(1)

Between 21 March 2025 and 4 April 2025, six outbreaks of foot and mouth disease were confirmed and notified by Slovakia. The species affected were cattle.

(2)

Slovakia immediately and efficiently took all the necessary animal health and veterinary measures required pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2) and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 (3).

(3)

With a view to preventing the spread of foot and mouth disease, on 21 March 2025, Slovakia issued an extraordinary emergency measure (4) prohibiting any movement, in its territory, of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and other cloven-hoofed animals, including farm animals.

(4)

Furthermore, Slovakia took control, monitoring and preventive measures and established protection and surveillance zones (‘the regulated zones’) pursuant to Commission Implementing Decisions (EU) 2025/496 (5), (EU) 2025/613 (6), (EU) 2025/654 (7), (EU) 2025/672 (8), (EU) 2025/696 (9), (EU) 2025/795 (10), (EU) 2025/827 (11), and (EU) 2025/1097 (12).

(5)

Slovakia informed the Commission that the necessary health and veterinary measures, which had been applied to contain and eradicate the spread of the disease, had affected a number of operators and that those operators suffered income losses that were not eligible for Union financial contribution under Regulation (EU) 2021/690 of the European Parliament and of the Council (13).

(6)

On 26 August 2025, the Commission received a formal request from Slovakia for the part-financing of certain exceptional measures pursuant to Article 220(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 for the outbreaks confirmed between 21 March 2025 and 4 April 2025.

(7)

The implementation of the animal health and veterinary measures referred to in recitals 3 and 4 led to a loss of raw milk produced that could not be delivered due to movement restrictions and to additional costs due to a longer rearing and fattening period of pigs, piglets and sows.

(8)

Pursuant to Article 220(5) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, the Union part-financing should be equivalent to 60 % of the expenditure borne by Slovakia for the relevant exceptional market support measures. The maximum quantities of raw milk and maximum number of animals eligible for financing in the framework of each exceptional market support measure should be fixed by the Commission after scrutinising the request received from Slovakia concerning the restrictions related to outbreaks.

(9)

To avoid any risk of overcompensation, the maximum amounts and flat rate amount of the Union part-financing should be based on technical and economic studies or accounting documents and fixed at an appropriate level for each animal and for kilogram of raw milk.

(10)

To avoid any risk of double funding, the losses incurred by beneficiaries should not be compensated by State aid or insurance, and the Union part-financing under this Regulation should be limited to eligible animals and products for which no Union financial contribution has been received under Regulation (EU) 2021/690.

(11)

The extent and duration of the exceptional market support measures provided for in this Regulation should be limited to what is strictly necessary to support the market. In particular, the exceptional market support measures should apply only to the production of raw milk and pigmeat from the holdings located in the regulated zones and for the duration of the animal health and veterinary measures laid down in the Union and Slovakian legislation relevant to the outbreaks.

(12)

To ensure flexibility in case the number of animals eligible for compensation differs from the maximum numbers set in this Regulation, which are based on estimates, compensation may be adjusted within certain limits, as long as the maximum amount of expenditure part-financed by the Union is respected.

(13)

In order to ensure the effectiveness of this exceptional measure, beneficiaries should rapidly receive the emergency financial support. Additionally, a timely monitoring of the budget as well as an up-to-date follow-up and efficient use of the agricultural reserve should be ensured, thereby maximising its availability and enhancing the capacity to respond promptly to emerging crises. Therefore, it is appropriate to define an eligibility period for Member States to pay this support to the beneficiaries. Any payments made after a specific end date should be considered ineligible for Union financing.

(14)

The Union should therefore finance the expenditure incurred by Slovakia under this exceptional measure only where such expenditure is made by a certain eligibility end date. The support for this exceptional measure should therefore be paid by 31 October 2026.

(15)

As no payments made after 31 October 2026 are to be considered eligible under any circumstances, Article 5(2) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/127 (14), which provides for a proportional reduction of the monthly payments effected after the deadline, should not apply.

(16)

In order to ensure the eligibility and the correctness of the payments, Slovakia should carry out ex ante checks.

(17)

In order to ensure an immediate implementation by Slovakia of the measures laid down in this Regulation, this Regulation should enter into force on the third day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

(18)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for the Common Organisation of the Agricultural Markets,