COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2021/811

of 20 May 2021

amending Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 laying down special control measures for African swine fever

(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 71(3) 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) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 (2) was adopted within the framework of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, and it lays down special disease control measures regarding African swine fever to be applied for a limited period of time by the Member States listed in Annex I thereto, in the restricted zones listed in that Annex. The areas listed as restricted zones I, II and III in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 are based on the epidemiological situation of African swine fever in the Union. Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 was amended by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/687 (3), to ensure the continuity and consistency of special disease control measures regarding African swine fever in the Union following the expiry of Commission Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU (4), and the commencement of application of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 on 21 April 2021.

(3) Any amendments to restricted zones I, II and III in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 should be based on the epidemiological disease situation as regards African swine fever in the areas affected by that disease and the overall epidemiological situation of African swine fever in the Member State concerned, the level of risk for the further spread of that disease, scientifically based principles and criteria for geographically defining zoning due to African swine fever and the Union’s guidelines agreed with the Member States at the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed and publicly available on Commission’s website (5). Such amendments should also take account of international standards, such as the Terrestrial Animal Health Code (6) of the World Organisation for Animal Health (the OIE Code) and justifications for zoning provided by the competent authorities of the Member States concerned.

(4) Since the date of adoption of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/687, there have been new outbreaks of African swine fever in wild porcine animals in Slovakia and Poland.

(5) In April 2021, one case of African swine fever in a wild porcine animal was observed in the Rimavska Sobota district in Slovakia in an area currently listed as a restricted zone I in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605. This new outbreak of African swine fever in a wild porcine animal constitutes an increased level of risk, which should be reflected in that Annex. Accordingly, that area of Slovakia currently listed as a restricted zone I in that Annex affected by this recent outbreak of African swine fever, should now be listed as a restricted zone II in that Annex instead of as a restricted zone I.

(6) In May 2021, one case of African swine fever in a wild porcine animal was observed in the szamotulski district in Poland in an area currently listed as a restricted zone I in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605. This new outbreak of African swine fever in a wild porcine animal constitutes an increased level of risk, which should be reflected in that Annex. Accordingly, that area of Poland currently listed as a restricted zone I in that Annex affected by this recent outbreak of African swine fever, should now be listed as a restricted zone II in that Annex instead of as a restricted zone I.

(7) Following these recent outbreaks of African swine fever in wild porcine animals in Slovakia and Poland and taking into account the current epidemiological situation as regards African swine fever in the Union, zoning in those Member States has been reassessed and updated. In addition, the risk management measures in place have also been reassessed and updated. These changes should be reflected in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605.

(8) In order to take account of recent developments in the epidemiological situation 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 restricted zones of a sufficient size should be demarcated for Slovakia and Poland and duly listed as restricted zone II in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605. As the situation as regards African swine fever is very dynamic in the Union, when demarcating those new restricted zones, account has been taken of the situation in the surrounding areas.

(9) Given the urgency of the epidemiological situation in the Union as regards the spread of African swine fever, it is important that the amendments to be made to Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 by this Implementing Regulation take effect as soon as possible.

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

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1 Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 is replaced by the text set out in the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2 This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 20 May 2021. For the Commission The President Ursula VON DER LEYEN

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

(2) 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).

(3) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/687 of 26 April 2021 amending Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 laying down special control measures for African swine fever (OJ L 143, 27.4.2021, 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) Working Document SANTE/7112/2015/Rev. 3 ‘Principles and criteria for geographically defining ASF regionalisation’. https://ec.europa.eu/food/animals/animal-diseases/control-measures/asf_en

(6) OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code, 28th Edition, 2019. ISBN of volume I: 978-92-95108-85-1; ISBN of volume II: 978-92-95108-86-8. https://www.oie.int/standard-setting/terrestrial-code/access-online/