Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/213 of 30 January 2025 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2918 concerning certain emergency measures relating to sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria (notified under document C(2025) 736)
Date: 2025-01-30
Institutions: Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission
Subjects: Bulgaria, Sliven region, animal disease, goat, sheep, veterinary inspection, viral disease








L_202500213EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
L series













2025/213


3.2.2025







            COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2025/213
of 30 January 2025
         
amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2918 concerning certain emergency measures relating to sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria


(notified under document C(2025) 736)


(Only the Bulgarian 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)


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)


In the event of an outbreak of sheep pox and goat pox 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 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 sheep pox and goat pox, 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)


In order to address outbreaks of sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria, the Commission adopted Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2918 (4) on the basis of Article 259 of Regulation (EU) 2016/429. This Decision lays down certain emergency measures relating to sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria. More particularly, Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2918 provides that the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones to be established by that Member State, in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 are to comprise at least the areas listed in the Annex to that Implementing Decision.












(5)


Since the last amendment of Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2918, Bulgaria has notified the Commission of one new outbreak of sheep pox and goat pox in an establishment where ovine and caprine animals were kept, in the region of Sliven.












(6)


Therefore, the areas listed as protection, surveillance and further restricted zones for Bulgaria in the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2918 as well as the duration of the measures applicable therein should be adjusted in order to prevent the further spread of the disease in Bulgaria and to the rest of the Union. Accordingly, it is necessary to amend the list of restricted zones and the duration of the measures to be applied therein set out in the Annex to that Implementing Decision.












(7)


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 sheep pox and goat pox in the areas affected by that disease and the overall epidemiological situation of sheep pox and goat pox in the Member State concerned by that disease as well as the level of risk for the further spread of the 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 epidemiological situation, there is a high risk of further spread of the disease due to the fact that a new outbreak of sheep pox and goat pox has occurred close to the previous ones in the region of Sliven, indicating that the disease continues to persist and circulate in the affected area.












(8)


Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2918 should therefore be amended accordingly.












(9)


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 amendments to be made to Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2918 by this Decision take effect as soon as possible.












(10)


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) 2024/2918

The Annex to Implementing Decision 2024/2918 is replaced by the text set out in the Annex to this Decision.


Article 2

Addressee

This Decision is addressed to the Republic of Bulgaria.




Done at Brussels, 30 January 2025.


For the Commission

Olivér VÁRHELYI
            

Member of the Commission






(1)  
            OJ L 84, 31.3.2016, 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, 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, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2018/1882/oj).

(4)  Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2918 of 19 November 2024 concerning certain emergency measures relating to sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria and repealing Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2778 (OJ L, 2024/2918, 22.11.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2024/2918/oj).




ANNEX
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 zones in Bulgaria referred to in Article 1


Date until applicable






Region of Sliven


BG-CAPRIPOX-2024-00008
BG-CAPRIPOX-2024-00010
BG-CAPRIPOX-2024-00012
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00001
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00002



Protection zone:

Those parts of the region of Sliven, contained within a circle of a radius of 3 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89 coordinates Lat. 42.587, Long. 26.4778 (2024/8), Lat. 42.5865, Long. 26.4795 (2024/10) Lat. 42.5864, Long. 26.4777 (2024/12), Lat. 42.5854, Long 26.4779 (2025/1), Lat. 42.5876, Long 26.4793 (2025/2)


4.2.2025





Surveillance zone:

Those parts of the region of Sliven, contained within a circle of a radius of 10 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89 coordinates Lat. 42.587, Long. 26.4778 (2024/8), Lat. 42.5865, Long. 26.4795 (2024/10), Lat. 42.5864, Long. 26.4777 (2024/12), Lat. 42.5854, Long 26.4779 (2025/1), Lat. 42.5876, Long 26.4793 (2025/2) excluding the areas contained in the protection zone


13.2.2025





Surveillance zone:

Those parts of the region of Sliven, contained within a circle of a radius of 10 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89 coordinates Lat. 42.587, Long. 26.4778 (2024/8), Lat. 42.5865, Long. 26.4795 (2024/10), Lat. 42.5864, Long. 26.4777 (2024/12), Lat. 42.5854, Long 26.4779 (2025/1), Lat. 42.5876, Long 26.4793 (2025/2)


5.2.2025 – 13.2.2025




B.   Further restricted zones








Regional unit


Areas included in the further restricted zones established in Bulgaria as referred to in Article 2


Date until applicable





Region of Stara Zagora



Municipalities Galabovo and Opan


4.2.2025





Region of Haskovo



Entire territory of the region of Haskovo, excluding the areas included in any protection or surveillance zone.


4.2.2025




Entire territory of the region of Haskovo


6.1.2025 – 4.2.2025





Region of Sliven



Entire territory of the region of Sliven excluding the areas included in any protection or surveillance zone.


15.3.2025




Entire territory of the region of Sliven


14.2.2025 – 15.3.2025





Region of Yambol



Municipalities of Straldzha, Yambol and Tundzha


15.3.2025





Region of Kurdzhali



Municipalities of Krumovgrad and Momchilgrad excluding the areas included in any protection or surveillance zone.


18.2.2025




Municipalities of Krumovgrad and Momchilgrad


20.1.2025 – 18.2.2025







ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/213/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)