COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2018/2015

of 17 December 2018

amending the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU concerning animal health control measures relating to African swine fever in certain Member States

(notified under document C(2018) 8998)

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

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

Having regard to Council Directive 89/662/EEC of 11 December 1989 concerning veterinary checks in intra-Community trade with a view to the completion of the internal market (1), and in particular Article 9(4) thereof,

Having regard to Council Directive 90/425/EEC of 26 June 1990 concerning veterinary checks applicable in intra-Union trade in certain live animals and products with a view to the completion of the internal market (2), and in particular Article 10(4) thereof,

Having regard to Council Directive 2002/99/EC of 16 December 2002 laying down the animal health rules governing the production, processing, distribution and introduction of products of animal origin for human consumption (3), and in particular Article 4(3) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Commission Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU (4) lays down animal health control measures in relation to African swine fever in certain Member States, where there have been confirmed cases of that disease in domestic or feral pigs (the Member States concerned). The Annex to that Implementing Decision demarcates and lists certain areas of the Member States concerned in Parts I to IV thereof, differentiated by the level of risk based on the epidemiological situation as regards that disease. The Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU has been amended several times to take account of changes in the epidemiological situation in the Union as regards African swine fever that need to be reflected in that Annex. The Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU was last amended by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1856 (5), following recent instances of African swine fever in Belgium, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

(2) The risk of the spread of African swine fever in wildlife is linked to the natural slow spread of that disease among feral pig populations, and also to human activity, as demonstrated by the recent epidemiological evolution of that disease in the Union, and as documented by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in the Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Animal Health and Welfare, published on 14 July 2015; in the Scientific Report of EFSA on Epidemiological analyses on African swine fever in the Baltic countries and Poland, published on 23 March 2017; in the Scientific Report of EFSA on Epidemiological analyses of African swine fever in the Baltic States and Poland, published on 8 November 2017; and in the Scientific Report of EFSA on Epidemiological analyses of African swine fever in the European Union, published on 29 November 2018 (6).

(3) Council Directive 2002/60/EC (7) lays down the minimum Union measures to be taken for the control of African swine fever. In particular, Article 9 of Directive 2002/60/EC provides for the establishment of a protection and a surveillance zone when African swine fever has been officially confirmed in pigs on a holding, and Articles 10 and 11 of that Directive lay down the measures to be taken in the protection and surveillance zones in order to prevent the spread of that disease. In addition, Article 15 of Directive 2002/60/EC provides for the measures to be taken where African swine fever is confirmed in feral pigs, including the placing under official surveillance of pig holdings in the defined infected area. Recent experience has shown that the measures laid down in Directive 2002/60/EC are effective in controlling the spread of that disease, and in particular the measures providing for the cleaning and disinfecting of infected holdings.

(4) Taking into account the effectiveness of the measures being applied in the Member States in accordance with Directive 2002/60/EC, and in particular those laid down in Article 10(4)(b), Article 10(5) and Article 15 thereof, and in line with the risk mitigation measures for African swine fever set out in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organization for Animal Health, certain areas in Lithuania and Poland currently listed in Part III of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU should now be listed in Part II of that Annex, in view of the expiry of the period of three months from the date of the final cleaning and disinfection of the infected holdings. Given that Part III of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU lists the areas where the epidemiological situation is still evolving and very dynamic, when any amendments are made to areas listed in that Part, particular consideration must always be given to the effect on the surrounding areas.

(5) Since the date of adoption of Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1856, there have been further instances of African swine fever in Latvia, Lithuania and Poland that also need to be reflected in the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU.

(6) In November 2018, a few cases of African swine fever in feral pigs were observed in the counties of Telšių and Marijampolė in Lithuania in close proximity to areas listed in Part I of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU. These cases of African swine fever in feral pigs constitute an increased level of risk which should be reflected in that Annex. Accordingly, these area of Lithuania affected by African swine fever should be listed in Part II of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU instead of in Part I thereof.

(7) In December 2018, a few cases of African swine fever in feral pigs were observed in the county of Vaiņodes in Latvia in close proximity to an area listed in Part I of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU. These cases of African swine fever in feral pigs constitute an increased level of risk which should be reflected in that Annex. Accordingly, this area of Latvia affected by African swine fever should be listed in Part II of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU instead of in Part I thereof.

(8) In December 2018, a few cases of African swine fever in feral pigs were observed in the counties of giżycki, hrubieszowski, garwoliński in Poland in areas listed in Part I or in areas in close proximity to areas listed in Part I of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU. These cases of African swine fever in feral pigs constitute an increased level of risk which should be reflected in that Annex. Accordingly, these areas of Poland affected by African swine fever should be listed in Part II of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU instead of in Part I thereof.

(9) In order to take account of recent developments in the epidemiological evolution of African swine fever in the Union, and in order to combat the risks associated with the spread of that disease in a proactive manner, new high-risk areas of a sufficient size should be demarcated for Latvia, Lithuania and Poland and duly listed in Parts I and II of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU. The Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU should therefore be amended accordingly.

(10) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1 The Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU is replaced by the text set out in the Annex to this Decision.

Article 2 This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 17 December 2018. For the Commission Vytenis ANDRIUKAITIS Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 395, 30.12.1989, p. 13.

(2) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 29.

(3) OJ L 18, 23.1.2003, p. 11.

(4) Commission Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU of 9 October 2014 concerning animal health control measures relating to African swine fever in certain Member States and repealing Implementing Decision 2014/178/EU (OJ L 295, 11.10.2014, p. 63).

(5) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1856 of 27 November 2018 amending the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU concerning animal health control measures relating to African swine fever in certain Member States (OJ L 302, 28.11.2018, p. 78).

(6) EFSA Journal 2015;13(7):4163; EFSA Journal 2017;15(3):4732; EFSA Journal 2017;15(11):5068; EFSA Journal 2018;16(11):5494.

(7) Council Directive 2002/60/EC of 27 June 2002 laying down specific provisions for the control of African swine fever and amending Directive 92/119/EEC as regards Teschen disease and African swine fever (OJ L 192, 20.7.2002, p. 27).