Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/638 of 25 March 2025 concerning certain emergency measures relating to infection with peste des petits ruminants virus in Romania and repealing Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/525 (notified under document C(2025) 1939)

Official Journal EN of the European Union L series 2025/638 28.3.2025 COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2025/638 of 25 March 2025 concerning certain emergency measures relating to infection with peste des petits ruminants virus in Romania and repealing Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/525 (notified under document C(2025) 1939) (Only the Romanian 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(1) thereof, Whereas: (1) Infection with peste des petits ruminants virus is an infectious 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 infection with peste des petits ruminants virus 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 infection with peste des petits ruminants virus, 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) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/525(4)was adopted on the basis of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, and it lays down certain interim emergency measures relating to infection with peste des petits ruminants virus in Romania in response to an outbreak confirmed in Bihor. More particularly, Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/525 provides that the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones to be established by Romania, in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, following that outbreak, are to comprise at least the areas listed in the Annex to that Implementing Decision. (1) OJ L 84, 31.3.2016, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/429/oj. (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, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2020/687/oj). (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, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2018/1882/oj). (4) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/525 of 14 March 2025 concerning certain interim emergency measures relating to infection with peste des petits ruminants virus in Romania was published today, 17 March 2025, in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJ L, 2025/525, 17.3.2025), ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/525/oj). ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/638/oj 1/5EN OJ L, 28.3.2025 (5) After the adoption of Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/525, Romania provided the Commission with updated information on the date of killing and the completion of the preliminary cleaning and disinfection of the outbreak in Bihor county. (6) In order to control the spread of the disease, and to prevent any unnecessary disturbance to trade within the Union or any unjustified barriers to trade being imposed by third countries, it is necessary to rapidly identify, at Union level, the areas where a restricted zone for infection with peste des petits ruminants virus, which should comprise the protection and surveillance zones, as well as a further restricted zone, should be established in Romania in accordance with Article 21 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687. (7) In the current epidemiological situation, there is a high risk of further spread of peste des petits ruminants virus, within Romania and to the rest of the Union, in particular due to the fact that, according to the information provided by Romania, this is a recurrence of that disease in an area never affected before, more than five months since the last reported outbreak in Romania and more than two months since the lifting of all restrictive measures in relation to that disease in that Member State, with very little information about the origin of the outbreak and the possible spread in between the outbreaks, which indicates that the disease may have already circulated in multiple areas of Romania, undetected and without any restrictive measures in place to prevent or slow down its spread. (8) The size of the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones, as well as the duration of the measures to be applied therein as set out in this decision are based on the criteria set out in Article 64(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, and the rules laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, including the epidemiological situation as regards infection with peste de petits ruminants virus in the areas affected by that disease, and the overall epidemiological situation in Romania, as well as the level of risk for the further spread of that disease. The duration of the measures also takes into account the international standards of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). (9) Due to the severity and urgency of the situation, and in order to effectively limit the spread of the disease, it is necessary to ensure that movements of caprine and ovine animals from the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones to destinations outside the external perimeter of the further restricted zone do not take place, and to exclude any derogations from that prohibition on such movements pursuant to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, for a certain period of time. (10) In addition, in view of the uncertainty and the lack of information regarding the current epidemiological situation, where infection with peste des petits has recurred unexpectedly, more than four months since its eradication from Romania, it is necessary to prohibit movements of ovine and caprine animals from the entire territory of Romania to other Member States for a certain period of time. (11) In view of the epidemiological situation, it also necessary to identify the areas in Romania where further measures, such as those applicable to further restricted zones, as provided for in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, should apply, and where movements of ovine and caprine animals outside the external perimeters of those areas should be prohibited, for a certain period of time, after the expiry of the dates for the measures which apply in all the protection and surveillance zones. (12) Given the urgency of the epidemiological situation in the Union as regards the spread of infection with peste des petits ruminants virus, and the need to prevent the disease from spreading from the affected establishments in Romania to other parts of that Member State or to other Member States, the measures laid down in this Implementing Decision should apply as soon as possible. (13) Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/525 should be replaced. (14) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, 2/5 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/638/ojEN OJ L, 28.3.2025 HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1 Romania shall immediately establish, in accordance with Article 21 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, a restricted zone, which comprises both protection and surveillance zones, as well as a further restricted zone, and which covers at least the areas listed in Annex I. In addition, Romania shall ensure that (a) the measures required to be applied in the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones listed in Annex I, are applied at least until the dates listed in that Annex; that (b) movements of caprine and ovine animals from the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones listed in Annex I to a destination located outside the external perimeter of the further restricted zone, as set out in Part B of Annex I, are prohibited until the dates listed for each zone in that Annex; and that (c) movements of caprine and ovine animals from the entire territory of Romania to a destination located in another Member State are prohibited until 9 June 2025. Article 2 Romania shall apply the measures which are applicable to further restricted zones, as provided for in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, in the areas listed in Annex II to this Decision, and in accordance with the dates set out in that Annex. Movements of caprine and ovine animals from the areas listed in Annex II to this Decision to a destination located outside the external perimeter of these areas, are prohibited until the dates listed for each area in that Annex. Article 3 Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/525 is hereby repealed. Article 4 This Decision is addressed to Romania. Done at Brussels, 25 March 2025. For the Commission Olivér VÁRHELYI Member of the Commission ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/638/oj 3/5EN OJ L, 28.3.2025 ANNEX I Part A: Protection and surveillance zones established around the confirmed outbreak Administrative area and ADIS Areas established as protection and Country reference number of the Date until applicable surveillance zones, referred to in Article 1 outbreak Protection zone: The communes of Cefa, Gepiu, Husasău de 1.4.2025 Tinca, Mădăras, Nojorid and Sânnicolau Român. Surveillance zone: The communes of Batăr, Biharia, Borș, Bihor county Cetariu, Ciumeghiu, Girișu de Criș, Hidișelu Romania 10.4.2025 RO-PPR-2025-00001 de Sus, Holod, Lăzăreni, Oradea, Oșorhei, Paleu, Salonta, Sânmartin, Sântandrei, Tinca, Toboliu and Tulca, Surveillance zone: The communes of Cefa, Gepiu, Husasău de 2.4.2025– 10.4.2025 Tinca, Mădăras, Nojorid and Sânnicolau Român. Part B: Further restricted zone Areas established as further restricted zone, Country Administrative area Date until applicable referred to in Article 1 The entire territory of Bihor county excluding Bihor county the areas contained in any protection or 10.4.2025 Romania surveillance zone. Arad county The entire territory of Arad county 10.4.2025 4/5 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/638/ojEN OJ L, 28.3.2025 ANNEX II Country Administrative area Areas referred to in Article 2 Date until applicable 11.4.2025- Bihor county The entire territory of Bihor county 10.5.2025 Romania 11.4.2025- Arad county The entire territory of Arad county 10.5.2025 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/638/oj 5/5