S.L. 437.79 Art. 10Powers of the Minister.

(1) On the basis of a veterinary services proposal, the Minister may define a compulsory or voluntary national control programme or a national monitoring programme for one of the infectious or contagious diseases referred to in Schedule B, Section III for all or part of the territory of Malta and shall submit the said programme to the European Commission, outlining in particular:

(a) the distribution of the disease in the territory of Malta;

(b) the reasons for the programme, taking into consideration the importance of the disease and the programme’s likely benefit in relation to its cost,

(c) the geographical area in which the programme will be implemented,

(d) the various status categories to be applied to the holdings, the standards which must be attained in each category, and the test procedures to be used,

(e) the programme monitoring procedures,

(f) the action to be taken if, for any reason, a holding loses its status,

(g) the measures to be taken if the results of the tests carried out in accordance with the provisions of the programme are positive.

(2) After examination by the European Commission, the programme as referred to in sub-rule (1) may be approved, in compliance with the criteria laid down in sub-rule (1), in accordance with the procedure of the European Community. According to the same procedure, the additional guarantees, general or limited, which may be required in intra-Community trade, shall be defined at the same time or at the latest three months after approval of the programmes. Such guarantees must not exceed those which are implemented in Malta.

(3) Programmes submitted by Malta may be amended or supplemented in accordance with the procedure laid down in sub-rule (2). Amendments or additions to programmes which have already been approved or to guarantees which have been defined in accordance with sub-rule (2) may be approved under the same procedure.