(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)

Germany 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 water buffalo animals in the state of Brandenburg in the federal state of Germany, which was confirmed on 10 January 2025, and, in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, it 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.

(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 Brandenburg in Germany in collaboration with that Member State.

(6)

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

(7)

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 Germany as regards that disease, as well as the level of risk for the further spread of the disease. 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).

(8)

Given the urgency arising from the epidemiological situation in Germany as regards the spread of foot and mouth disease and the need to prevent the disease spreading from the affected establishment in Germany to other parts of that Member State or to other Member States, 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 Germany should be established immediately and listed in the Annex to this Decision and the duration of that zoning fixed.

(10)

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

(a)

a restricted zone, which comprises a protection zone and a surveillance zone is established immediately by the competent authority of that Member State 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.