This Federal Act applies to the defense and eradication of infectious diseases of bees occurring in the country. The Act defines the relevant terms concerning Bee colony, apiary and epidemic occurrence, the persons involved (owners, authority, veterinarian officials) and the diseases regulated: Vicious foulbrood or American foulbrood, Infestation with the small hive beetle (Aethina tumida), Infestation with the Tropilaelaps mite (Tropilaelaps spp.), Varroosis if it is epidemic. The Act clarifies the behaviors to be followed and the procedures to be implemented based on the outbreak of a specific disease in order to contain the contagion and avoid contamination even of the entire honeycomb structure and bee products (wax, honey), and the times for declaring healing. The Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), the Institute for Apiculture, or University of Veterinary Medicine, Clinic for Poultry, Pet Birds, Reptiles and Fish are entitled, as test centers, to receive and examine test material in case of an undetermined disease. The Act specifies suitable healing, disinfection measures and biological control methods to be taken into account, with special attention being paid to the biology of the honeybees, depending on the disease situation and the risk of further spread of the disease. In case of incurable diseases, the Act provides for the killing and harmless removal of the bees judged to be incurable. The Act empowers the Federal Minister for Health to determine by ordinance which provisions of this federal law are to be applied to contagious diseases of bees other than those mentioned in Section 3 According to section 12, the violation of specific measures of the Act is considered as an administrative offense, unless it constitutes a judicial offense, and is punished by the authorities with a pecuniary administrative sanction.
Autriche · 1988-05-25