Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1797 of 16 July 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) 2516)

Official Journal EN of the European Union L series 2026/1797 21.7.2026 COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION(EU) 2026/1797 of 16 July 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) 2516) (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, surveillance and further restricted 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 Annex I 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 Annex I. (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/2026/1797/oj 1/5EN OJ L, 21.7.2026 (5) Since the day of the last amendment of Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1108(5) Romania has notified the Commission, on 29 June 2026, of one additional outbreak of sheep pox and goat pox in an establishment where ovine and caprine animals are kept, located in the county of Buzău outside the protection and surveillance zones listed in the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1108. (6) Therefore, the restricted zone, comprising protection, surveillance and further restricted zones, set out in Annex I 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. (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. 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) In addition, Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1108 establishes the areas in the territory of Romania, listed in Annex II, where further measures, such as those applicable to further restricted zones, as provided for in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, must be applied, and where movements of ovine and caprine animals outside the external perimeters of those areas are to be prohibited, for a certain period of time, after the expiry of the periods provided for the measures applicable in the protection and surveillance zones. It is necessary to indicate the duration of measures applicable in those areas in Annex II. (9) Furthermore, Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1108 prohibits 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. (10) According to the information provided by the competent authority of Romania, this is a recurrence of sheep pox and goat pox in an area never affected before, more than one month after the report of the last outbreak in Romania with very little information about the origin of the outbreak. Therefore, there is a high risk of further spread of the disease, not only within Romania and to the rest of the Union, but also to third countries. (11) Therefore, it is necessary to prolong the prohibition on the movements of ovine and caprine animals from the entire territory of Romania to any destination located in, or passing through, another Member State, until 31 December 2026 and to extend that prohibition to any destination located in third countries. (12) The areas identified as protection, surveillance and further restricted zones in Romania should therefore be set out in Annex I 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. (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. (5) 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 (OJ L, 2026/1217, 5.6.2026, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/ eli/dec_impl/2026/1217/oj). (6) https://www.woah.org/en/what-we-do/standards/codes-and-manuals/. 2/5 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/1797/ojEN OJ L, 21.7.2026 (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 1c is replaced by the following: ‘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 or third country until 31 December 2026.’ 2. The Annexes are replaced by the text set out in the Annexes to this Decision. Article 2 This Decision is addressed to Romania. Done at Brussels, 16 July 2026. For the Commission Olivér VÁRHELYI Member of the Commission ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/1797/oj 3/5EN OJ L, 21.7.2026 ANNEX ‘ANNEX I Part A: Protection and surveillance zones established around the confirmed outbreak Region and ADIS reference number of Areas established as protection and surveillance zones, part of Date until applicable the outbreak the restricted zone in Romania referred to in Article 1 Protection zone: Those parts of Mureș and Buzău Counties, contained within a circle of a radius of 5 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89 coordinates Lat. 46.713, Long. 24.563 (2026/1); 10.8.2026 Lat. 46.959, Long. 24.829 (2026/2); Lat. 496.583, Long. 24.193 (2026/3); Lat. 46.842, Long. 24.704 (2026/4); Lat. 44.916, Long. 27.118 (2026/5). Surveillance zone: Those parts of Mureș, Bistrița-Năsăud, Cluj, Buzău, Ialomiţa and Brăila Counties, contained within a circle of Mureș County a radius of 20 kilometres, centred on UTM 30 ETRS89 RO-CAPRIPOX-2026-00001 coordinates excluding the areas included in any protection RO-CAPRIPOX-2026-00002 zone 28.8.2026 RO-CAPRIPOX-2026-00003 Lat. 46.713, Long. 24.563 (2026/1); RO-CAPRIPOX-2026-00004 Lat. 46.959, Long. 24.829 (2026/2); RO-CAPRIPOX-2026-00005 Lat. 496.583, Long. 24.193 (2026/3); Lat. 46.842, Long. 24.704 (2026/4); Lat. 44.916, Long. 27.118 (2026/5)., excluding the areas contained in the protection zone. Surveillance zone: Those parts of Mureș, Bistrița-Năsăud, Cluj, Buzău, Ialomiţa and Brăila contained within a circle of a radius of 20 kilometres, centred on UTM 30, ETRS89 coordinates Lat. 46.713, Long. 24.563 (2026/1); 11.8.2026-28.8.2026 Lat. 46.959, Long. 24.829 (2026/2); Lat. 496.583, Long. 24.193 (2026/3); Lat. 46.842, Long. 24.704 (2026/4); Lat. 44.916, Long. 27.118 (2026/5). 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 Cluj County The entire Mureș, Cluj, Bistrița-Năsăud, Further Bistrița-Năsăud County Ialomiţa, Buzău and Brăila counties, restricted 28.8.2026 excluding the areas included in any zones Ialomiţa County protection or surveillance zone Buzău County Brăila County 4/5 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/1797/ojEN OJ L, 21.7.2026 ANNEX II Area Region Areas referred to in Article 1b Date until applicable Mureș County Cluj County Bistrița-Năsăud County The entire Mureș, Cluj, Bistrița- Areas Năsăud, Ialomiţa, Buzău and 29.8.2026 – 27.9.2026’ Ialomiţa County Brăila counties. Buzău County Brăila County’ ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/1797/oj 5/5