(fra kommisjonsforordningen)

(1) African swine fever is an infectious viral disease affecting kept and wild porcine 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 of those consignments to third countries.

(2) 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 63 to 66 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 provide for certain measures to be taken in the event of an official confirmation of an outbreak of a category A disease in wild animals, including African swine fever in wild porcine animals. Notably, those provisions provide for the establishment of an infected zone and prohibitions on movements of wild animals of listed species and products of animal origin thereof.

(3) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 (4) lays down special disease control measures for African swine fever to be applied for a limited period of time by the Member States which are listed, or have areas listed, in Annexes I and II thereto. That Implementing Regulation lays down rules, inter alia, on the listing at Union level in Annex I thereto of restricted zones I, II and III following outbreaks of African swine fever, and rules on the listing at Union level in Annex II thereto of areas established as infected zone or restricted zone, comprising protection and surveillance zones, following an outbreak of that disease in a previously disease-free Member State or zone.

(4) Also, in the case of an outbreak of African swine fever in wild porcine animals in a Member State, Article 3, point (b), of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 provides for the establishment of an infected zone by the competent authority of that Member State, in accordance with Article 63 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687.

(5) Finland informed the Commission of the epidemiological situation as regards African swine fever on its territory following the confirmation of an outbreak of that disease in wild porcine animals in the Kymenlaakso region on 30 July 2026, in an area that was previously free of that disease. The competent authority of that Member State established the infected zone in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594, where the general disease control measures laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 were applied, in order to prevent the further spread of that disease.

(6) Following that notification of an outbreak, the Commission adopted Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1937 (5) concerning interim emergency measures relating to African swine fever in Finland. That decision provides, inter alia, that Finland is to apply, in the areas listed as an infected zone in the Annex thereto, the special disease control measures applicable to restricted zones II, laid down in Article 8(2) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594, and the measures provided for in Article 8(3) and (4) of that Implementing Regulation, as well as the disease control measures laid down in Articles 63 to 66 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687. That Implementing Decision applies until 31 October 2026.

(7) In the case of a first outbreak of African swine fever in wild porcine animals in a previously disease-free Member State or zone, Article 6(2) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 provides for the listing of that area as an infected zone in Part A of Annex II to that Implementing Regulation. Consequently, the infected zones established by the competent authority of Finland in the Kymenlaakso region, should be listed in Part A of Annex II to that Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594. In addition, Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1937 should be repealed.

(8) Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 was last amended by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1908 (6) following changes in the epidemiological situation as regards African swine fever in Croatia, Italy and Poland.

(9) Since the date of adoption of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1908, Italy and Poland have notified the Commission of new outbreaks of African swine fever in wild porcine animals, and Bulgaria, Hungary and Poland have notified the Commission of new outbreaks in kept porcine animals.

(10) In August 2026, an outbreak of African swine fever in kept porcine animals was observed in the Varna region in Bulgaria in an area currently listed as restricted zone II in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594. This new outbreak of African swine fever in kept porcine animals constitutes an increased level of risk, so the area of Bulgaria currently listed as a restricted zone II and affected by that outbreak, should therefore now be listed as restricted zone III in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594, and the current boundaries of the restricted zones II and III should also be redefined to take account of that outbreak.

(11) In August 2026, several outbreaks of African swine fever in kept porcine animals were observed in the Baranya and Somogy counties in Hungary in areas currently listed as restricted zones II in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594. These new outbreaks of African swine fever in kept porcine animals constitute an increased level of risk, so the areas of Hungary currently listed as restricted zones II and affected by those outbreaks, should therefore now be listed as restricted zones III in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594, and the current boundaries of the restricted zones II and III should also be redefined to take account of those outbreaks.

(12) In July and August 2026, several outbreaks of African swine fever in wild porcine animals were observed in the Emilia Romagna and Tuscany regions in Italy in areas currently listed as restricted zones II in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594, but in close proximity to areas currently listed as restricted zones I in that Annex I. These new outbreaks of African swine fever in wild porcine animals constitute an increased level of risk, so the areas of Italy currently listed as restricted zones I should therefore now be listed as restricted zones II in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594, and the current boundaries of the restricted zones I and II should also be redefined to take account of those outbreaks.

(13) In August 2026, an outbreak of African swine fever in kept porcine animals was observed in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie region in Poland in an area currently listed as restricted zone I in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594. This new outbreak of African swine fever in kept porcine animals constitutes an increased level of risk, so the area of Poland currently listed as a restricted zone I and affected by that outbreak, should therefore now be listed as a restricted zone III in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594, and the current boundaries of the restricted zones I and III should also be redefined to take account of that outbreak.

(14) In August 2026, an outbreak of African swine fever in kept porcine animals was observed in the Zachodniopomorskie region in Poland in an area currently listed as restricted zone II in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594. This new outbreak of African swine fever in kept porcine animals constitutes an increased level of risk, so the area of Poland currently listed as a restricted zone II and affected by that outbreak, should therefore now be listed as a restricted zone III in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594, and the current boundaries of the restricted zones II and III should also be redefined to take account of that outbreak.

(15) In July and August 2026, several outbreaks of African swine fever in wild porcine animals were observed in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Podkarpackie and Pomorskie regions in Poland in areas currently listed as a restricted zone II in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594, but in close proximity to areas currently listed as restricted zones I in that Annex. These new outbreaks of African swine fever in wild porcine animals constitute an increased level of risk, so the areas of Poland currently listed as restricted zones I should, therefore, now be listed as restricted zones II in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594, and the current boundaries of the restricted zones I and II should also be redefined to take account of those outbreaks.

(16) Accordingly, in order to take account of these recent developments in the epidemiological situation concerning African swine fever in the Union, and to proactively combat the risks associated with a further spread of that disease, the entries concerning restricted zones in Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, and Poland set out in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 should be amended.

(17) In addition, the infected zones established by the competent authority of Finland in the Kymenlaakso region, should be listed in Part A of Annex II to that Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594.

(18) As the situation as regards African swine fever is very dynamic in the Union, when demarcating these new restricted zones, account has also been taken of the epidemiological situation in areas surrounding these outbreaks.

(19) Given the urgency of the epidemiological situation in the Union as regards the serious risks of the spread of African swine fever, it is important that the amendments made by this Implementing Regulation to Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 take effect as soon as possible.

(20) In addition, Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1937 should be repealed.

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