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 checks applicable in intra-Union 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,

Whereas:

African swine fever is an infectious viral disease affecting domestic and feral pig populations and can have a severe impact on the profitability of pig farming causing disturbance to trade within the Union and exports to third countries.

In the event of an outbreak of African swine fever, there is a risk that the disease agent may spread to other pig holdings and to feral pigs. As a result, it may spread from one Member State to another Member State and to third countries through trade in live pigs or their products.

Council Directive 2002/60/EC^f3 lays down minimum measures to be applied within the Union for the control of African swine fever. Article 9 of Directive 2002/60/EC provides for the establishment of protection and surveillance zones in the event of outbreaks of that disease, where the measures laid down in Articles 10 and 11 of that Directive are to apply.

Following outbreaks of African swine fever in the district of Trebišov in Slovakia, that Member State has informed the Commission of the African swine fever situation in its territory, and in accordance with Article 9 of Directive 2002/60/EC, it established protection and surveillance zones where the measures referred to in Articles 10 and 11 of that Directive are applied.

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/1273^f4 was adopted following the establishment of the protection and surveillance zones in Slovakia, in accordance with Article 9 of Directive 2002/60/EC.

Since the date of adoption of Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/1273, the epidemiological situation in Slovakia has evolved with respect to African swine fever with the occurrence of a new outbreak in the district of Trebišov, and accordingly Slovakia has implemented the required control measures and it has collected additional surveillance data.

In order to prevent any unnecessary disturbance to trade within the Union and to avoid unjustified barriers to trade being imposed by third countries, it is necessary to describe at Union level the revised areas established as protection and surveillance zones for African swine fever in Slovakia in collaboration with that Member State. These revised surveillance and protection zones take account of the current epidemiological scenario in that Member State.

Accordingly, the areas identified as protection and surveillance zones in Slovakia should be set out in the Annex to this Decision and the duration of that regionalisation fixed.

In addition, Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/1273 should be repealed and replaced by this Decision to take account of the updated disease management measures in place and the evolution in the disease situation in Slovakia as regards African swine fever.

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: