2024/2466

12.9.2024

COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2024/2466

of 11 September 2024

concerning certain interim emergency measures relating to sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria

(notified under document C(2024) 6527)

(Only the Bulgarian text is authentic)

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on transmissible animal diseases and amending and repealing certain acts in the area of animal health (‘Animal Health Law’) (1), and in particular Article 259(2) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Sheep pox and goat pox is an infectious viral disease affecting caprine and ovine animals and can have a severe impact on the concerned animal population and the profitability of farming causing disturbance to movements of consignments of those animals and products thereof within the Union and exports to third countries.

(2) In the event of an outbreak of sheep pox and goat pox in caprine or ovine animals, there is a serious risk of the spread of that disease to other establishments of caprine or ovine animals.

(3) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 (2) supplements the rules for the control of the listed diseases referred to in Article 9(1), points (a), (b) and (c), of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, and defined as category A, B and C diseases in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882 (3). In particular, Articles 21 and 22 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 provide for the establishment of a restricted zone in the event of an outbreak of a category A disease, including sheep pox and goat pox, and for certain measures to be applied therein. In addition, Article 21(1) of that Delegated Regulation provides that the restricted zone is to comprise a protection zone, a surveillance zone, and, if necessary, further restricted zones around or adjacent to the protection and surveillance zones.

(4) Bulgaria has informed the Commission of the current sheep pox and goat pox situation on its territory, following an outbreak of that disease in caprine and ovine animals in the region of Yambol, which was confirmed on 4 September 2024, and, in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, it has established a restricted zone, which comprises protection and surveillance zones, where the general disease control measures laid down in that Delegated Regulation are applied in order to prevent the further spread of that disease.

(5) In order to prevent any unnecessary disturbance to trade within the Union and to avoid unjustified barriers to trade by third countries, it is necessary to rapidly identify at Union level the restricted zone for sheep pox and goat pox, which comprises the protection and surveillance zones in Bulgaria in collaboration with that Member State.

(6) The size of the protection and surveillance zones and duration of the measures to apply therein should be based on the criteria set out in Article 64(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and the rules laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, including the epidemiological situation as regards sheep pox and goat pox in the areas affected by that disease and the overall epidemiological situation of sheep pox and goat pox in the Member State concerned by that disease as well as the level of risk for the further spread of the disease. The duration of the measures should also take into account the international standards of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

(7) Accordingly, the areas identified as protection and surveillance zones in Bulgaria should be set out in the Annex to this Decision and the duration of that regionalisation fixed and animal movements should be restricted. The duration of that regionalisation should take into account the minimum periods for the measures to be applied in the protection and surveillance zones in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687.

(8) Given the urgency of the epidemiological situation in the Union as regards the spread of sheep pox and goat pox and the need to prevent the disease spreading from the affected establishment in Bulgaria to other parts of that Member State or to other Member States, it is appropriate that the measures laid down in this Implementing Decision apply as soon as possible.

(9) Accordingly, pending the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, the protection and surveillance zones in Bulgaria should be established immediately and listed in the Annex to this Decision and the duration of that zoning fixed.

(10) This Decision is to be reviewed at the next meeting of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Bulgaria shall ensure that:

(a) a restricted zone, which comprises a protection zone and a surveillance zone is established immediately by the competent authority of that Member State in accordance with Article 21 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, and under the conditions laid down in that Article;

(b) the protection and surveillance zones referred to in point (a) comprise at least the areas listed in the Annex to this Decision;

(c) the measures required to be applied in the protection and surveillance zones, are applied at least until the dates listed in the Annex to this Decision.

Article 2

This Decision shall apply until 4 October 2024.

Article 3

This Decision is addressed to the Republic of Bulgaria.

Done at Brussels, 11 September 2024.

For the Commission

Stella KYRIAKIDES

Member of the Commission

(1)  

OJ L 84, 31.3.2016, p. 1

, ELI:

http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/429/oj

.

(2)  Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 of 17 December 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and the Council, as regards rules for the prevention and control of certain listed diseases (

OJ L 174, 3.6.2020, p. 64

, ELI:

http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2020/687/oj

).

(3)  Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882 of 3 December 2018 on the application of certain disease prevention and control rules to categories of listed diseases and establishing a list of species and groups of species posing a considerable risk for the spread of those listed diseases (

OJ L 308, 4.12.2018, p. 21

, ELI:

http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2018/1882/oj

).

ANNEX

Protection and surveillance zones established around confirmed outbreak

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2024/2466/oj

ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)