Having regard to the Act referred to at point 5a of Part 4.1 of Chapter I of Annex I to the EEA Agreement (Council Directive 2006/88/EC of 24 October 2006 on animal health requirements for aquaculture animals and products thereof, and on the prevention and control of certain diseases in aquatic animals (1)), as adapted to the EEA Agreement by point 4(d) of Protocol 1 to the EEA Agreement and Article 1(2) and Article 3 of Protocol 1 to the Surveillance and Court Agreement,

Having regard to Decision No 494/13/COL of the EFTA Surveillance Authority (‘the Authority’) of 11 December 2013 empowering the College Member with special responsibility for veterinary and phytosanitary matters to take certain decisions in that field (Document No 683826),

By Decision No 227/04/COL, the Authority recognised the whole continental and coastal area of Iceland as free from Infectious Haematopoietic Necrosis (IHN) and Viral Haemorraghic Septicaemia (VHS).

On 23 October 2015, Iceland notified through the Animal Disease Notification System an outbreak of VHS in lumpfish of wild origin used as brood fish in the Landnamsholf region. Further information regarding the measures taken were provided by letter of 13 November 2015 (Document No 780869, IS ref. ANR15110004/20.5).

In light of the above, the VHS-free status for Iceland, as recognised by Decision No 227/04/COL, should be withdrawn.

No changes have occurred as regards Iceland's status for IHN.

It is therefore appropriate to repeal Decision No 227/04/COL as regards Iceland's VHS-status only.

This Decision is in accordance with the opinion of the EFTA Veterinary and Phytosanitary Committee.