Date: 2023-09-27Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: Europe
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2067 of 26 September 2023 concerning certain interim emergency measures relating to sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria (notified under document C(2023) 6575) (Only the Bulgarian text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance)
Issued by European Commission
· Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety
Executive Summary:
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2067 establishes interim emergency measures for sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria following an outbreak in the Burgas region. It defines restricted zones (protection, surveillance, and further restricted) and their applicable dates. Bulgaria must immediately establish these zones and apply control measures. The decision is applicable until December 31, 2023.
Key Points / Main Content:
Restricted Zones Establishment:
Bulgaria must immediately establish restricted zones, including protection, surveillance, and a further restricted zone, as per Article 21 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687.
The restricted zones must include at least the areas listed in the Annex of this Decision.
Measures within each restricted zone must apply at least until the dates specified in the Annex.
Movement Restrictions (Further Restricted Zone):
Movement of sheep and goats from the further restricted zone to outside the zone is only permitted with authorization from the competent authority, and compliance with specific conditions.
Authorized movements are limited to direct transport to a slaughterhouse within Bulgaria for immediate slaughter.
Transport Requirements:
Means of transport must meet Article 241 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 requirements.
Vehicles must be cleaned and disinfected before and after transport under competent authority supervision, following Article 242 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687.
Transport must only include sheep and goats of the same health status from the same establishment.
Vehicles must be sealed by the competent authority at origin and unsealed at the destination slaughterhouse.
Animal Inspection:
Sheep and goats for transport must undergo clinical inspection by the competent authority within 24 hours before transport.
Temporal Validity:
This decision is applicable until December 31, 2023.
Impact Analysis:
Bulgaria:
Impact: Must establish and maintain restricted zones, enforce movement restrictions, and ensure transport and inspection requirements are met to control the spread of sheep pox and goat pox.
Action Required: Immediately establish the restricted zones as defined in the Annex, implement control measures, authorize and supervise permitted movements, conduct animal inspections, and ensure compliance with transport requirements.
Farmers/Livestock Owners (in affected regions):
Impact: Face restrictions on animal movement, potential economic losses due to slaughter requirements, and increased biosecurity measures.
Action Required: Comply with movement restrictions, cooperate with authorities for animal inspections, and adhere to biosecurity protocols.
European Union (Trade):
Impact: Ensures a harmonized approach to prevent the spread of sheep pox and goat pox, avoiding trade disruptions within the Union and unjustified barriers to trade with third countries.
Action Required: Awaits Bulgaria's implementation of the decision and reviews the situation at the next meeting of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed.
Key Entities Referenced
European Union: A political and economic union of member states located primarily in Europe.
Sheep pox and goat pox: An infectious viral disease affecting caprine and ovine animals mentioned in the document as a concern for animal health and trade.
Regulation EU 2016/429: A regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on transmissible animal diseases, also known as the Animal Health Law.
Commission Delegated Regulation EU 2020/687: A regulation supplementing Regulation EU 2016/429 regarding rules for the prevention and control of certain listed diseases.
Commission Implementing Regulation EU 2018/1882: A regulation on the application of certain disease prevention and control rules to categories of listed diseases.
Bulgaria: A Member State of the European Union where outbreaks of sheep pox and goat pox have been reported, leading to the implementation of emergency measures.
Burgas region: A region in Bulgaria where outbreaks of sheep pox and goat pox have been confirmed, leading to the establishment of restricted zones.
Stella Kyriakides: Member of the European Commission, signing the document on behalf of the Commission.
27.9.2023 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 238/143
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2023/2067
of 26 September 2023
concerning certain interim emergency measures relating to sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria
(notified under document C(2023) 6575)
(Only the Bulgarian text is authentic)
(Text with EEA relevance)
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’)(1), and in particular Article 259(2) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Sheep pox and goat pox is an infectious viral disease affecting caprine and ovine animals and 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.
(2) 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 of caprine or ovine animals.
(3) 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 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, further restricted zones around or adjacent to the protection and
surveillance zones.
(4) Bulgaria has informed the Commission of the current sheep pox and goat pox situation on its territory, following an
outbreak of that disease in caprine and ovine animals in the region of Burgas, which was confirmed on 16 September
2023, and, in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, it has established a restricted zone, which
comprises protection and surveillance zones, where the general disease control measures laid down in Delegated
Regulation (EU) 2020/687 are applied, as well as a further restricted zone where certain control measures are also
applied in order to prevent the further spread of that disease.
(5) In order to prevent any unnecessary disturbance to trade within the Union and to avoid unjustified barriers to trade
by third countries, it is necessary to rapidly identify at Union level the restricted zone for sheep pox and goat pox,
which comprises the protection and surveillance zones, as well as the further restricted zone, in Bulgaria in
collaboration with that Member State.
(1) OJ L 84, 31.3.2016, p. 1.
(2) 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).
(3) 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).L 238/144 EN Official Journal of the European Union 27.9.2023
(6) Accordingly, the areas identified as protection, surveillance and further restricted zones in Bulgaria should be set out
in the Annex to this Decision and the duration of that regionalisation fixed.
(7) 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 the disease spreading from the affected establishment in Bulgaria to other parts of that Member
State or to other Member States, it is appropriate that the measures laid down in this Implementing Decision apply
as soon as possible.
(8) Accordingly, pending the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, the protection,
surveillance and further restricted zones in Bulgaria should be established immediately and listed in the Annex to
this Decision and the duration of that zoning fixed.
(9) This Decision is to be reviewed at the next meeting of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
Bulgaria shall ensure that:
(a) restricted zones, which comprise protection and surveillance zones as well as a further restricted zone, are established
immediately by the competent authority of that Member State in accordance with Article 21 of Delegated Regulation
(EU) 2020/687, and under the conditions laid down in that Article;
(b) the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones referred to in point (a) comprise at least the areas listed in the
Annex to this Decision;
(c) the measures in each restricted zone apply at least until the dates listed in the Annex to this Decision.
Article 2
1. Movements of sheep and goats from the further restricted zone to a destination outside that further restricted zone
shall only be permitted if they are authorised by the competent authority and they comply with the conditions laid down
in paragraphs 2, 3 and 4.
2. Movements of sheep and goats kept in the further restricted zone to a destination outside that further restricted zone
may be authorised by the competent authority where such movements of sheep and goats are directly to a slaughterhouse
located within the territory of Bulgaria for immediate slaughter.
3. The means of transport used for the movements of sheep and goats from the further restricted zone, referred to in
paragraph 2, shall:
(a) comply with the requirements for the means of transport laid down in Article 24(1) of Delegated Regulation
(EU) 2020/687;
(b) be cleaned and disinfected before any transport of animals under the control or supervision of the competent authority;
(c) be cleaned and disinfected in accordance with the requirements for the means of transport laid down in Article 24(2) of
Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 under the control or supervision of the competent authority;
(d) only include sheep and goats of the same health status kept in the same establishment;
(e) be sealed by the competent authority at the establishment of origin after the loading of the animals and unsealed by the
competent authority at the slaughterhouse of destination.
4. The sheep and goats due for transport shall be subject to clinical inspection by the competent authority 24 hours or
less before the date of transport.27.9.2023 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 238/145
Article 3
This Decision shall apply until 31 December 2023.
Article 4
This Decision is addressed to the Republic of Bulgaria.
Done at Brussels, 26 September 2023.
For the Commission
Stella KYRIAKIDES
Member of the CommissionL 238/146 EN Official Journal of the European Union 27.9.2023
ANNEX
A. Protection and surveillance zones established around confirmed outbreaks
Region and ADIS reference number Areas established as protection and surveillance zones, part of the
Date until applicable
of the outbreak restricted zones in Bulgaria referred to in Article 1
Protection zone:
Those parts of the region of Burgas, contained within a circle
10.10.2023
of a radius of 3 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89
coordinates Lat. 42.1137, Long. 27.1012 (2023/1)
Surveillance zone:
Region of Burgas Those parts of the region of Burgas, contained within a circle
19.10.2023
BG-CAPRIPOX-2023-00001 of a radius of 10 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89
coordinates Lat. 42.1137, Long. 27.1012 (2023/1)
Surveillance zone:
Those parts of the region of Burgas, contained within a circle 11.10.2023–
of a radius of 3 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89 19.10.2023
coordinates Lat. 42.1137, Long. 27.1012 (2023/1)
B. Further restricted zone
Date until
Region Areas established as further restricted zone in Bulgaria as referred to in Article 1
applicable
A further restricted zone that comprises the following areas.
In the region of Burgas the municipalities of:
— Malko Tarnovo
— Sredets
— Tsarevo
Regions of Burgas,
In the region of Haskovo the municipalities of: 30.11.2023
Haskovo and Yambol
— Svilengrad
— Topolovgrad
In the region of Yambol the municipalities of:
— Bolyarovo
— Elhovo