Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/3119 of 16 December 2024 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/110 by prolonging the period of application of emergency measures regarding confirmed cases of infestation with the small hive beetle in France and Italy and by adding the Region of Sicily in Italy to the Annex thereof as a zone subject to emergency measures (notified under document C(2024) 8783)
Date: 2024-12-16
Institutions: Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission
Subjects: Calabria, France, Italy, Réunion, Sicily, animal disease, apiculture, insect, pest, veterinary inspection




L_202403119EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
L series













2024/3119


18.12.2024







            COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2024/3119
of 16 December 2024
         
amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/110 by prolonging the period of application of emergency measures regarding confirmed cases of infestation with the small hive beetle in France and Italy and by adding the Region of Sicily in Italy to the Annex thereof as a zone subject to emergency measures


(notified under document C(2024) 8783)


(Only the French and Italian 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), point (c), thereof,

Whereas:







(1)


Infestation with Aethina tumida (small hive beetle) is a listed disease referred to in Annex II to Regulation (EU) 2016/429, and a category D and E disease referred to in the Annex to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882 (2).












(2)


This disease is largely absent from the Union, but infestations have occurred in the Region of Calabria in Italy since September 2014, and in the French overseas department of Réunion Island since 2022. Currently Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/110 (3) lays down certain animal health emergency measures as regards confirmed infestations with the small hive beetle in Italy and in France, with Calabria and Réunion Island being listed in the Annex to that Implementing Decision as zones subject to those emergency measures.












(3)


Both Italy and France have recently notified the Commission of new cases of infestation with the small hive beetle detected in Calabria and in Réunion Island. Furthermore, Italy has also recently notified the Commission of several new cases of infestation with the small hive beetle detected in the Region of Sicily which is not listed in the Annex to that Implementing Decision as a zone subject to those emergency measures.












(4)


In order to prevent any unnecessary disturbance to trade within the Union, and to avoid unjustified barriers to trade being imposed by third countries, as well as to prevent the spread of infestation with the small hive beetle to other zones of the Union, it is appropriate to add the Region of Sicily to the list of Member States or zones thereof in the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/110 subject to emergency measures due to the presence of infestation with the small hive beetle.












(5)


In addition, Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/110 applies until 31 December 2024. However, given the continual difficulties experienced by the Member States in recent years eradicating the small hive beetle in the affected Member States, the emergency measures laid down in that Implementing Decision should be prolonged. Accordingly, Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/110 should be amended, so that it applies until 31 December 2026.












(6)


Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/110 should therefore be amended accordingly.












(7)


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
Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/110 is amended as follows:






1.


Article 3 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 3
This Decision shall apply until 31 December 2026.’
;









2.


the Annex is replaced by the text set out in the Annex to this Decision.






Article 2
This Decision is addressed to the French Republic and the Italian Republic.




Done at Brussels, 16 December 2024.


For the Commission

Olivér VÁRHELYI
            

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 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).

(3)  Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/110 of 12 January 2023 laying down emergency measures in relation to confirmed cases of infestation with small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) in Italy and France and repealing Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/597 (OJ L 13, 16.1.2023, p. 5, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2023/110/oj).




ANNEX
List of Member States or zones thereof subject to emergency measures referred to in Article 2(1)






Member State


Zones subject to emergency measures




France


Department of La Réunion




Italy


Region of Calabria: whole Region
Region of Sicily: whole Region







ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2024/3119/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)