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1. By way of derogation from point (b) of Article 6, the direct non-commercial movement between Member States or parts thereof, of pet animals of the species listed in Part A of Annex I that have not been vaccinated against rabies, may be authorised in accordance with the procedure referred to in paragraph 2 upon a joint application by the Member States concerned.

2. The Commission shall, by means of an implementing act, adopt a list of Member States that are authorised to conclude mutual agreements to derogate from point (b) of Article 6 in accordance with paragraph 1 of this Article. That list shall set out the parts of those Member States for which the derogation may apply.

3. In order to be included in the list referred to in paragraph 2, the Member States interested in such a mutual agreement shall submit a joint application to the Commission, including details of the draft agreement, by which they can demonstrate, taking into account the procedures in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) for self-declaration as to the freedom of a country or zone from rabies, that they fulfil at least the following conditions:

(a) the applicant Member States shall have in operation ongoing surveillance and reporting systems with regard to rabies;

(b) the applicant Member States, or the parts of their territory for which the application is made, shall have been free of rabies and rabies shall not be known to have been established in wild animals in the territory of the Member States concerned, or parts thereof, for at least the two years prior to the joint application on the basis of the systems referred to in point (a);

(c) the applicant Member States shall have in place efficient and effective control measures to prevent the introduction into and spread within their territory of rabies;

(d) the application of the derogation from point (b) of Article 6 shall be justified and proportionate to the risks to public or animal health associated with the direct non-commercial movement from one of the applicant Member States to the other or part of its territory of non-vaccinated pet animals of the species listed in Part A of Annex I.

The joint application shall contain adequate, reliable and scientifically validated information.

4. The Commission shall, by means of an implementing act, remove Member States from the list referred to in paragraph 2 for the whole or part of their territories should any change in the particulars specified in paragraph 3 no longer support the application of the derogation.

5. The implementing acts referred to in paragraphs 2 and 4 shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 41(2).

6. On duly justified imperative grounds of urgency relating to risks to public or animal health, the Commission shall adopt immediately applicable implementing acts updating the list of Member States or parts thereof referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 41(3).