(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 Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 (2) 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.

(3) Changes to the listing of restricted zones I, II and III in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 must be based on the epidemiological situation as regards African swine fever in the areas affected by that disease, the overall epidemiological situation of African swine fever in the Member State concerned, and the level of risk for the further spread of that disease. Restricted zones are also established on scientifically agreed principles and criteria for geographically defining zoning due to the presence of African swine fever laid out in the Commission Notice on the guidelines on the prevention, control and eradication of African swine fever in the Union (ASF guidelines), as well as taking account of international standards, such as the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), and justifications for zoning provided by the competent authorities of the Member State concerned.

(4) Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 was last amended by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2371 (3) following changes in the epidemiological situation as regards African swine fever in Czechia, Germany, Italy and Poland.

(5) Since the date of adoption of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2371, Croatia, Hungary, and Poland have notified the Commission of new outbreaks of African swine fever in wild porcine animals.

(6) In October 2026, an outbreak of African swine fever in a wild porcine animal was observed in the Virovitica - Podravina county in Croatia in an area currently listed as a restricted zone I in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594. This new outbreak of African swine fever in a wild porcine animal constitutes an increased level of risk, so the area of Croatia currently listed as restricted zone I and affected by that outbreak in a wild porcine animal, should therefore now be listed as a restricted zone 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 that outbreak.

(7) In October 2026, an outbreak of African swine fever in a wild porcine animal was observed in the Fejér county in Hungary in an area currently listed as restricted zone II in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594, but in close proximity to an area currently listed as a restricted zone I in that Annex. This new outbreak of African swine fever in a wild porcine animal constitutes an increased level of risk, so the area of Hungary currently listed as a restricted zone I, should therefore now be listed as a restricted zone II in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594, and the current boundaries of the restricted zones II and I should also be redefined to take account of that outbreak.

(8) In October 2026, several outbreaks of African swine fever in wild porcine animals were observed in the Podkarpackie region in Poland in an area currently listed as restricted zone II in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594, but in close proximity to an area currently listed as a restricted zone I in that Annex. These new outbreaks of African swine fever in wild porcine animals constitute an increased level of risk, so the area of Poland currently listed as a restricted zone I should therefore now be listed as a restricted zone 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.

(9) 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 Croatia, Hungary, and Poland set out in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 should be amended.

(10) 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.

(11) 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.

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