COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2019/1972

of 26 November 2019

amending Implementing Decision 2013/764/EU concerning animal health control measures relating to classical swine fever in certain Member States

(notified under document C(2019) 8396)

(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,

Whereas:

(1) Commission Implementing Decision 2013/764/EU (3) lays down animal health control measures in relation to classical swine fever in certain Member States. Those measures include prohibitions on the dispatch of consignments of domestic pigs and pig products from certain areas. The animal health control measures laid down in that Implementing Decision apply in parallel to those laid down in Council Directive 2001/89/EC (4) and are intended to combat the spread of classical swine fever particularly at Union level.

(2) Implementing Decision 2013/764/EU also provides for derogations from the prohibition on the dispatch of live pigs from certain areas, subject to compliance with a number of conditions.

(3) The period of application of the measures provided for in Implementing Decision 2013/764/EU should take account of the epidemiology of classical swine fever and also of the efficacy of the animal health measures applied by the Member States listed in the Annex to Implementing Decision 2013/764/EU with Union legislation. Therefore, given the current epidemiological situation in the Union and in neighbouring third countries and the efforts required to combat that disease, while at the same time not imposing unnecessary restrictions on trade, the period of application of Implementing Decision 2013/764/EU should be extended.

(4) As it is important to have continuity of measures against classical swine fever at Union level in light of the current epidemic of that disease, the extension of the period of application of Implementing Decision 2013/764/EU should take into account that Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council (5), which provides for safeguard measures in the event of animal diseases, applies from 21 April 2021.

(5) In addition, taking into account the effectiveness of the overall measures applied in Croatia in accordance with Directive 2001/89/EC, the surveillance and the measures in place as presented to the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, all areas in Croatia currently listed in the Annex to Implementing Decision 2013/764/EU, should now be delisted from that Annex, in view of the favourable epidemiological situation of the disease in that Member State.

(6) 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 Implementing Decision 2013/764/EU is amended as follows: Implementing Decision 2013/764/EU is amended as follows: In Article 10, the date ‘31 December 2019’ is replaced by ‘21 April 2021’.

Article 2 Point 2 of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2013/764/EU is deleted.

Article 3 This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 26 November 2019. 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) Commission Implementing Decision 2013/764/EU of 13 December 2013 concerning animal health control measures relating to classical swine fever in certain Member States (OJ L 338, 17.12.2013, p. 102).

(4) Council Directive 2001/89/EC of 23 October 2001 on Community measures for the control of classical swine fever (OJ L 316, 1.12.2001, p. 5).

(5) 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’) (OJ L 84, 31.3.2016, p. 1).