Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/942 of 8 May 2023 amending Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 laying down special control measures for African swine fever (Text with EEA relevance)
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/942of 8 May 2023amending Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 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 the consignments of those animals and products thereof within the Union and their exports to third countries.(2)Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 of 16 March 2023 laying down special disease control measures for African swine fever and repealing Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 (OJ L 79, 17.3.2023, p. 65). lays down special disease control measures regarding African swine fever to be applied for a limited period of time by the Member StatesIn accordance with the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 5(4) of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland in conjunction with Annex 2 to that Protocol, for the purposes of this Regulation references to Member States include the United Kingdom in respect of Northern Ireland., which are listed or whose areas are listed in Annexes I and II.(3)The areas listed as restricted zones I, II and III in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 are based on the epidemiological situation of African swine fever in the Union. Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 was last amended by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/861Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/861 of 26 April 2023 amending Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 laying down special control measures for African swine fever (OJ L 112, 27.4.2023, p. 1). following changes in the epidemiological situation as regards that disease in Latvia and Poland. Since the date of adoption of that Implementing Regulation, the epidemiological situation as regards that disease in certain Member States concerned has evolved.(4)Any amendments to restricted zones I, II and III in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 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)Since the date of adoption of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/861 there has been an outbreak of African swine fever in kept porcine animals in Greece.(6)In April 2023, one outbreak of African swine fever in kept porcine animals was observed in the Serres Region in Greece, in an area currently listed as a restricted zone I in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594. This new outbreak of African swine fever in kept porcine animals constitutes an increased level of risk, which should be reflected in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594. Accordingly, this area of Greece currently listed as a restricted zone I in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594, affected by this recent outbreak, should be listed as a restricted zone III in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 and the current boundaries of restricted zone I need to be redefined to take account of this outbreak.(7)Following this recent outbreak of African swine fever in kept porcine animals in Greece and taking into account the current epidemiological situation as regards African swine fever in the Union, zoning in this Member State has been reassessed and updated in accordance with Articles 5, 6 and 7 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594. In addition, the risk management measures in place have been reassessed and updated. These changes should be reflected in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594.(8)In order to take account of the recent developments in the epidemiological situation of African swine fever in the Union, and in order to combat the risks associated with the spread of that disease in a proactive manner new restricted zones of a sufficient size should be demarcated for Greece, and listed as restricted zones I and III in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594. 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 epidemiological 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) 2023/594 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: