(1)

Infection with peste des petits ruminants virus is an infectious 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 to exports to third countries. 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 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 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.

(3)

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/638 (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 specifically, Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/638 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 an outbreak of that disease are to comprise at least the areas listed in Annex I to that Implementing Decision.

(4)

Since the last amendment of Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/638 (5), Romania has notified the Commission, on 13 July 2026, of three outbreaks of infection with peste des petits ruminants virus in establishments where ovine and caprine animals are kept, located in the counties of Mureș and Timiș. In accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, Romania has established restricted zones, comprising protection and surveillance zones, in which the disease control measures laid down in that Delegated Regulation are applied in order to prevent the further spread of that disease. Two of those new outbreaks are located outside the restricted zones that were already established as a result of previous outbreaks, namely in the county of Timiș.

(5)

Therefore, the areas listed as protection, surveillance and further restricted zones for Romania in Annex I to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/638, as well as the duration of the measures applicable therein, should be adjusted to take account of the new outbreaks. 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 Annexes to that Implementing Decision.

(6)

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 laid down 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 and the number 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 peste des petits ruminants virus in the areas affected by that disease, but also of the overall epidemiological situation of peste des petits ruminants virus in the entire territory of the Member State concerned by that disease, as well as 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).

(7)

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 Romania to other Member States, the measures laid down in this Implementing Decision should apply as soon as possible.

(8)

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