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Official Journal EN
of the European Union L series
2026/1746 16.7.2026
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION(EU) 2026/1746
of 14 July 2026
amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160 concerning certain emergency measures relating
to sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria
(notified under document C(2026) 5033)
(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(1) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Sheep pox and goat pox is an infectious viral disease affecting caprine and ovine animals, and it 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 those 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, a further restricted zone around or adjacent to the protection and surveillance zones.
(3) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160(4)was adopted following outbreaks of sheep pox and goat pox
in Bulgaria, and it lays down certain emergency measures to be taken by that Member State. More particularly,
Article 1 of Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160 provides that the protection, surveillance, and further restricted
zones to be established by that Member State, in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, are to
comprise at least the areas listed in Parts A and B of Annex I to that Implementing Decision. It also provides that the
measures required to be applied in those 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) 2025/1160 of 5 June 2025 concerning certain emergency measures relating to sheep pox
and goat pox in Bulgaria and repealing Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/948 (OJ L, 2025/1160, 10.6.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.
eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/1160/oj).
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/1746/oj 1/5EN
OJ L, 16.7.2026
(4) Since the last amendment of Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160, by Commission Implementing Decision
(EU) 2026/1408(5), Bulgaria has notified the Commission of one outbreak of sheep pox and goat pox in an
establishment where caprine or ovine animals were kept. This outbreak, which was reported on 22 June, concerns
the region of Plovdiv.
(5) Therefore, the areas listed as protection, surveillance, and further restricted zones for Bulgaria in the Annex to
Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160, as well as the duration of the measures applicable therein, should be
adjusted to take account of the new outbreaks. Accordingly, it is necessary to amend the list of restricted zones, and
the duration of the measures to be applied therein, set out in the Annex to that Implementing Decision.
(6) The Annexes to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160 should, therefore, be amended accordingly.
(7) The size of the protection, surveillance, and further restricted zones, and the duration of the measures to be applied
therein, is based on the criteria laid down in Article 64(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, as well as the rules laid
down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687. The criteria applied for the choice of the size and the number 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 the Member State concerned by that disease, as well as the level of risk for the further spread of the
disease. In addition, the duration of the measures provided for by this Decision has been determined in line with the
international standards set out in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health
(WOAH)(6).
(8) 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 that disease from spreading from the affected establishments in Bulgaria to other parts of that
Member State or to other Member States, the amendments to be made to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160,
by this Decision, should take effect as soon as possible.
(9) 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
The Annexes to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160 are replaced by the text set out in the Annex to this Decision.
Article 2
This Decision is addressed to the Republic of Bulgaria.
Done at Brussels, 14 July 2026.
For the Commission
Olivér VÁRHELYI
Member of the Commission
(5) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1408 of 22 June 2026 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1160 concerning
certain emergency measures relating to sheep pox and goat pox in Bulgaria (OJ L, 2026/1408, 24.6.2026, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/
eli/dec_impl/2026/1408/oj).
(6) https://www.woah.org/en/what-we-do/standards/codes-and-manuals/.
2/5 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/1746/ojEN
OJ L, 16.7.2026
ANNEX
‘ANNEX I
Part A: Protection and surveillance zones established around the confirmed outbreaks
Region and ADIS reference number of Areas established as protection and surveillance zones, part of
Date until applicable
the outbreak the restricted zone in Bulgaria referred to in Article 1
Protection zone:
Those parts of the regions of Plovdiv, Haskovo, and Stara
Zagora contained within a circle of a radius of 5
kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89 coordinates
Lat. 42.200, Long. 24.790453 (2025/39),
Lat. 42.2829, Long. 24.9637 (2025/42), Lat. 42.2308,
Long 25.0438 (2025/45), Lat. 42.2401, Long. 25.0556
(2025/46), Lat. 42.2037, Long. 25.0513 (2025/47), Lat.
42.1959, Long. 25.0566 (2025/48), Lat. 42.0248, Long.
25.096 (2025/61), Lat. 42.2883, Long. 24.6303
(2025/69), Lat. 42.3705, Long. 24.725 (2025/70), Lat.
42.3263, Long. 24.6724 (2025/73), Lat. 42.0146, Long. 31.12.2026
25.2956 (2025/78), , Lat. 42.3063, Long. 24.5243
Region of Plovdiv (2025/84), Lat. 41.9443, Long. 25.2481 (2025/88), Lat.
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00039 41.9423, Long. 25.2434 (2025/90), Lat. 41.9449, Long.
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00042 25.2471 (2025/91), Lat. 42.267, Long. 24.554
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00045 (2025/92), Lat. 42.2848, Long. 24.5428 (2025/94), Lat.
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00046 42.2757, Long. 24.5373 (2025/95), Lat. 41.9456, Long.
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00047 25.2427 (2025/97), , Lat. 42.1483, Long. 25.0517
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00048 (2025/135), Lat. 42.1228, Long. 24.9373 (2025/138),
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00061 Lat. 42.0859, Long. 24.7088 (2025/149), Lat. 42.3905,
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00069 Long. 25.131 (2025/153), Lat. 42.3442, Long. 24.8236
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00070 (2026/1).
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00073
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00078
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00084
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00088
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00090 Surveillance zone:
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00091 Those parts of the regions of Plovdiv, Lovech, Stara
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00092 Zagora, Haskovo and Pazardzhik contained within a circle
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00094 of a radius of 20 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00095 coordinates
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00097 Lat. 42.200, Long. 24.790453 (2025/39),
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00135 Lat. 42.2829, Long. 24.9637 (2025/42), Lat. 42.2308,
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00138 Long 25.0438 (2025/45), Lat. 42.2401, Long. 25.0556
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00149 (2025/46), Lat. 42.2037, Long. 25.0513 (2025/47), Lat.
BG-CAPRIPOX-2025-00153 42.1959, Long. 25.0566 (2025/48), Lat. 42.0248, Long.
BG-CAPRIPOX-2026-00001 25.096 (2025/61), Lat. 42.2883, Long. 24.6303
(2025/69), Lat. 42.3705, Long. 24.725 (2025/70), Lat.
31.12.2026
42.3263, Long. 24.6724 (2025/73), Lat. 42.0146, Long.
25.2956 (2025/78), Lat. 42.3063, Long. 24.5243
(2025/84), Lat. 41.9443, Long. 25.2481 (2025/88), Lat.
41.9423, Long. 25.2434 (2025/90), Lat. 41.9449, Long.
25.2471 (2025/91), Lat. 42.267, Long. 24.554
(2025/92), Lat. 42.2848, Long. 24.5428 (2025/94), Lat.
42.2757, Long. 24.5373 (2025/95), Lat. 41.9456, Long.
25.2427 (2025/97), Lat. 42.1228, Long. 24.9373
(2025/138), Lat. 42.0859, Long. 24.7088 (2025/149),
Lat. 42.3905, Long. 25.131 (2025/153), Lat. 42.3442,
Long. 24.8236 (2026/1),
excluding the areas contained in the protection zone.
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/1746/oj 3/5EN
OJ L, 16.7.2026
Part B: Further restricted zones
Further restricted Areas included in the further restricted zones
Region Date until applicable
zone established in Bulgaria as referred to in Article 2
Further Region of The entire region of Plovdiv excluding the areas
31.12.2026
restricted zone Plovdiv included in any protection or surveillance zone.
4/5 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/1746/ojEN
OJ L, 16.7.2026
ANNEX II
Area Region Areas, referred to in Article 3 Date until applicable
Region of
Area The entire region of Plovdiv 31.12.2026’
Plovdiv
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/1746/oj 5/5