COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2021/2021

of 18 November 2021

concerning certain emergency measures relating to African swine fever in Germany

(notified under document C(2021) 8468)

(Only the German 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(1) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) African swine fever is an infectious viral disease affecting kept and wild porcine 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 African swine fever in kept porcine animals, there is a serious risk of the spread of that disease to other establishments of kept porcine animals.

(3) Commission Delegated Regulation 2020/687 (2) supplements the rules for the control of the listed diseases referred to in Article 9(1)(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 African swine fever, 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) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 (4) lays down special disease control measures regarding African swine fever. In particular, Article 3, point (a), of that Implementing Regulation provides for the establishment of a restricted zone in the case of an outbreak of African swine fever in kept porcine animals, in accordance with Article 21(1) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687.

(5) Germany has informed the Commission of the current African swine fever situation on its territory, following an outbreak of that disease in the state of Mecklenburg - Western Pomerania confirmed on 15 November, and, in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605, it has established a restricted zone, which comprises protection and surveillance zones, where the general disease control measures laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 are applied, in order to prevent the further spread of that disease.

(6) 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 African swine fever, which comprises protection and surveillance zones, in Germany in collaboration with that Member State.

(7) Given the urgency of the epidemiological situation in the Union as regards the spread of African swine fever, it is important that the measures laid down in this Implementing Decision apply as soon as possible.

(8) 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 Germany shall ensure that the restricted zone established by that Member State, where the measures provided for protection and surveillance zones in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 apply, comprises at least the areas listed in the Annex to this Implementing Decision.

Article 2 This Decision shall apply until 15 February 2022.

Article 3 This Decision is addressed to the Federal Republic of Germany.

Done at Brussels, 18 November 2021. For the Commission Stella KYRIAKIDES Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 84, 31.3.2016, p. 1.

(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).

(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).

(4) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 of 7 April 2021 laying down special control measures for African swine fever (OJ L 129, 15.4.2021, p. 1).