Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/881 of 14 March 2024 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2725 concerning certain emergency measures relating to sheep pox and goat pox in certain Member States (notified under document C(2024) 1801)
Date: 2024-03-14
Institutions: Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission
Subjects: Bulgaria, Central Greece, Greece, animal disease, goat, sheep, transport of animals, veterinary inspection, viral disease




L_202400881EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
L series













2024/881


19.3.2024







            COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2024/881
of 14 March 2024
         
amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2725 concerning certain emergency measures relating to sheep pox and goat pox in certain Member States


(notified under document C(2024) 1801)


(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.












(2)


Sheep pox and goat pox is listed as a category A disease in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882 (2). In addition, Commission Delegated Regulation 2020/687 (3) supplements the rules laid down in Regulation (EU) 2016/429 for the control of category A listed diseases. 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 Decision (EU) 2023/2725 (4) lays down certain emergency measures relating to confirmed outbreaks of sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria and Greece. More particularly, it provides that the 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 the Annex to that Implementing Decision.












(4)


After the adoption of Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2725, Greece notified the Commission of additional outbreaks of sheep pox and goat pox in establishments where ovine animals were kept, located in the regional unit of Phthiotis, in the region of Central Greece. As a result, the areas listed as protection and surveillance zones, as well as the areas listed as further restricted zones for Greece, in the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2725, were amended. The last amendments to that Annex were made by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/400 (5).












(5)


Since the adoption of Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/400, Greece has notified the Commission of two additional outbreaks of sheep pox and goat pox in establishments where sheep and goats were kept, in the regional unit of Phthiotis, in the region of Central Greece, within the protection zone already established in that region. The first of these outbreaks occurred within a very short space of time and within a short distance from the previous outbreaks already covered by the amendments made to the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2725 by Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/400, hence it was not necessary to amend the areas listed as protection, surveillance and further restricted zones. The second outbreak also occurred within a short distance of the previous outbreaks taken into account in areas listed for Greece in that Annex, but substantially later, in early March 2024.












(6)


Taking into account the evolution of the epidemiological situation as regards sheep pox and goat pox in Greece, it is necessary to rapidly adjust 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 Greece, in collaboration with this Member State. In view of the current epidemiological situation and in particular the long period of time between the latest outbreak in early March 2024 and the one immediately before it, it is necessary to amend the duration of the restricted zones, in order to ensure that the disease remains contained and does not spread from those restricted zones to other parts of Greece and to other Member States.












(7)


Therefore, due to latest disease evolution, the duration of the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones in Greece, listed in the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2725, should be amended, taking into account the current epidemiological situation as regards sheep pox and goat pox in the region of Central Greece.












(8)


In addition, taking into account the current epidemiological situation in the Union as regards sheep pox and goat pox, the period of application of Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2725 should be extended until 31 August 2024.












(9)


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

Amendments to Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2725

Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2725 is amended as follows:






1.


Article 5 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 5
Application
This Decision shall apply until 31 August 2024.’
;









2.


the Annex is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Decision.






Article 2

Addressees

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




Done at Brussels, 14 March 2024.


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) 2023/2725 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 (OJ L, 2023/2725, 4.12.2023, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2023/2725/oj).

(5)  Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/400 of 23 January 2024 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2725 concerning certain emergency measures relating to sheep pox and goat pox in certain Member States (OJ L, 2024/400, 24.1.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2024/400/oj).




ANNEX
In the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2725, Part 2 concerning Greece is replaced by the following:

‘2.   GREECE

A.   Protection and surveillance zones established around confirmed outbreaks








Region


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


Date until applicable





Region of Central Greece




Protection zone:

A protection zone that comprises the following areas:






—


in the regional unit of Phthiotis, the Municipality of Lokroi,










—


in the regional unit of Boeotia, the communities of Loutsi and Pavlos.






25.4.2024





Surveillance zone:

A surveillance zone that comprises the following areas:






—


in the regional unit of Phthiotis, the Municipal units of Agios Konstantinos and the Municipal unit of Elateia;










—


in the regional unit of Boeotia, the Municipality of Orchomenos, excluding the communities of Loutsi and Pavlos and the Municipal unit of Chaeronea.






9.5.2024





Surveillance zone:

A surveillance zone that comprises the following areas:






—


in the regional unit of Phthiotis, the Municipality of Lokroi,










—


in the regional unit of Boeotia, the communities of Loutsi and Pavlos.






26.4.2024 – 9.5.2024




B.   Further restricted zones








Region


Areas established as further restricted zones in Greece referred to in Article 1


Date until applicable





Region of North Aegean



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


30.6.2024





Region of Central Greece



A further restricted zone that comprises:






—


the entire territory of the regional unit of Phthiotis;










—


the entire territory of the regional unit of Boeotia;










—


in the regional unit of Euboea, the entire territory of the municipality of Chalcis.






30.6.2024’








ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2024/881/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)