Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1217 of 2 June 2026 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1108 concerning certain emergency measures relating to sheep pox and goat pox in Romania (notified under document C(2026 )3844)

Official Journal EN of the European Union L series 2026/1217 5.6.2026 COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION(EU) 2026/1217 of 2 June 2026 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1108 concerning certain emergency measures relating to sheep pox and goat pox in Romania (notified under document C(2026 )3844) (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) 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. 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 keeping caprine or ovine animals. (2) 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 zone around or adjacent to the protection and surveillance zones. (3) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1108(4) was adopted within the framework of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, and it lays down certain emergency measures relating to infection with sheep pox and goat pox in Romania. (4) More particularly, Article 1 of Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1108 provides that the restricted zone, comprising protection and surveillance zones, to be established by Romania, in accordance with Article 21 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, is to comprise at least the areas listed in the Annex to that Implementing Decision, and the measures required to be applied in the protection and surveillance zones are to be applied at least until the dates listed in that Annex. (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) 2026/1108 of 13 May 2026 concerning certain emergency measures relating to sheep pox and goat pox in Romania and repealing Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1015 and Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/2415 (OJ L, 2026/1108, 20.5.2026, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/1108/oj). ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/1217/oj 1/6EN OJ L, 5.6.2026 (5) Since the day of adoption of Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1108, Romania has notified the Commission, on 15 and 18 May 2026, of two additional outbreaks of sheep pox and goat pox in establishments where ovine and caprine animals are kept, located in the county of Mureș outside the protection and surveillance zones listed in the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1108. (6) Therefore, the restricted zone, comprising protection and surveillance zones, set out in the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1108 should be adjusted, both spatially and temporally to prevent the further spread of the disease in the territory of Romania or to the rest of the Union. In addition, in light of these considerations, when applied to the current epidemiological situation concerning sheep pox and goat pox in Romania, it is necessary to establish a further restricted zone in the counties of Mureș, Cluj and Bistrița-Năsăud because they are currently the counties at a higher level of risk of spread of the disease. (7) The size of the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones, and the duration of the measures to be applied therein, are based on the criteria set out in Article 64(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, as well as on the rules laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687. The criteria applied for the choice of the size of the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones, as well as of the duration of the measures to be applied therein, include a consideration of not only the epidemiological situation as regards sheep pox and goat pox in the areas affected by that disease, but also of the overall epidemiological situation of sheep pox and goat pox in the entire territory of Romania, and of the level of risk for the further spread of the disease. For the determination of the duration of the measures the international standards of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health(5)have also been taken into account. (8) In addition, in the current epidemiological situation, there is a high risk of further spread of sheep pox and goat pox, 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, 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 other areas of Romania, undetected and without any restrictive measures in place to prevent or slow down its spread. (9) Therefore, it is necessary to adopt additional emergency measures in order to mitigate the risk of the further spread of the disease within the territory of Romania and to other Member States, as well as to avoid any unjustified barriers to trade. To this end, it is necessary to ensure that movements of ovine and caprine animals from the protection, surveillance, and further restricted zones, established in the territory of Romania, to destinations outside the external perimeters of the further restricted zone are prohibited, and to exclude possible derogations from the prohibition on the movements of those animals as laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, until 26 June 2026. (10) The areas identified as protection, surveillance and further restricted zones in Romania should therefore be set out in the Annex to this Decision accordingly, and the duration of that regionalisation should be fixed. The duration of that regionalisation takes into account the minimum periods for the measures to be applied in the protection and surveillance zones in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687. (11) In view of the epidemiological situation, it also necessary to identify the areas in the territory of Romania where further measures like 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 are prohibited, from 27 June until 31 July 2026. (12) In addition, in view of the uncertainty and the lack of information regarding the current epidemiological situation, it is necessary to prohibit movements of ovine and caprine animals from the entire territory of Romania to, and in transit through, other Member States until 31 July 2026. (5) https://www.woah.org/en/what-we-do/standards/codes-and-manuals/terrestrial-code-online-access/. 2/6 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/1217/ojEN OJ L, 5.6.2026 (13) 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 from further spreading from the affected establishments in Romania to other parts of that Member State or to any other Member States, the emergency measures laid down in this Implementing Decision should apply as soon as possible. (14) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1 Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1108 is amended as follows: 1. Article 1 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 1 Romania shall establish restricted zones, which comprise protection zones, surveillance zones, and a further restricted zone, in accordance with Article 21 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, and under the conditions laid down in that Article. Those protection, surveillance, and further restricted zones shall comprise at least the areas listed in Parts A and B of Annex I to this Decision, and the measures required to be applied in such protection, surveillance, and further restricted zones shall be applied at least until the dates listed in that Annex.’ 2. The following Articles are inserted: ‘Article 1a Romania shall prohibit, until the dates set out for the respective protection, surveillance and further restricted zones listed in Parts A and B of Annex I: (a) movements of sheep and goats from the protection and surveillance zones to a destination located outside the external perimeter of a further restricted zone immediately surrounding those protection and surveillance zones; and (b) movements of sheep and goats from a further restricted zone to any destination located outside the external perimeter of the further restricted zone. Article 1b 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 until the dates set out therein. Movements of sheep and goats from the areas listed in Annex II to this Decision to a destination located outside the external perimeter of those areas shall be prohibited until the dates set out in that Annex. Article 1c Romania shall prohibit movements of caprine and ovine animals from the entire territory of Romania to a destination located in or in transit through another Member State until 31 July 2026.’ 3. The Annex is replaced by the text set out in the Annex to this Decision. ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/1217/oj 3/6EN OJ L, 5.6.2026 Article 2 This Decision is addressed to Romania. Done at Brussels, 2 June 2026. For the Commission Olivér VÁRHELYI Member of the Commission 4/6 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/1217/ojEN OJ L, 5.6.2026 ANNEX ‘ANNEX I Part A: Protection and surveillance zones established around the confirmed outbreak Areas established as protection and surveillance zones, Region and ADIS reference number of the part of the restricted zone in Romania referred to in Date until applicable outbreak Article 1 Protection zone: Those parts of Mureș County, contained within a circle of a radius of 5 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89 coordinates Lat. 46.712977, 16.6.2026 Long. 24.563362 (2026/1); Lat.46.958548, Long. 24.828615 (2026/2); Lat. 24.19311, Long. 46.582799 (2026/3); Lat. 24.704173, Long. 46.842038 (2026/4). Surveillance zone: Those parts of Mureș, Bistrița-Năsăudand Cluj Counties, contained within a circle of a radius of Mureș County 20 kilometres, centred on UTM 30 ETRS89 RO-CAPRIPOX-2026-00001 coordinates Lat. 46.712977, Long. 24.563362 RO-CAPRIPOX-2026-00002 (2026/1); 26.6.2026 RO-CAPRIPOX-2026-00003 Lat. 46.958548, Long. 24.828615 (2026/2); RO-CAPRIPOX-2026-00004 Lat. 24.19311, Long. 46.582799 (2026/3); Lat. 24.704173, Long. 46.842038 (2026/4), excluding the areas contained in the protection zone. Surveillance zone: Those parts of Mureș County, contained within a circle of a radius of 5 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89 coordinates Lat. 46.712977, 17.6.2026-26.6.2026 Long. 24.563362 (2026/1); Lat.46.958548, Long. 24.828615 (2026/2); Lat. 24.19311, Long. 46.582799 (2026/3); Lat. 24.704173, Long. 46.842038 (2026/4). Part B: Further restricted zones Areas included in the further restricted zones Further restricted Region established in Romania as referred to in Date until applicable zone Article 1 Mureș County Further The entire Mureș, Cluj and Bistrița-Năsăud restricted Cluj County counties, excluding the areas included in 26.6.2026 zone No 1 any protection or surveillance zone Bistrița-Năsăud County ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/1217/oj 5/6EN OJ L, 5.6.2026 ANNEX II Area Region Areas referred to in Article 1b Date until applicable Mureș County The entire Mureș, Cluj and Area No 1 Cluj County 27.6.2026 - 31.7.2026’ Bistrița-Năsăud counties. Bistrița-Năsăud County 6/6 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/1217/oj