BAKGRUNN (fra kommisjonsbeslutningen, engelsk utgave)

(1) Commission Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU lays down animal health control measures in relation to African swine fever in certain Member States, where there have been confirmed cases of that disease in domestic or feral pigs (the Member States concerned). The Annex to that Implementing Decision demarcates and lists certain areas of the Member States concerned in Parts I to IV thereof, differentiated by the level of risk based on the epidemiological situation as regards that disease. The Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU has been amended several times to take account of changes in the epidemiological situation in the Union as regards African swine fever that need to be reflected in that Annex. The Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU was last amended by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/1679 , following instances of African swine fever in Bulgaria and Hungary.

(2) Council Directive 2002/60/EC lays down the minimum Union measures to be taken for the control of African swine fever. In particular, Article 9 of Directive 2002/60/EC provides for the establishment of a protection and a surveillance zone when African swine fever has been officially confirmed in pigs on a holding, and Articles 10 and 11 of that Directive lay down the measures to be taken in the protection and surveillance zones in order to prevent the spread of that disease. Recent experience has shown that the measures laid down in Directive 2002/60/EC are effective in controlling the spread of that disease, and in particular the measures providing for the cleaning and disinfecting of infected holdings and other measures related to the eradication of that disease.

(3) Taking into account the effectiveness of the measures being applied in Latvia in accordance with Directive 2002/60/EC, and in particular those laid down in Article 10(4)(b) and Article 10(5) thereof, and in line with the risk mitigation measures for African swine fever set out in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health, certain areas in the counties of Aizputes and Durbes in Latvia currently listed in Part III of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU should now be listed in Part II of that Annex, in view of the expiry of the period of three months from the date of the final cleaning and disinfection of the infected holding and due to the absence of African swine fever outbreaks in those areas for the past three months. Given that Part III of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU lists the areas where the epidemiological situation is still evolving and very dynamic, when any amendments are made to areas listed in that Part, particular consideration must always be given to the effect on the surrounding areas.

(4) In addition, since the date of adoption of Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/1679, there have been further cases of African swine fever in domestic and feral pigs in Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Latvia and Poland. Following these recent cases of that disease, and taking into account the current epidemiological situation in the Union, regionalisation in these five Member States has been reassessed and updated. In addition, the risk management measures in place also have been reassessed and updated. These changes need to be reflected in the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU.

(5) In October 2019, two cases of African swine fever in feral pigs were observed in the counties of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok and Hajdú-Bihar in Hungary in areas currently listed in Part II of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU, located in close proximity to areas listed in Part I of the Annex thereto. These cases of African swine fever constitute an increased level of risk which should be reflected in that Annex. Accordingly, those areas of Hungary listed in Part I of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU that are in close proximity to areas listed in Part II affected by those recent cases of African swine fever should now be listed in Part II of that Annex instead of in Part I thereof.

(6) In October 2019, one case of African swine fever in a feral pig was observed in the district of Trebišov in Slovakia in an area currently listed in Part III of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU, located in close proximity to an area listed in Part I of the Annex thereto. This case of African swine fever in a feral pig constitutes an increased level of risk which should be reflected in that Annex. Accordingly, this area of Slovakia listed in Part I of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU that is in close proximity to an area listed in Part III affected by this recent case of African swine fever should now be listed in Part II of that Annex instead of in Part I thereof.

(7) In October 2019, four outbreaks of African swine fever in domestic pigs were observed in the counties of Neamț and Sibiu in Romania in areas currently listed in Part I of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU. These outbreaks of African swine fever in domestic pigs constitute an increased level of risk which should be reflected in that Annex. Accordingly, these areas of Romania affected by African swine fever should be listed in Part III of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU instead of in Part I thereof.

(8) In October 2019, one outbreak of African swine fever in domestic pigs was observed in the district of białostocki in Poland in an area currently listed in Part II of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU. This outbreak of African swine fever in domestic pigs constitutes an increased level of risk which should be reflected in that Annex. Accordingly, this area of Poland affected by African swine fever should be listed in Part III of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU instead of in Part II thereof.

(9) In October 2019, one case of African swine fever in a feral pig was observed in the district of olsztyński in Poland in an area currently listed in Part I of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU. This case of African swine fever in a feral pig constitutes an increased level of risk which should be reflected in that Annex. Accordingly, this area of Poland affected by African swine fever should be listed in Part II of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU instead of in Part I thereof.

(10) In October 2019, one case of African swine fever in a feral pig was observed in the county of Aizputes in Latvia in an area currently listed in Part III of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU, located in close proximity to an area listed in Part I of the Annex thereto. This case of African swine fever in a feral pig constitutes an increased level of risk which should be reflected in that Annex. Accordingly, this area of Latvia listed in Part I of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU that is in close proximity to an area listed in Part III affected by this recent case of African swine fever should now be listed in Part II of that Annex instead of in Part I thereof.

(11) In order to take account of recent developments in the epidemiological evolution of African swine fever in the Union, and in order to combat the risks associated with the spread of that disease in a proactive manner, new high-risk areas of a sufficient size should be demarcated for Latvia, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Poland and duly listed in Parts I, II and III of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU. The Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU should therefore be amended accordingly.

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