Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1911 of 6 October 2022 amending Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 laying down special control measures for African swine fever (Text with EEA relevance)
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1911of 6 October 2022amending Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 laying down special control measures for African swine fever(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")OJ L 84, 31.3.2016, p. 1., and in particular Article 71(3) thereof,Whereas:(1)African swine fever is an infectious viral disease affecting kept and wild porcine 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)Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 of 7 April 2021 laying down special control measures for African swine fever (OJ L 129, 15.4.2021, p. 1). was adopted within the framework of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, and it lays down special disease control measures regarding African swine fever to be applied for a limited period of time by the Member States listed in Annex I thereto (the Member States concerned), in restricted zones I, II and III listed in that Annex.(3)The areas listed as restricted zones I, II and III in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 are based on the epidemiological situation of African swine fever in the Union. Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 was last amended by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1841Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1841 of 30 September 2022 amending Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 laying down special control measures for African swine fever (OJ L 254, 3.10.2022, p. 3). following changes in the epidemiological situation as regards that disease in Lithuania.(4)Any amendments to restricted zones I, II and III in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 should be based on the epidemiological situation as regards African swine fever in the areas affected by that disease and the overall epidemiological situation of African swine fever in the Member State concerned, the level of risk for the further spread of that disease, as well as scientifically based principles and criteria for geographically defining zoning due to African swine fever and the Union’s guidelines agreed with the Member States at the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed and publicly available on the Commission’s websiteWorking Document SANTE/7112/2015/Rev. 3 "Principles and criteria for geographically defining ASF regionalisation". https://ec.europa.eu/food/animals/animal-diseases/control-measures/asf_en. Such amendments should also take account of international standards, such as the Terrestrial Animal Health CodeOIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code, 29th Edition, 2021. Volumes I and II ISBN 978-92-95115-40-8; https://www.woah.org/en/what-we-do/standards/codes-and-manuals/terrestrial-code-online-access/ of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and justifications for zoning provided by the competent authorities of the Member States concerned.(5)The epidemiological situation in certain zones listed as restricted zones III in Italy and Germany has improved meanwhile as regard kept porcine animals, due to the disease control measures being applied by those Member States in accordance with Union legislation.(6)Taking into account the effectiveness of the disease control measures for African swine fever for kept porcine animals in a restricted zone III listed in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 being applied in Italy in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, and in particular those laid down in Articles 22, 25 and 40 thereof, and in line with the risk mitigation measures for African swine fever set out in the WOAH Code, a zone in the Lazio region in Italy, currently listed as restricted zone III in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 should now be listed as restricted zone II in that Annex, due to the absence of African swine fever outbreaks in kept porcine animals in this restricted zone III for the past three months, while the disease is still present in wild porcine animals. The restricted zone III should now be listed as restricted zone II taking account of the current African swine fever epidemiological situation.(7)Also, taking into account the effectiveness of the disease control measures for African swine fever for kept porcine animals in a restricted zone III listed in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 being applied in Germany in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, and in particular those laid down in Articles 22, 25 and 40 thereof, and in line with the risk mitigation measures for African swine fever set out in the WOAH Code, a zone in the state of Brandenburg in Germany, currently listed as restricted zone III in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 should now be deleted from the restricted zone III in that Annex, due to the absence of African swine fever outbreaks in kept and wild porcine animals in this restricted zone III for the past three months. The restricted zone III should now be deleted from that Annex and the current boundaries of restricted zone I also need to be redefined to take account of the current African swine fever epidemiological situation.(8)In order to take account of the recent developments in the epidemiological situation of African swine fever in the Union new restricted zones of a sufficient size should be demarcated for Italy and listed as restricted zone II in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605, as well as certain parts of restricted zone I and zone III should be deleted from that Annex for Germany. As the situation as regards African swine fever is very dynamic in the Union, when demarcating those new restricted zones, account has been taken of the situation in the surrounding areas.(9)Given the urgency of the epidemiological situation in the Union as regards the spread of African swine fever, it is important that the amendments to be made to Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 by this Implementing Regulation take effect as soon as possible.(10)The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: