Prováděcí rozhodnutí Komise (EU) 2025/1483 ze dne 31. července 2025, kterým se mění prováděcí rozhodnutí (EU) 2025/1160 o některých mimořádných opatřeních v souvislosti s neštovicemi ovcí a neštovicemi koz v Bulharsku (oznámeno pod číslem C(2025) 5466)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

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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 , ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/429/oj. , and in particular Article 259(1) thereof,

Bulgaria shall ensure that:

(a) a restricted zone, which comprises protection zones, surveillance zones, and further restricted zones, is established, in accordance with Article 21 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, immediately by the competent authorities of Bulgaria;

(b) the protection, surveillance, and further restricted zones, referred to in point (a), comprise at least the areas listed in Parts A and B of Annex I;

(c) the measures required to be applied in the protection, surveillance, and further restricted zones, referred to in point (a), are applied at least until the dates listed in Parts A and B of Annex I.

OJ L 84, 31.3.2016, p. 1 , ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/429/oj.

(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) 2020/687Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 of 17 December 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and the Council, as regards rules for the prevention and control of certain listed diseases (OJ L 174, 3.6.2020, p. 64 , ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2020/687/oj). 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) 2018/1882Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882 of 3 December 2018 on the application of certain disease prevention and control rules to categories of listed diseases and establishing a list of species and groups of species posing a considerable risk for the spread of those listed diseases (OJ L 308, 4.12.2018, p. 21 , ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2018/1882/oj). . 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, a further restricted zone around or adjacent to the protection and surveillance zones.

(4) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160 of 5 June 2025 concerning certain emergency measures relating to sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria and repealing Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/948 (OJ L, 2025/1160, 10.6.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/1160/oj). was adopted, on 5 June 2025 , within the framework of Regulation (EU) 2016/429. It specifies certain emergency measures relating to sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria.

(5) More particularly, Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160 provides that the protection and surveillance zones to be established by that Member State, following an outbreak of 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) On 20 June 2025 , Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160 was amended in order to adjust, both spatially and temporally, the areas where emergency measures must be taken, as well as the duration thereof, in Bulgaria to prevent the further spread of sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria or to the rest of the Union. Since then, Bulgaria has notified the Commission of sixty eight additional outbreaks of sheep pox and goat pox in establishments where ovine and caprine animals are kept, sixty five located in the region of Plovdiv, approximately one hundred kilometres away from the nearest outbreak previously recorded in the region of Haskovo, two in the region of Stara Zagora, about sixty kilometres north east of Plovdiv and one in the region of Haskovo, all outside the protection and surveillance zones listed in the Annex to this Implementing Decision.

(7) In the current epidemiological situation, there is a high risk of further spread of the disease, in particular due to the fact that, according to the information provided by the competent authority of Bulgaria, the new outbreaks are located outside the established surveillance zones currently set out in the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160, suggesting that the disease moved outside the restricted areas and already circulates in the newly affected region of Plovdiv.

(8) Therefore, the restricted zone, comprising protection and surveillance zones in Bulgaria, set out in the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160 should be adjusted, spatially and temporally in order to prevent the further spread of the disease in the territory of Bulgaria and to the rest of the Union. In addition, it is necessary to establish a further restricted zone in Bulgaria.

(9) The size of the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones, and the duration of the measures to be applied therein, is based on the criteria set out in Article 64(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, as well as on the rules laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687. The criteria applied for the choice of the size of the protection, surveillance, and further restricted zones, as well as of the duration of the measures to be applied therein, include a consideration of not only the epidemiological situation as regards sheep pox and goat pox in the areas affected by that disease, but also of the overall epidemiological situation of sheep pox and goat pox in the entire territory of Bulgaria, and of the level of risk for the further spread of the disease. The duration of the measures also takes the international standards of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Healthhttps://www.woah.org/en/what-we-do/standards/codes-and-manuals/terrestrial-code-online-access/. into account. In light of these considerations, when applied to the current epidemiological situation concerning sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria, it is necessary to establish protection, surveillance and further restricted zones around the outbreaks in the regions of Plovdiv, Stara Zagora and Haskovo, to prevent further spread of the disease.

(10) In addition, in view of the occurrence of numerous new outbreaks of sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria during the past three weeks, over long distances, and the lack of sufficiently effective measures tackling this increased spread, it is necessary to adopt additional emergency measures in order to avoid the spread of the disease in Bulgaria, to the rest of the Union or to third countries, as well as to prevent unjustified trade barriers. It is therefore necessary to prohibit movements of sheep and goats from the protection and surveillance zones to any destinations located outside the external perimeter of the immediately surrounding further restricted zones, and to prohibit movements of sheep and goats from any other further restricted zone to a destination located outside the external perimeter of those further restricted zones, including to destinations located in different further restricted zones, as set out in Part B of the Annex. Furthermore, it is also necessary to prohibit movements of animals originating from those areas of Bulgaria that are not subject to restrictions due to sheep pox and goat pox to any of the areas set out as further restricted zones, until a specific date, since such movements may also contribute to indirect disease spread.

(11) In view of the epidemiological situation, it also necessary to identify the areas in the territory of Bulgaria where further measures like those applicable to further restricted zones, as provided for in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, should apply, and where movements of ovine and caprine animals outside the external perimeters of those areas should be prohibited until a specific date.

(12) In addition, in order to minimise the risk of further disease spread, it is also necessary to prohibit movements of ovine and caprine animals from the entire territory of Bulgaria to any destination located to other Member States or third countries, until a specific date.

(13) Given the urgency of the epidemiological situation in the Union as regards the spread of sheep pox and goat pox, and the need to prevent the disease from spreading from the affected establishments in Bulgaria to other parts of that Member State or to other Member State or third countries the emergency measures laid down in this Implementing Decision should apply as soon as possible.

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

Bulgaria shall ensure that:

(a) movements of sheep and goats from the protection and surveillance zones to a destination located outside the external perimeter of the immediately surrounding further restricted zone and from a further restricted zone to a destination located outside the external perimeter of this further restricted zone, including destinations located in a different further restricted zone as set out in Part B of the Annex, are prohibited until the dates listed for each such protection, surveillance and further restricted zone in the Annex;

(b) movements of sheep and goats from those parts of the territory of Bulgaria that are not listed in the Annex, to a destination located within the external perimeter of a further restricted zone shall be prohibited until all protection zones within this external perimeter have been lifted in accordance with the dates set out in that Annex;

(c) movements of sheep and goats from the territory of Bulgaria to a destination located outside Bulgaria are prohibited until 31 October 2025 .

This Decision is addressed to the Republic of Bulgaria.

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 of 17 December 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and the Council, as regards rules for the prevention and control of certain listed diseases (OJ L 174, 3.6.2020, p. 64 , ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2020/687/oj).

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Bulgaria shall apply the measures which are applicable to further restricted zones, as provided for in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, in the areas listed in Annex II to this Decision until the dates set out therein.

Movements of sheep and goats from the areas listed in Annex II to this Decision to a destination located outside the external perimeter of those areas shall be prohibited until the dates set out in that Annex.

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882 of 3 December 2018 on the application of certain disease prevention and control rules to categories of listed diseases and establishing a list of species and groups of species posing a considerable risk for the spread of those listed diseases (OJ L 308, 4.12.2018, p. 21 , ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2018/1882/oj).

This Decision is addressed to the Republic of Bulgaria.

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160 of 5 June 2025 concerning certain emergency measures relating to sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria and repealing Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/948 (OJ L, 2025/1160, 10.6.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/1160/oj).

https://www.woah.org/en/what-we-do/standards/codes-and-manuals/terrestrial-code-online-access/.

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: