COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2022/875

of 1 June 2022

concerning certain interim emergency measures relating to African swine fever in Italy

(notified under document C(2022) 3727)

(Only the Italian 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) 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 wild porcine animals, there is a serious risk of the spread of that disease to other wild porcine animals and to 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), 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 63 to 66 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 provide for certain measures to be taken in the event of an official confirmation of an outbreak of a category A disease in wild animals, including African swine fever in wild porcine animals. Notably, those provisions provide for the establishment of an infected zone and prohibitions on movements of wild animals of listed species and products of animal origin thereof.

(4) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 (4) lays down special disease control measures regarding African swine fever. In particular, in the event of an outbreak of that disease in wild porcine animals in an area of a Member State, Article 3, point (b), of that Implementing Regulation provides for the establishment of an infected zone in accordance with Article 63 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687. In addition, Article 6 of that Implementing Regulation provides that that area is to be listed as a restricted zone II in Part II of Annex I thereto and that the infected zone, established in accordance with Article 63 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, is to be adjusted without delay to comprise at least the restricted zone II. The special control measures for African swine fever laid down in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 include, inter alia, prohibitions on movements of consignments of porcine animals kept in restricted zones II and products thereof outside those restricted zones.

(5) Italy has informed the Commission of the current African swine fever situation on its territory, following an outbreak of that disease in a wild porcine animal in the Rieti Province, in the Lazio Region, confirmed on 27 May 2022. Accordingly, the competent authority of that Member State is required to establish an infected zone in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605.

(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 identify at Union level the infected zone for African swine fever in Italy in collaboration with that Member State.

(7) In order to prevent the further spread of African swine fever, pending the listing of the area of Italy affected by the recent outbreak as a restricted zone II in Part II of Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605, the special control measures for African swine fever laid down therein, that apply to movements of consignments of porcine animals kept in restricted zones II and products thereof outside those zones, should also apply to movements of those consignments from the infected zone established by Italy following that recent outbreak, in addition to the measures laid down in Articles 63 to 66 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687.

(8) Accordingly, that infected zone in Italy should be listed in the Annex to this Decision and it should be subject to the special control measures for African swine fever that apply to restricted zones II laid down in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605. However, due to the serious nature of this new epidemiological situation of African swine fever in the Union and taking account of the increased immediate risk of the further spread of the disease, movements of consignments of kept porcine animals and products thereof to other Member States and to third countries should not be authorised from the infected zone in accordance with that Implementing Regulation. The duration of that zoning should be also laid down in this Decision.

(9) Therefore, in order to mitigate the risks arising from the recent outbreak of African swine fever in wild porcine animals in Italy, this Decision should provide that the movements to other Member States and third countries of consignments of porcine animals kept in the infected zone and products thereof should not be authorised by Italy until the expiry date of this Decision.

(10) 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 Decision apply as soon as possible.

(11) Accordingly, pending the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, the infected zone in Italy should be established immediately and listed in the Annex to this Decision and the duration of that zoning fixed.

(12) 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 Italy shall ensure that an infected zone for African swine fever is established immediately by the competent authority of that Member State in accordance with Article 63 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 and Article 3, point (b) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605, and that it comprises at least the areas listed in the Annex to this Decision.

Article 2 Italy shall ensure that the special control measures for African swine fever applicable to restricted zones II laid down in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 apply in the areas listed as an infected zone in the Annex to this Decision, in addition to the measures laid down in Articles 63 to 66 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687.

Article 3 Italy shall ensure that consignments of porcine animals kept in the areas listed as an infected zone in the Annex and products thereof are not authorised for movements to other Member States and to third countries.

Article 4 This Decision shall apply until 31 August 2022.

Article 5 This Decision is addressed to the Italian Republic.

Done at Brussels, 1 June 2022. 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).