COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2022/1188

of 8 July 2022

amending Annexes I and II to Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/260 as regards Member States or parts thereof for which national measures for certain diseases of aquatic animals are approved in accordance with Article 226(3) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council

(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 226(3) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/260 (2) establishes lists of Member States and parts thereof which are considered to be free from certain diseases of aquatic animals, not listed under Article 9(1), point (d) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, or which are subject to an eradication programme for those diseases.

(2) Additional Member States or parts thereof, may be added to the list of disease-free areas in Annex I to Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/260, or to the list of areas which are subject to an eradication programme in Annex II to that Implementing Decision, if the Commission is notified in advance, of any measures that may affect the movements of aquatic animals between Member States, so that the measures can be approved, or if necessary, amended.

(3) Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Portugal and Slovenia have notified the Commission of parts of their territories, which should be approved as disease-free in accordance with Article 226(3) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429. These include two zones which are free from Koi herpes virus disease (KHV), and several compartments which are free from either Bacterial kidney disease (BKD), KHV or Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPN). Denmark has also notified the Commission of several compartments which are subject to eradication programmes for BKD or IPN and which should be approved, in accordance with Article 226(3) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429.

(4) The Commission has assessed the information submitted by Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Portugal and Slovenia regarding the national measures, which they have taken, in accordance with Article 226(3) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, in order to prevent the introduction or limit the spread of those diseases. The Commission is satisfied that those national measures are necessary in order to prevent the introduction or to control the spread of the diseases. Accordingly, those national measures should be approved, and the zones and compartments in which they apply, should be listed in Annexes I and II to Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/260.

(5) It is therefore appropriate, to amend Annex I to Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/260, to take account of KHV free zones in France and Italy, BKD and IPN free compartments in Denmark, BKD free compartments in Finland, KHV free compartments in France and Portugal, and IPN free compartments in Slovenia. Annex II to that Implementing Decision should also be amended to take account of the compartments, which are subject to eradication programmes for BKD and IPN in Denmark.

(6) In addition, Ireland has notified the Commission that all of the Ostreid herpesvirus-1 μvar (OsHV-1μvar) compartments in their territory, which are listed in Annex I to Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/260, should be removed from the list. Annex I to Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/260 should therefore, be amended to take account of that change in status of the OsHV-1μvar free compartments in Ireland.

(7) Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/260 should therefore, be amended accordingly.

(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 Annexes I and II to Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/260 are replaced by the text set out in the Annex to this Decision.

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

Done at Brussels, 8 July 2022. For the Commission The President Ursula VON DER LEYEN

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

(2) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/260 of 11 February 2021 approving national measures designed to limit the impact of certain diseases of aquatic animals in accordance with Article 226(3) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Commission Decision 2010/221/EU (OJ L 59, 19.2.2021, p. 1).