(fra kommisjonsbeslutningen)

(1) Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is an infectious viral disease in birds and can have a severe impact on the profitability of poultry farming causing disturbance to trade within the Union and exports to third countries. HPAI viruses can infect migratory birds, which can then spread these viruses over long distances during their autumn and spring migrations. Therefore, the presence of HPAI viruses in wild birds poses a continuous threat for the direct and indirect introduction of these viruses into establishments where poultry or captive birds are kept. In the event of an outbreak of HPAI in establishments where poultry or captive birds are kept, there is a risk that the disease agent may spread to other such establishments.

(2) Regulation (EU) 2016/429 establishes the legislative framework for the prevention and control of diseases that are transmissible to animals or humans. HPAI falls within the definition of a listed disease in that Regulation, and it is subject to the disease prevention and control rules laid down therein. In addition, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 (2) supplements Regulation (EU) 2016/429 as regards the rules for the prevention and control of certain listed diseases, including HPAI. In particular, Article 21 of that Delegated Regulation provides that in the event of an outbreak of a category A disease in an establishment, the competent authority is to immediately establish a restricted zone comprising a protection zone, a surveillance zone, and if necessary, further restricted zones around or adjacent to the protection and surveillance zones.

(3) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2447 (3) was adopted on the basis of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, and it lays down emergency measures at Union level in relation to outbreaks of HPAI.

(4) In particular, Article 2, point (a), Article 3, point (a), and Article 4, point (a) of Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2447 provide, respectively, that following outbreaks of HPAI, the protection, surveillance, and further restricted zones to be established in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 must comprise at least the areas listed as protection, surveillance, and further restricted zones in that Annex. Article 2, point (b), Article 3, point (b), and Article 4, point (b) of Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2447 also provide that the measures to be applied in those protection, surveillance, and further restricted zones, in accordance with that Delegated Regulation, must be maintained until at least the dates set out in the Annex to that Implementing Decision.

(5) The Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2447 was last amended by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/526 (4) following outbreaks of HPAI in Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland and Slovakia in establishments where poultry were kept.

(6) Since the date of adoption of Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/526, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden have notified the Commission of new outbreaks of HPAI in those Member States in establishments where poultry or captive birds were kept. In particular, these notifications concerned six outbreaks in the Haskovo province in Bulgaria, five outbreaks in the Hradec Králové and South Moravian regions in Czechia, five outbreaks in the Lolland, Ørbæk, Næstved, Nordfyns and Ikast-Brande municipalities in Denmark, seven outbreaks in the states of Lower Saxony, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thüringen in Germany, one outbreak in France in Pas-de-Calais department, three outbreak in the county of Bács-Kiskun in Hungary, three outbreaks in the provinces of Utrecht and Gelderland in the Netherlands, three outbreaks in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie and Zachodniopomorskie voivodeships in Poland, and one outbreak in poultry in the Torsås municipaliy in Sweden.

(7) Following those 34 new outbreaks, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden have taken the disease control measures required in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, including the establishment of protection and surveillance zones around the outbreaks.

(8) In addition, since the outbreak of HPAI in captive birds in Zachodniopomorskie voivodeship in Poland is located in close proximity to the border with Germany, the protection and surveillance zones for that outbreak in Poland had to extend into the territory of Germany. The competent authority of Germany has duly collaborated with the competent authority of Poland and established the necessary protection and surveillance zones, in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687.

(9) The Commission has examined the disease control measures taken by Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden and it is satisfied that the boundaries of the protection and surveillances zones established by the respective Member States for the new outbreaks described are at a sufficient distance from the establishments where the outbreaks of HPAI have been confirmed.

(10) The cleaning and disinfection in establishments affected by outbreak CZ-HPAI(NON-P)-2026-00018 located in Central Bohemian region in Czechia, and outbreak HU-HPAI(P)-2026-00009 located in Békés county in Hungary, has been completed later than expected. Therefore, the duration of the surveillance zones established for those outbreaks by Czechia and Hungary respectively need to be extended, in accordance with Article 55 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687.

(11) In order to prevent any unnecessary disturbance to trade within the Union and to avoid any unjustified disruptions to trade being imposed by third countries, it is necessary to rapidly lay down at Union level, in collaboration with Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden the protection and surveillance zones established by those Member States in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687.

(12) Therefore, the list of areas to be subject to protection and surveillance zones for Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden in the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2447 should be amended, to take account of the appropriate boundaries of the protection and surveillance zones as established by those Member States, following the new HPAI outbreaks therein, and the required duration of the measures to be applied in those zones need to be set out, in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687.

(13) In addition, the dates until the measures to be applied in the surveillance zone established by Czechia for outbreak CZ-HPAI(NON-P)-2026-00018, and by Hungary for outbreak HPAI(P)-2026-00009, as listed in the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2447 should be amended to take account of the extended duration of the restrictions.

(14) Moreover, the areas subject to protection and surveillance zones in Sweden should also be included in the list of restricted zones set out in the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2447, to take account of the boundaries of those zones established by Sweden following the recent HPAI outbreak, and the required duration of the measures to be applied in those zones, in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687.

(15) The Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2447 should, therefore, be amended accordingly.

(16) Given the urgency of the epidemiological situation in the Union as regards the spread of HPAI, it is important that the amendments to be made to the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2447 by this Decision take effect as soon as possible.

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