(1)

Infection with peste des petits ruminants virus is an infectious 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.

(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) 2024/2119 (4) was adopted on the basis of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and lays down certain emergency measures relating to infection with peste des petits ruminants virus in Romania. More particularly, Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2119 provides that the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones to be established by that Member State, in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, following outbreaks of that disease are to comprise at least the areas listed in the Annex to that Implementing Decision.

(5)

After the adoption of Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2119, Romania notified the Commission of additional outbreaks of infection with peste des petits ruminants virus in establishments where ovine and caprine animals were kept. As a result, the Annex to that Implementing Decision has been duly amended to take account of those additional outbreaks. Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2119 was last amended by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2523 (5).

(6)

Since the date of adoption of Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2523, Romania has notified the Commission of serious delays in the application of the disease control measures required to be applied in the event of official confirmation of an outbreak of a category A disease in kept animals in an establishment, laid down in Article 12 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, as regards the last two outbreaks that were confirmed in the county of Timis.

(7)

Therefore, the duration of the measures to be applied in the areas listed as protection, surveillance and further restricted zones for Romania, in the county of Timis, in the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2119 should be further adjusted, in order to prevent the further spread of the disease in Romania and to the rest of the Union. 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.

(8)

The size of the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones and the duration of the measures to be applied therein should be based on the criteria laid down 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 des petits ruminants virus in the areas affected by that disease and the overall epidemiological situation of infection with peste des petits ruminants virus in the Member State concerned by that disease as well as the level of risk for its further spread. The duration of the measures should also take into account the international standards of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). In the current epidemiological situation, there is a high risk for the further spread of the disease, in particular due to the fact that, according to the information provided by Romania, the killing and disposal of all animals of listed species, in the last two outbreaks in the county of Timis, in accordance with Article 12 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, is still pending.

(9)

In addition, taking into account the current epidemiological situation in the Union as regards infection with peste des petits ruminants, the period of application of Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2119 should be extended until 28 February 2025.

(10)

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 amendments to be made to Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2119 by this Decision should apply as soon as possible.

(11)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,

(1)

Article 4 is replaced by the following:

(2)

the Annex is replaced by the text set out in the Annex to this Decision.