Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2132 of 30 July 2024 concerning certain emergency measures relating to infection with peste des petits ruminants virus in Greece and repealing Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2014 (notified under document C(2024) 5612)
Date: 2024-07-30
Institutions: Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission
Subjects: Greece, Thessaly, animal plague, animal product, goat, sheep, trade restriction, transport of animals, veterinary inspection, viral disease








L_202402132EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
L series













2024/2132


31.7.2024







            COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2024/2132
of 30 July 2024
         
concerning certain emergency measures relating to infection with peste des petits ruminants virus in Greece and repealing Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2014


(notified under document C(2024) 5612)


(Only the Greek 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(1) thereof,

Whereas:







(1)


Infection with peste des petits ruminants virus is an infectious 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)


In the event of an outbreak of infection with peste des petits ruminants virus in caprine or ovine animals, there is a serious risk of the spread of that disease to other establishments of caprine or ovine animals.












(3)


Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 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 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 infection with peste des petits ruminants virus, and for certain 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.












(4)


Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2014 (4) was adopted within the framework of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and it lays down certain interim emergency measures relating to infection with peste des petits ruminants virus in Greece.












(5)


More particularly, Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2014 provides that the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones to be established by the Member State, following an outbreak of infection with peste des petits ruminants virus, in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, are to comprise at least the areas listed in the Annex to that Implementing Decision.












(6)


Since the date of adoption of Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2014, Greece notified the Commission of 14 further outbreaks of infection with peste des petits ruminants virus in establishments where ovine and/or caprine animals are kept, located in the regional units of Trikala and Larisa, in the region of Thessaly.












(7)


In total, Greece has notified 15 outbreaks of infection with peste des petits ruminants virus that form at least two distinct clusters, one in the regional unit of Trikala and the other in the regional unit of Larisa. Ten of these outbreaks are located outside the restricted zones already established in the regional units of Trikala and Grevena.












(8)


Therefore, the areas listed as protection, surveillance and further restricted zones for Greece in the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2014, should be further adjusted, spatially and/or temporally, in order to prevent further spread of the disease in Greece and the rest of the Union.












(9)


The size of the zones and duration of the measures to apply in the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones should be based on the criteria set out in Article 64(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and the rules laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, including the epidemiological situation as regards infection with peste des petits ruminants virus in the areas affected by that disease and the overall epidemiological situation of infection with peste des petits ruminants virus in the Member State concerned as well as the level of risk for the further spread of that disease. The duration of the measures should also take into account the international standards of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). In the current situation, there is high risk of further spread of the disease, in particular due to the fact that, according to the information provided by the competent authority, the disease has spread within a few days as far as 84 kilometres from the first outbreak and the epidemiological information available suggest that the disease had been present in the area for a period of time before being diagnosed.












(10)


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












(11)


Due to the severity and urgency of the situation and in order to immediately limit the spread of the disease after this first occurrence in that Member State, it is necessary to ensure that animal movements from the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones to destinations outside the external perimeter of the further restricted zone do not take place, and to exclude possible derogations from the prohibition to move animals as foreseen in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, for a certain period of time, in order to prevent long distance spread of the disease.












(12)


Given the urgency of the epidemiological situation in the Union as regards the spread of infection with peste des petits ruminants virus and the need to prevent the disease from spreading from the affected establishments in Greece to other parts of that Member State or to other Member States, the measures laid down in this Implementing Decision should apply as soon as possible.












(13)


Accordingly, the areas identified as protection, surveillance and further restricted zones in Greece should be established immediately and listed in the Annex to this Decision and the duration of that regionalisation fixed and animal movements should be restricted.












(14)


In addition, Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2014 should be repealed and replaced by this Decision.












(15)


Taking into account the current epidemiological situation in the Union as regards peste des petits ruminants virus, this Decision should apply until 30 November 2024.












(16)


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 and surveillance zones to be established by Greece, following outbreaks of infection with peste des petits ruminants virus in its territory, as well as a further restricted zone 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 a restricted zone

Greece shall ensure that:






(a)


a restricted zone, which comprises a protection zone, a surveillance zone as well as a further restricted zone, is established immediately by the competent authority of that Member State 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 the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones, are applied at least until the dates listed in the Annex to this Decision.






Article 3

Measures in the restricted zone

Movements of sheep and goats from the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones to a destination located outside the external perimeter of the further restricted zone as provided for in Point B of the Annex to this Decision are prohibited until the dates listed for each zone in the Annex to this Decision.


Article 4

Repeal of Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2014

Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2014 is repealed.


Article 5

Application

This Decision shall apply until 30 November 2024.


Article 6

Addressee

This Decision is addressed to the Hellenic Republic.




Done at Brussels, 30 July 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/oj.

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

(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, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2018/1882/oj).

(4)  Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2014 of 19 July 2024 concerning certain interim emergency measures relating to infection with peste des petits ruminants virus in Greece (OJ L, 2024/2014, 22.7.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2024/2014/oj).




ANNEX
A.   Protection and surveillance zones established around the confirmed outbreak








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 Trikala

GR-PPR-2024-00001
GR-PPR-2024-00002
GR-PPR-2024-00003
GR-PPR-2024-00004
GR-PPR-2024-00006
GR-PPR-2024-00007
GR-PPR-2024-000015


Protection zone:
Those parts of the regional unit of Trikala, contained within a circle of a radius of 3 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89 coordinates Lat. 39.74240, Long. 21.5816 (2024/1), Lat. 39.74582, Long. 21.58346 (2024/2), Lat. 39.738997, Long. 21.58565 (2024/3), Lat. 39.73900 Long. 21.58565 (2024/4), Lat.39.74907, Long.21.58515 (2024/6), Lat. 39.73803, Long.21.58583 (2024/7), Lat.39.61299, Long.21.94638 (2024/15)


18.8.2024




Surveillance zone:
Those parts of the regional unit of Trikala, contained within a circle of a radius of 10 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89 coordinates Lat. 39.74240, Long. 21.5816 (2024/1), Lat. 39.74582, Long. 21.58346 (2024/2), Lat. 39.738997, Long. 21.58565 (2024/3), Lat. 39.73900 Long. 21.58565 (2024/4), Lat.39.74907, Long.21.58515 (2024/6), Lat. 39.73803, Long.21.58583 (2024/7), Lat.39.61299, Long.21.94638 (2024/15), excluding the areas contained in the protection zone


27.8.2024




Surveillance zone:
Those parts of the regional unit of Trikala, contained within a circle of a radius of 3 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89 coordinates Lat. 39.74240, Long. 21.5816 (2024/1), Lat. 39.74582, Long. 21.58346 (2024/2), Lat. 39.738997, Long. 21.58565 (2024/3), Lat. 39.73900 Long. 21.58565 (2024/4), Lat.39.74907, Long.21.58515 (2024/6), Lat. 39.73803, Long.21.58583 (2024/7), Lat.39.61299, Long.21.94638 (2024/15)


19.8.2024 – 27.8.2024





Regional unit of Larisa

GR-PPR-2024-00005
GR-PPR-2024-00008
GR-PPR-2024-00009
GR-PPR-2024-00010
GR-PPR-2024-00011
GR-PPR-2024-00012
GR-PPR-2024-00013
GR-PPR-2024-00014


Protection zone:
Those parts of the regional unit of Larisa, contained within a circle of a radius of 3 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89 coordinates Lat. 39.80302, Long.22.09358 (2024/1), Lat.39.79371, Long 22.09587 (2024/8), Lat.39.78486, Long.22.09857(2014/9), Lat.39.78106, Long. 22.09151 (2014/10), Lat.39.78088, Long.22.09469 (2024/11), Lat.39.72800, Long.22.14268 (2024/12), Lat.39.71114, Long.22.56483 (2024/13), Lat.39.71725, Long.22.55791(2024/14)


18.8.2024




Surveillance zone:
Those parts of the regional unit of Larisa, contained within a circle of a radius of 10 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89 coordinates Lat. 39.80302, Long.22.09358 (2024/1), Lat.39.79371, Long 22.09587 (2024/8), Lat.39.78486, Long.22.09857(2014/9), Lat.39.78106, Long. 22.09151 (2014/10), Lat.39.78088, Long.22.09469 (2024/11), Lat.39.72800, Long.22.14268 (2024/12), Lat.39.71114, Long.22.56483 (2024/13), Lat.39.71725, Long.22.55791(2024/14),
excluding the areas contained in the protection zone


27.8.2024




Surveillance zone:
Those parts of the regional unit of Larisa, contained within a circle of a radius of 3 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89 coordinates Lat. 39.80302, Long.22.09358 (2024/1), Lat.39.79371, Long 22.09587 (2024/8), Lat.39.78486, Long.22.09857(2014/9), Lat.39.78106, Long. 22.09151 (2014/10), Lat.39.78088, Long.22.09469 (2024/11), Lat.39.72800, Long.22.14268 (2024/12), Lat.39.71114, Long.22.56483 (2024/13), Lat.39.71725, Long.22.55791(2024/14)


19.8.2024 – 27.8.2024




B.   Further restricted zone








Regional unit


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


Date until applicable





Regional unit of Trikala



The following regional units:






—


Trikala










—


Larisa










—


Grevena










—


Karditsa
excluding the areas included in any protection or surveillance zone.






27.8.2024




The following regional units:






—


Trikala










—


Larisa










—


Grevena










—


Karditsa






28.8.2024-26.9.2024







ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2024/2132/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)