Prováděcí rozhodnutí Komise (EU) 2025/2372 ze dne 20. listopadu 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) 8041)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

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,

Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160 is amended as follows:

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 it 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. 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 keeping those animals.

(2) 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.

(3) 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 following outbreaks of sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria, and it lays down emergency measures to be taken by that Member State. More particularly, Article 1 of Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160 provides that the protection, surveillance, and further restricted zones to be established by Bulgaria, in accordance with Article 21 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, are to comprise at least the areas listed in Parts A and B of Annex I to that Implementing Decision. It also provides that the measures required to be applied in those protection, surveillance and further restricted zones are to be applied until at least the dates listed in Parts A and B of that Annex.

(4) In addition, Article 2 of Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160 provides that Bulgaria is to prohibit 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 Annex I to that Implementing Decision, until the dates listed for each such protection, surveillance and further restricted zone in that Annex. It also provides that Bulgaria is to prohibit movements of sheep and goats from those parts of the territory of that Member State that are not listed in that Annex, to a destination located within the external perimeter of a further restricted zone, until all protection zones within this external perimeter have been lifted in accordance with the dates set out in that Annex. In addition, it prohibits movements of those animals from the territory of Bulgaria to a destination located outside that Member State until 1 January 2026 .

(5) Furthermore, Article 3 of Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160 provides that Bulgaria is to 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 that Implementing Decision, until the dates set out in that Annex. It also prohibits movements of sheep and goats from the areas listed in Annex II thereto to a destination located outside the external perimeter of those areas until the dates set out in that Annex.

(6) Since the last amendment of Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160, Bulgaria has notified the Commission of 12 additional outbreaks of sheep pox and goat pox, between 4 October and 11 November 2025 , in establishments where ovine animals were kept, located in the regions of Plovdiv, Haskovo, Kyustendil and Pazardzhik.

(7) Taking into account the current epidemiological situation as regards sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria, there is a high risk for the further spread of that disease, in particular due to the fact that, according to the information provided by that Member State, new outbreaks continue to occur in the regions already affected by the disease, and a new outbreak occurred for the first time in the region of Kyustendil, suggesting that the disease continues to circulate and even spread outside the existing restricted zones.

(8) Therefore, the restricted zones, comprising protection, surveillance and further restricted zones in Bulgaria, set out in Annex I to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160 should be adjusted, both spatially and temporally, in order to prevent the further spread of sheep pox and goat pox in the territory of Bulgaria, and to the rest of the Union. Annex I to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160 should, therefore, be amended accordingly.

(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 laid down 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. For the determination of the duration of the measures 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/. have also been taken into account.

(10) In view of the epidemiological situation as regards sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria, it is also necessary to prolong the duration of the measures, laid down in Article 2, points (a) and (b), of Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160. In addition, in order to minimise the risk of the further spread of that disease, it is also necessary to prolong the prohibition, laid down in Article 2, point (c), of Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160, on the movements of goats and sheep from the territory of Bulgaria to a destination located outside Bulgaria until 31 March 2026 .

1. in Article 2, point (c), the date 1 January 2026 is replaced by 31 March 2026 ;

(11) Furthermore, in view of the epidemiological situation as regards sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria, it is also necessary to amend the lists of areas and dates set out in Annex II to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160, so that the measures and the prohibition on movements of sheep and goats to a destination located outside the external perimeters of those areas, laid down in Article 3 of that Implementing Decision, apply, after the lifting of the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones set out in Annex I to that Implementing Decision.

(12) 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 that disease from spreading from the affected establishments in Bulgaria to other parts of that Member State or to other Member States, the amendments to be made to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160, by this Decision, should take effect as soon as possible.

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

2. Annexes I and II are replaced by the text set out in the Annex to this Decision.

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).

Article 1 Article 1

Article 2 Article 2

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).

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: