(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 of 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) 2025/1767 (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. More particularly, Article 1 of Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1767 provides that the restricted zone, comprising protection and surveillance zones, to be established by the competent authority of that Member State, 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.

(4)

Following further outbreaks of sheep pox and goat pox in Teleorman and Olt counties in Romania, the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1767 was amended by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1954 (5).

(5)

As of 24 October 2025, all the measures laid down in Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1767 had been lifted by the competent authority of Romania, since the last outbreak of sheep pox and goat pox in that Member State prior to that date was notified to the Commission on 5 September 2025. The last of the measures set out in the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1767 ceased to apply as of 24 October 2025, and there were no new outbreaks up to that date.

(6)

On 17 November 2025, Romania notified the Commission of two new outbreaks of sheep pox and goat pox in establishments where ovine and caprine animals were kept, located in the counties of Dolj and Teleorman. In response to these new outbreaks, Romania has established a restricted zone, which comprises protection zone surveillance zones, where the general disease control measures laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 are applied in order to prevent the further spread of that disease.

(7)

In order to prevent any unnecessary disturbance to trade within the Union and to avoid unjustified barriers to trade being imposed by third countries, it is necessary to rapidly identify, at Union level, the location and duration of this restricted zone for sheep pox and goat pox. The list of areas where a restricted zone must be established in Romania, in respect of sheep pox and goat pox, as well as the envisaged duration of these zones, should, therefore, be set out in the Annex to this Decision.

(8)

The size of the protection and surveillance zones, and duration of the measures to be applied therein, are based on the criteria set out in Article 64(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, including the epidemiological situation as regards sheep pox and goat pox in the areas affected by that disease and the overall epidemiological situation of sheep pox and goat pox in the Member State concerned by that disease as well as the level of risk for the further spread of the disease, and are in accordance with the rules laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687. 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) (6).

(9)

In the interests of clarity of Union legislation, it is appropriate to repeal Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1767, as the emergency measures laid down in that Decision will be replaced by those laid down in this Decision.

(10)

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

(a)

a restricted zone, which comprises protection and surveillance zones, is established immediately in accordance with Article 21 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, and under the conditions laid down in that Article;

(b)

the protection and surveillance zones referred to in point (a) comprise at least the areas listed in the Annex to this Decision;

(c)

the measures required to be applied in the protection and surveillance zones are applied at least until the dates listed in the Annex to this Decision.