(1)

Sheep pox and goat pox is an infectious viral disease affecting caprine and ovine 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)

In the event of an outbreak of sheep pox and goat pox in caprine or ovine animals, there is a serious risk of the spread of that disease to other establishments of caprine or ovine animals.

(3)

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 (2) supplements the rules for the control of the listed diseases referred to in Article 9(1), points (a), (b) and (c), of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, and defined as category A, B and C diseases in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882 (3). In particular, Articles 21 and 22 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 provide for the establishment of a restricted zone in the event of an outbreak of a category A disease, including sheep pox and goat pox, and for certain measures to be applied therein. In addition, Article 21(1) of that Delegated Regulation provides that the restricted zone is to comprise a protection zone, a surveillance zone, and, if necessary, further restricted zone around or adjacent to the protection and surveillance zones.

(4)

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2778 (4) was adopted within the framework of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and it lays down certain interim emergency measures relating to infection with sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria.

(5)

More particularly, Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2778 provides that the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones to be established by the Member State, following an outbreak of infection with sheep pox and goat pox, in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, are to comprise at least the areas listed in the Annex to that Implementing Decision.

(6)

Since the date of adoption of Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2778, Bulgaria notified the Commission of another outbreak of infection with sheep pox and goat pox in an establishment where ovine and caprine animals are kept, located in the regional unit of Haskovo.

(7)

Therefore, the areas listed as protection, surveillance and further restricted zones for Bulgaria in the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2778, should be further adjusted, spatially and/or temporally, in order to prevent further spread of the disease in Bulgaria and the rest of the Union.

(8)

The size of the protection and surveillance zones, as well as the further restricted zones and duration of the measures to apply therein should be based on the criteria set out in Article 64(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and the rules laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, including the epidemiological situation as regards sheep pox and goat pox in the areas affected by that disease and the overall epidemiological situation of sheep pox and goat pox in the Member State concerned by that disease as well as the level of risk for the further spread of the disease. The duration of the measures should also take into account the international standards of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

(9)

Due to the severity and urgency of the situation and in order to immediately limit the spread of the disease after this further occurrence in Bulgaria, it is necessary to ensure that animal movements from the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones to destinations outside the external perimeter of all the further restricted zones do not take place, and to exclude possible derogations from the prohibition to move animals as foreseen in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, for a certain period of time, in order to prevent long distance spread of the disease. In order to prevent the spread of the disease to the areas of Member States, it is important that there are no animal movements from the restricted zones.

(10)

Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2778 should therefore be replaced by this Decision.

(11)

Taking into account the current epidemiological situation in the Union as regards sheep pox and goat pox, this Decision should apply until 31 January 2025.

(12)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,

(a)

restricted zones, which comprise protection zones and surveillance zones, as well as further restricted zones are established immediately by the competent authority of that Member State in accordance with Article 21 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, and under the conditions laid down in that Article;

(b)

the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones referred to in point (a) comprise at least the areas listed in the Annex to this Decision;

(c)

the measures required to be applied in the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones, are applied at least until the dates listed in the Annex to this Decision.