Article 1 of the above-mentioned Ordinance establishes that once the presence of TSE has been officially confirmed, the competent authority may order the killing of the suspect animal or animals except for article 13, paragraph 1, letter c, of the Regulation (EC) 999/2001 of the European Parliament and Council of 22 May 2001 laying down rules for the prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.