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,

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, where there have been confirmed cases of that disease in domestic or feral pigs (the Member States concerned). The Annex to that Implementing Decision demarcates and lists certain areas of the Member States concerned in Parts I to IV thereof, differentiated by the level of risk based on the epidemiological situation as regards that disease. The Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU has been amended several times to take account of changes in the epidemiological situation in the Union as regards African swine fever that need to be reflected in that Annex. The Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU was last amended by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/1392^f5, following instances of African swine fever in Bulgaria.

The risk of the spread of African swine fever in wildlife is linked to the natural slow spread of that disease among feral pig populations, and also to human activity, as demonstrated by the recent epidemiological evolution of that disease in the Union, and as documented by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in the Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Animal Health and Welfare, published on 14 July 2015; in the Scientific Report of EFSA on Epidemiological analyses on African swine fever in the Baltic countries and Poland, published on 23 March 2017; in the Scientific Report of EFSA on Epidemiological analyses of African swine fever in the Baltic States and Poland, published on 8 November 2017; and in the Scientific Report of EFSA on Epidemiological analyses of African swine fever in the European Union, published on 29 November 2018^f6.

Council Directive 2002/60/EC lays down the minimum Union measures to be taken for the control of African swine fever. In particular, Article 9 of Directive 2002/60/EC provides for the establishment of a protection and a surveillance zone when African swine fever has been officially confirmed in pigs on a holding, and Articles 10 and 11 of that Directive lay down the measures to be taken in the protection and surveillance zones in order to prevent the spread of that disease. Recent experience has shown that the measures laid down in Directive 2002/60/EC are effective in controlling the spread of that disease, and in particular the measures providing for the cleaning and disinfecting of infected holdings and other measures related to the eradication of that disease.

Taking into account the effectiveness of the measures being applied in the Member States in accordance with Directive 2002/60/EC, and in particular those laid down in Article 10(4)(b) and Article 10(5) thereof, and in line with the risk mitigation measures for African swine fever set out in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organization for Animal Health, certain areas in the districts of lubelski, bialski, siedlecki and hrubieszowski in Poland and in the counties of Saldus and Brocēnu in Latvia currently listed in Part III of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU should now be listed in Part II of that Annex, in view of the expiry of the period of three months from the date of the final cleaning and disinfection of the infected holdings and due to the absence of ASF outbreaks in those areas for the past 12 months. Given that Part III of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU lists the areas where the epidemiological situation is still evolving and very dynamic, when any amendments are made to areas listed in that Part, particular consideration must always be given to the effect on the surrounding areas.

Since the date of adoption of Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/1392, there have been further outbreaks of African swine fever in domestic pigs and cases in feral pigs in Lithuania, Bulgaria,Romania and Poland. Following these recent outbreaks and cases of that disease, and taking into account the current epidemiological situation in the Union, regionalisation in these four Member States has been reassessed and updated. In addition, the risk management measures in place also have been reassessed and updated. These changes need to be reflected in the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU.

In September 2019, one outbreak of African swine fever in domestic pigs was observed in the county of Kaunas in Lithuania in an area currently listed in Part II of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU. This outbreak of African swine fever constitutes an increased level of risk which should be reflected in that Annex. Accordingly, this area of Lithuania affected by African swine fever should now be listed in Part III of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU, instead of in Part II thereof.

In September 2019, one outbreak of African swine fever in domestic pigs was observed in the region of Kardzhali in Bulgaria in an area currently listed in Part I of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU. This outbreak of African swine fever constitutes an increased level of risk which should be reflected in that Annex. Accordingly, this area of Bulgaria affected by African swine fever should now be listed in Part III of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU, instead of in Part I thereof.

In September 2019, one case of African swine fever in feral pigs was observed in the region of Lovech in Bulgaria in an area currently listed in Part III of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU in close proximity to an area currently listed in Part I of the Annex thereto. This case of African swine fever constitutes an increased level of risk which should be reflected in that Annex. Accordingly, this area of Bulgaria affected by African swine fever should now be listed in Part II of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU, instead of in Part I thereof.

In September 2019, one outbreak of African swine fever in domestic pigs was observed in the county of Iași in Romania in an area currently listed in Part I of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU. This outbreak of African swine fever constitutes an increased level of risk which should be reflected in that Annex. Accordingly, this area of Romania affected by African swine fever should now be listed in Part III of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU, instead of in Part I thereof.

In September 2019, few cases of African swine fever in feral pigs were observed in the districts of lubelski and zwoleński in Poland in an area currently listed in Part II of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU in close proximity to areas currently listed in Part I of the Annex thereto. These cases of African swine fever constitute an increased level of risk which should be reflected in that Annex. Accordingly, these areas of Poland affected by African swine fever should now be listed in Part II of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU, instead of in Part I thereof.

In September 2019, one outbreak of African swine fever in domestic pigs was observed in the district of lidzbarski in Poland in an area currently listed in Part II of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU. This outbreak of African swine fever constitutes an increased level of risk which should be reflected in that Annex. Accordingly, this area of Poland affected by African swine fever should now be listed in Part III of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU, instead of in Part II thereof.

In order to take account of recent developments in the epidemiological evolution 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, a new high-risk area of a sufficient size should be demarcated for Lithuania, Bulgaria, Romania and Poland and duly listed in Parts II and III of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU. The Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU should therefore be amended accordingly.

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: