Assessment of Echinococcus multilocularis surveillance reports submitted in 2016 in the context of Commission Regulation (EU) No 1152/2011

Annual assessment of Echinococcus multilocularis surveillance reports submitted in 2021 in the context of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/772

This report is part of the Echinococcus multilocularis surveillance scientific reports which are presented annually by EFSA to the European Commission and are intended to assess the sampling strategy, data collection and detection methods used by Finland, Ireland, United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) and Norway in their respective surveillance programmes. The surveillance programmes of these four countries were evaluated by checking the information submitted by each of them and verifying that the technical requirements were fulfilled as laid down in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/772 of 21 November 2017 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to preventive health measures for the control of Echinococcus multilocularis infection in dogs, and repealing Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1152/2011. The information was divided in four different categories for assessment: the type and sensitivity of the detection method, the selection of the target population, the sampling strategy and the methodology. For each category, the main aspects that need to be considered in order to accomplish the technical requirements of the legislation were checked against compliance of several criteria. Three of the countries participating in this surveillance (Finland, Ireland and Norway (mainland)) succeeded in the fulfilment of the technical legal requirements foreseen in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/772 concerning these four different categories. Northern Ireland did not fulfil those requirements, not even assuming a diagnostic test sensitivity value of 0.99 (value provided by the national reference laboratory, higher than the conservative sensitivity value suggested by EFSA, i.e. 0.78). None of the four countries recorded positive samples in the 12-month reporting period.

Annual assessment of Echinococcus multilocularis surveillance reports submitted in 2020 in the context of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/772

This report is part of the Echinococcus multilocularis surveillance scientific reports which are presented annually by EFSA to the European Commission and are intended to assess the sampling strategy, data collection and detection methods used by Finland, Ireland, the UK and Norway in their respective surveillance programmes. The surveillance programmes of these four countries were evaluated by checking the information submitted by each of them and verifying that the technical requirements were fulfilled as laid down in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/772 of 21 November 2017 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to preventive health measures for the control of E. multilocularis infection in dogs, and repealing Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1152/2011. Due to the UK exiting the European Union and under the Withdrawal Act, the data submitted by the UK after the 31 January 2020 are excluded from this assessment. The information was divided in four different categories for assessment: the type and sensitivity of the detection method, the selection of the target population, the sampling strategy and the methodology. For each category, the main aspects that need to be considered in order to accomplish the technical requirements of the legislation were checked against compliance of several criteria. All the countries participating in this surveillance (Finland, the UK, Ireland and Norway) succeeded in the fulfilment of the technical legal requirements foreseen in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/772 concerning these four different categories. Within the UK, Northern Ireland fulfils those requirements only when assuming a diagnostic test sensitivity value of 0.99, provided by the national reference laboratory, which is higher than the sensitivity value suggested by EFSA (conservative value of 0.78) and not supported by adequate scientific evidence. None of the four countries recorded positive samples in the 12-month reporting period.

Annual assessment of Echinococcus multilocularis surveillance reports submitted in 2019 in the context of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/772

This report is part of the ‘Echinococcus multilocularis surveillance’ scientific reports which are presented annually by EFSA to the European Commission and are intended to assess the sampling strategy, data collection and detection methods used by Finland, Ireland, the United Kingdom (UK) and Norway in their respective surveillance programmes. The surveillance programmes of these four countries were evaluated by checking the information submitted by each of them and verifying that the technical requirements were fulfilled as laid down in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/772 of 21 November 2017 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to preventive health measures for the control of Echinococcus multilocularis infection in dogs, and repealing Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1152/2011. The information was divided into four different categories for assessment: the type and sensitivity of the detection method, the selection of the target population, the sampling strategy and the methodology. For each category, the main aspects that need to be considered in order to accomplish the technical requirements of the legislation were checked against compliance of several criteria. All the countries participating in this surveillance (Finland, the UK, Ireland and Norway) succeeded in the fulfilment of the technical legal requirements foreseen in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/772 concerning these four different categories. Within the UK, Northern Ireland fulfils those requirements only when assuming a diagnostic test sensitivity value of 0.99, provided by the national reference laboratory, which is higher than the sensitivity value suggested by EFSA (conservative value of 0.78). None of the four countries recorded positive samples in the 12‐month reporting period. It should be noted that Malta did not have to report surveillance data in order to maintain its eligibility to continue applying preventive health measures for the control of E. multilocularis infection in dogs entering its territory, but to meet the conditions laid down in Article 4(1) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/772 including the submission of evidence to the European Commission of the absence of the red fox from the territory.

Annual assessment of Echinococcus multilocularis surveillance reports submitted in 2018 in the context of Commission Regulation (EU) No 1152/2011

This report is part of the `Echinococcus multilocularis surveillance’ scientific reports which are presented annually by EFSA to the European Commission and are intended to assess the sampling strategy, data collection and detection methods used by Finland, Ireland, Malta, the United Kingdom (UK) and Norway in their respective surveillance programmes. The surveillance programmes of these five countries were evaluated by checking the information submitted by each of them and verifying that the technical requirements laid down in Regulation (EU) No 1152/2011 were complied. The information was divided in four different categories for assessment: the type and sensitivity of the detection method, the selection of the target population, the sampling strategy and the methodology. For each category, the main aspects that need to be considered in order to accomplish the technical requirements of the legislation were checked against compliance of several criteria. All of the countries participating in this surveillance (Finland, the UK, Norway, Malta and Ireland) succeeded in the fulfilment of the technical legal requirements foreseen in Regulation (EU) No 1152/2011 concerning these four different categories. Northern Ireland (UK) fulfils those requirements only when assuming a diagnostic test sensitivity value of 0.99, which is higher than the sensitivity value suggested by EFSA (conservative value of 0.78). None of the five countries recorded positive samples in the 12‐month reporting period.