Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2725 of 29 November 2023 concerning certain emergency measures relating to sheep pox and goat pox in certain Member States and repealing Implementing Decisions (EU) 2023/2067 and (EU) 2023/2470 (notified under document C(2023) 8351)
Date: 2021-07-09
Institutions: Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission
Subjects: Bulgaria, Burgas region, Greece, Northern Aegean, animal disease, goat, sheep, transport of animals, veterinary inspection, viral disease




L_202302725EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
Series L













2023/2725


4.12.2023







            COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2023/2725
of 29 November 2023
         
concerning certain emergency measures relating to sheep pox and goat pox in certain Member States and repealing Implementing Decisions (EU) 2023/2067 and (EU) 2023/2470


(notified under document C(2023) 8351)


(Only the Greek and Bulgarian texts are 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)


Sheep pox and goat pox is an infectious viral disease affecting caprine and ovine 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. In the event of an outbreak of that disease in caprine and ovine animals, there is a serious risk that it may spread to other establishments keeping those animals.












(2)


Sheep pox and goat pox is defined as a category A disease in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882 (2). In addition, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 (3) 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 Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882. 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 sheep pox and goat pox, and for certain disease control 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.












(3)


Commission Implementing Decisions (EU) 2023/2067 (4) and (EU) 2023/2470 (5) were adopted within the framework of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, and lay down certain interim emergency measures in relation to outbreaks of sheep pox and goat pox confirmed in the region of Burgas in Bulgaria, and on the island of Lesvos in Greece. More particularly, they provide that the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones to be established by those Member States, in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, are to comprise at least the areas listed in those Implementing Decisions. In addition, Implementing Decisions (EU) 2023/2067 and (EU) 2023/2470 lay down measures to be applied in the further restricted zones in those Member States.












(4)


Bulgaria and Greece have informed the Commission of the current situation in their territory as regards that disease, and they have established restricted zones in accordance with Implementing Decisions (EU) 2023/2067 and (EU) 2023/2470, where the required measures laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 and in those Implementing Decisions apply.












(5)


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 zones for sheep pox and goat pox, which comprise the protection and surveillance zones, as well as the further restricted zones, in Bulgaria and Greece in collaboration with these Member State.












(6)


Accordingly, the areas identified as protection, surveillance and further restricted zones in Bulgaria and Greece should be set out in the Annex to this Decision and the duration of that regionalisation fixed.












(7)


Furthermore, this Decision should lay down identical measures to those laid down in Implementing Decisions (EU) 2023/2067 and (EU) 2023/2470, since the epidemiological situation of sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria and Greece has not changed since the date of adoption of those two earlier Implementing Decisions.












(8)


As this Decision lays down identical measures to those laid down in Implementing Decisions (EU) 2023/2067 and (EU) 2023/2470, which Bulgaria and Greece are currently applying, it is appropriate that this Decision applies in those two Member States respectively from the dates of adoption of those two Implementing Decisions.












(9)


In addition, taking into account the current epidemiological situation in the Union as regards sheep pox and goat pox and in particular the date of confirmation of the later outbreak, which was the outbreak in Greece, this Decision should apply until 15 February 2024.












(10)


In addition, Implementing Decisions (EU) 2023/2067 and (EU) 2023/2470 should be repealed and replaced by this Decision.












(11)


Given the urgency of the epidemiological situation in the Union as regards the spread of sheep pox and goat pox, it is important that the measures laid down in this Implementing Decision apply as soon as possible.












(12)


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

Subject matter and scope

This Decision establishes at Union level:






(a)


the restricted zones which comprise protection, surveillance and further restricted zones to be established, by the Member States listed in the Annex to this Decision (the concerned Member States), following an outbreak or outbreaks of sheep pox and goat pox, in accordance with Article 21 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687;










(b)


the duration of the disease control measures to be applied in the protection zones, in accordance with Article 39 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, in the surveillance zones in accordance with Article 55 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, and in the further restricted zone in accordance with Article 21 of that Delegated Regulation.






Article 2

Establishment of restricted zones

The concerned Member States shall ensure that:






(a)


restricted zones, which comprise protection and surveillance zones as well as further restricted zones, are established immediately by their competent authorities in accordance with Article 21 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, and under the conditions laid down in that Article;










(b)


the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones referred to in point (a) comprise at least the areas listed in the Annex to this Decision;










(c)


the measures required to be applied in each restricted zone apply at least until the dates listed in the Annex to this Decision.






Article 3

Measures in the further restricted zones


1.   Movements of sheep and goats from a further restricted zone to a destination outside that further restricted zone shall only be permitted if they are authorised by the competent authority and they comply with the conditions laid down in paragraphs 2, 3 and 4.


2.   Movements of sheep and goats kept in a further restricted zone to a destination outside that further restricted zone may be authorised by the competent authority where such movements of sheep and goats are directly to a slaughterhouse located within the territory of the same Member State as the further restricted zone for immediate slaughter.


3.   The means of transport used for the movements of sheep and goats from the further restricted zone, referred to in paragraph 2, shall:






(a)


comply with the requirements for the means of transport laid down in Article 24(1) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687;










(b)


be cleaned and disinfected before any transport of animals under the control or supervision of the competent authority;










(c)


be cleaned and disinfected in accordance with the requirements for the means of transport laid down in Article 24(2) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 under the control or supervision of the competent authority;










(d)


only include sheep and goats of the same health status kept in the same establishment;










(e)


be sealed by the competent authority at the establishment of origin after the loading of the animals and unsealed by the competent authority at the slaughterhouse of destination.






4.   The sheep and goats due for transport shall be subject to a clinical inspection by the competent authority within the period of 24 hours or less before the date of transport.



Article 4

Repeals

Implementing Decisions (EU) 2023/2067 and (EU) 2023/2470 are repealed.


Article 5

Application

This Decision shall apply for the areas listed in the Annex for Bulgaria from 26 September 2023, and for the areas listed in the Annex for Greece from 31 October 2023.
This Decision shall apply until 15 February 2024.


Article 6

Addressees

This Decision is addressed to the Republic of Bulgaria and to the Hellenic Republic.




Done at Brussels, 29 November 2023.


For the Commission

Stella KYRIAKIDES
            

Member of the Commission






(1)  
            OJ L 84, 31.3.2016, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/429/2021-04-21.

(2)  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, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2018/1882/2022-07-05).

(3)  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, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2020/687/oj).

(4)  Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2067 of 26 September 2023 concerning certain interim emergency measures relating to sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria (OJ L 238, 27.9.2023, p. 143, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2023/2067/oj).

(5)  Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2470 of 31 October 2023 concerning certain interim emergency measures relating to sheep pox and goat pox in Greece (OJ L, 2023/2470, 3.11.2023, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2023/2470/oj).




ANNEX
1.   BULGARIA

A.   Protection and surveillance zones established around confirmed outbreaks









Region and ADIS reference number of the outbreak



Areas established as protection and surveillance zones, part of the restricted zone in Bulgaria referred to in Article 1


Date until applicable





Region of Burgas


BG-CAPRIPOX-2023-00001




Protection zone:
Those parts of the region of Burgas, contained within a circle of a radius of 3 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89 coordinates Lat. 42.1137, Long. 27.1012 (2023/1)


10.10.2023





Surveillance zone:
Those parts of the region of Burgas, contained within a circle of a radius of 10 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89 coordinates Lat. 42.1137, Long. 27.1012 (2023/1)


19.10.2023





Surveillance zone:
Those parts of the region of Burgas, contained within a circle of a radius of 3 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89 coordinates Lat. 42.1137, Long. 27.1012 (2023/1)


11.10.2023 to 19.10.2023




B.   Further restricted zone









Region



Areas established as a further restricted zone in Bulgaria as referred to in Article 1


Date until applicable





Regions of Burgas, Haskovo and Yambol



A further restricted zone that comprises the following areas.
In the region of Burgas the municipalities of:






—


Malko Tarnovo










—


Sredets










—


Tsarevo




In the region of Haskovo the municipalities of:






—


Svilengrad










—


Topolovgrad




In the region of Yambol the municipalities of:






—


Bolyarovo










—


Elhovo






30.11.2023




2.   GREECE

A.   Protection and surveillance zones established around confirmed outbreaks









Regional unit and ADIS reference number of the outbreak



Areas established as protection and surveillance zones, part of the restricted zone in Greece referred to in Article 1


Date until applicable





Regional unit of Lesvos


GR-CAPRIPOX-2023-00001




Protection zone:
Those parts of the regional unit of Lesvos, contained within a circle of a radius of 3 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89 coordinates Lat. 39.242555, Long. 25.87888 (2023/1)


15.11.2023





Surveillance zone:
Those parts of the regional unit of Lesvos, contained within a circle of a radius of 10 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89 coordinates Lat. 39.242555, Long. 25.87888 (2023/1)


24.11.2023





Surveillance zone:
Those parts of the regional unit of Lesvos, contained within a circle of a radius of 3 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89 coordinates Lat. 39.242555, Long. 25.87888 (2023/1)


16.11.2023 to 24.11.2023




B.   Further restricted zone









Regional unit



Areas established as a further restricted zone in Greece as referred to in Article 1


Date until applicable





Regional unit of Lesvos



A further restricted zone that comprises the entire territory of the regional unit of Lesvos.


10.1.2024







ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2023/2725/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)