L 33328 Official Journal of the European Union 20.12.2003 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2245/2003 of 19 December 2003 amending Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards monitoring of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in ovine and caprine animals THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the Euro- pean Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2001 laying down rules for the prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies ('), and in particular the first paragraph of Article 23 thereof, Whereas: (1) Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 lays down rules for the monitoring of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) in ovine and caprine animals. (2)  Separate sample sizes should be set for ovine and caprine animals to make it easier to interpret results of testing for TSEs. (3)  Monitoring of large numbers of ovine animals slaugh- tered for human consumption in Member States with large sheep populations has made it possible to estimate the prevalence of TSEs in those populations. The level of monitoring in large sheep populations should therefore be reduced. Monitoring of ovine animals slaughtered for human consumption in Member States with small sheep populations provides limited information and should therefore no longer be compulsory. (4)  Monitoring of sufficiently large numbers of caprine animals slaughtered for human consumption to detect the likely prevalence of TSEs in this group is difficult or impractical in most Member States. Monitoring in that group should therefore no longer be compulsory. (5)  Monitoring of dead-on-farm stock in both ovine and caprine animals should be increased, to provide informa- tion on prevalence of TSE and to aid eradication of the disease. Member States should take measures to ensure that infected animals are not diverted away from sampling. (6)  Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 should therefore be amended accordingly. For practical reasons, it is appro- priate to replace the amended Annex III as a whole. (7)  The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation. Article 2 This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. It shall apply from 1 January 2004. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 19 December 2003. (") OJ L 147, 31.5.2001, p. 1; Regulation as last amended by Commis- sion Regulation (EC) No 1915/2003 (OJ L 283, 31.10.2003, p. 29). For the Commission David BYRNE Member of the Commission