31.12.91 Official ]6umal of the European Communities No L 368/21 COUNCIL DECISION of 11 DecemBer 1991 establishing Community reserves of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines (91/666/EEC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, ) Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, Having regard to Council Directive 85/511/EEC of 18 November 1985 introducing Community measures for the control of foot-and-mouth disease (1), as amended by Decision 90/423/EEC (2), and in particular Article 14 thereof, v Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Whereas by 1 January 1992 all Member States must have discontinued routine vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease in their territory; Whereas, however, in view of the high density of susceptible species in some parts of the Community, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of emergency vaccination in a limited area, in circumstances where slaughter of the entire herd may not be sufficient to eliminate the virus; Whereas Community reserves of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine should be established, based on stocks of concentrated inactivated antigen capable of being quickly converted into vaccine for emergency use; Whereas the antigen should be stored at four separate locations; whereas facilities for formulation, bottling and distribution must also be provided; Whereas the criteria for the supply and storage of antigen and its conversion into vaccine should be established; Whereas the national institutes responsible for maintaining the reserve of antigen should cooperate with the Community’ Coordinating Institute for foot-and-mouth disease vaccines designated by Decision 91/665/EEC (3) in order to ensure the potency, safety and stability of the antigen, and vaccines produced therefrom, and to ensure that the quantity and sub-types kept are appropriate to the risk, on the basis, in particular, of information supplied by the reference laboratory for the identification of foot-and-mouth disease virus designated by Decision 89/531/EEC (*); Whereas Article 14 of Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June 1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field (), as (1) OJ No L 315, 26. 11. 1985, p. 11. (2) OJ No L 224, 18. 8. 1990, p. 13. (%) See page 19 of this Official Journal. (*) OJ No L 279, 28. 9. 1989, p. 32. (5) OJ No L 224, 18. 8. 1990, p. 19. amended by Decision 91/133/EEC (%), provides that the establishment of a Community reserve of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines may. be eligible for Community aid, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1 The establishment of Community reserves of foot-and- mouth disease vaccine shall consist of: — the supply of concentrated inactivated antigen by establishments designated by Member States, — the storage, in reserves, of the antigen referred to in the first indent, — the guarantee of rapid formulation, bottling and distribution by establishments designated by Member States. Article 2 For the purposes of this Decision the following definitions shall apply: 1. antigen banks: appropriate premises, such as those designated in Article 3 (1), for the storage of Community reserves of concentrated inactivated antigen for the production of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine; 2. Community Coordinating Institute for foot-and- mouth disease vaccine (CCI): the institute designated by Decision 91/665/EEC. Article 3 1.  Antigen banks shall be established at: — the Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright (United Kingdom), — the Laboratoire de pathologie bovine du centre national d’études vétérinaires et alimentaires, Lyon (France), — Bayer AG, Cologne (Germany), — the Istituto Zooprofilatico Sperimentale di Brescia (Italy). 2.  The amounts and sub-types of antigen to be held in the antigen banks shall be as laid down in Annex I. (%) OJ No L 66, 13. 3. 1991, p. 18.