article 3(3), (4) and (5), second indent, thereof, Whereas: (1) Outbreaks of bluetongue have occurred in France, and more particularly in Corsica, since the year 2000. () On 13 September 2004 France declared new outbreaks of bluetongue in Corsica. The presence of serotypes 2, 4 and 16 was confirmed. (3)  Outbreaks of bluetongue represent a serious risk to the Community’s livestock population. (4) Various decisions, notably the latest one, Decision 2005/393/EC of 23 May 2005 on protection and surveillance zones in relation to bluetongue and conditions applying to movements from or through (1) OJ L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 74. () OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 19. Decision as last amended by Directive 2003/99/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (O] L 325, 12.12.2003, p. 31). these zones (*), have been adopted by the Commission in order to demarcate the protection and surveillance zones and to set out the conditions governing movements of animals from these zones. (5)  Bluetongue is a disease transmitted exclusively by ‘mosquitoes’, therefore the only measures which are apposite, of all those provided for in Article 3(2) of Decision 90/424[EEC, are those aimed either at protecting animals against attacks from the vectors (treatment with insecticides, confining the animals indoors at the times when the vectors are active) or at preventing the spread of the epidemic through movements of animals (Decision 2005/393/EC). The slaughter of animals of susceptible species is not an apposite measure except in the case of animals clinically affected with bluetongue. (6)  The virus continues to circulate and the protection provided by the vaccine lasts for only one year, therefore vaccination against bluetongue must be repeated each year in order to block the progression of the epidemic. Due to the evolution of the disease, it is therefore advisable to implement a vaccination campaign in the protection zones established around outbreaks of bluetongue. 7) Vaccination is a measure which, employed in combi- nation with the measures already adopted, makes it possible to: (a) reduce mortality in sheep; (b) prevent viraemia in cattle and thus enable cattle to be moved from restricted zones. () OJ L 130, 24.5.2005, p. 22. Decision as last amended by Decision 2005/603/EC (O] L 206, 9.8.2005, p. 11).