Introductory text

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Directive 89/662/EEC of 11 December 1989 concerning veterinary checks in intra-Community trade with a view to the completion of the internal market^f1, and in particular Article 9(4) thereof,

Having regard to Council Directive 90/425/EEC of 26 June 1990 concerning veterinary and zootechnical checks applicable in intra-Community trade in certain live animals and products with a view to the completion of the internal market^f2, and in particular Article 10(4) thereof,

Having regard to Council Directive 2002/99/EC of 16 December 2002 laying down the animal health rules governing the production, processing, distribution and introduction of products of animal origin for human consumption^f3, and in particular Article 4(3) thereof,

Whereas:

Commission Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU^f4 lays down animal health control measures in relation to African swine fever in certain Member States. The Annex to that Implementing Decision demarcates and lists certain areas of those Member States in Parts I, II, III and IV of that Annex differentiated by the level of risk based on the epidemiological situation. That list includes certain areas of Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

Since September 2014, no outbreaks of African swine fever in domestic pigs have been notified in the rajono savivaldybė of Ignalina, Molėtai, Rokiškis, Švenčionys, Utena, Zarasai and the savivaldybė of Visaginas in Lithuania. In addition, supervision of biosecurity measures has been implemented in holdings in a satisfactory manner and results of surveillance show the absence of African swine fever virus in holdings in those areas of Lithuania. This indicates an improvement in the epidemiological situation. Accordingly, those areas of that Member State should now be listed in Part II, instead of Part III, of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU.

In December 2015, few cases of African swine fever in wild boar occurred in Estonia, Lithuania and Poland, in the areas listed in Part II of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU, in close proximity to the areas listed in Part I of that Annex. In the same period, one case of African swine fever in wild boar in Estonia occurred in the area listed in Part I of that Annex.

The evolution of the current epidemiological situation in the Union as regards African swine fever should be considered in the assessment of the risk represented by the animal health situation as regards that disease in Estonia, Lithuania and Poland. In order to focus animal health control measures and to prevent the further spread of African swine fever, as well as to prevent any unnecessary disturbance to trade within the Union and to avoid unjustified barriers to trade by third countries, the Union list of areas subject to the animal health control measures set out in the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU should be amended to take into account the changes in the current epidemiological situation as regards that disease in Estonia, Lithuania and in Poland.

Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU should therefore be amended to modify the areas listed in Parts I and II of Estonia and Poland and in Parts I, II and III of Lithuania.

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: