(1)

Foot and mouth disease is an infectious viral disease affecting animals in the mammal order of Artiodactyla 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.

(2)

In the event of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in animals in the mammal order of Artiodactyla, there is a serious risk of the spread of that disease to other establishments keeping susceptible animals.

(3)

Commission Delegated Regulation 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 foot and mouth disease, 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)

Hungary has informed the Commission of the current foot and mouth disease situation on its territory, following an outbreak of that disease in an establishment keeping bovine animals in the County of Győr-Moson-Sopron in Hungary, which was confirmed on 6 March 2025, in close proximity to the border with Slovakia. In accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, Hungary has established a restricted zone, which comprises protection and surveillance zones, where the disease control measures laid down in that Delegated Regulation are applied in order to prevent the further spread of that disease. Slovakia has also informed the Commission that, following the report of foot and mouth disease virus in Hungary near its border, it has established a surveillance zone in cooperation with Hungary, in its territory in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687.

(5)

In order to prevent any unnecessary disturbance to trade within the Union and to avoid unjustified barriers to trade by third countries, it is necessary to rapidly identify at Union level the restricted zone for foot and mouth disease, which comprises the protection and surveillance zones in Hungary, and the surveillance zone in Slovakia, in collaboration with those Member States.

(6)

The size of the protection and surveillance zones and duration of the measures to apply therein have been based on the criteria laid down in Article 64(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and on the rules laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, including the epidemiological situation as regards foot and mouth disease in the areas affected by that disease and the overall epidemiological situation in Hungary as regards that disease, as well as the level of risk for the further spread of the disease.

(7)

Accordingly, the areas identified as protection and surveillance zones in Hungary, and the surveillance zone in Slovakia, should be set out in the Annex to this Decision and the duration of that regionalisation fixed.

(8)

Given the urgency arising from the epidemiological situation in Hungary as regards the spread of foot and mouth disease and the need to prevent the disease spreading from the affected establishment in Hungary to other parts of that Member State or to other Member States or third countries, it is appropriate that the measures laid down in this Implementing Decision apply as soon as possible.

(9)

Accordingly, pending the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, the protection and surveillance zones in Hungary, and the surveillance zone in Slovakia, should be established immediately in the areas listed in the Annex to this Decision until the dates set out therein.

(10)

This Decision is to be reviewed at the next meeting of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,