(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.

(2)

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.

(3)

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.

(4)

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1406 (4) was adopted following outbreaks of sheep pox and goat pox in Romania, and it lays down emergency measures to be taken by that Member State. More particularly, Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1406 provides that the protection, surveillance, and further restricted zones to be established by Romania, in accordance with Article 21 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, are to comprise at least the areas listed in the Annex to that Implementing Decision.

(5)

Since the adoption of Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1406, Romania has notified the Commission of fifteen additional outbreaks of sheep pox and goat pox in establishments where ovine and caprine animals were kept, located in the counties of Teleorman and Olt, within the already established restricted zones listed in the Annex to that Implementing Decision.

(6)

In the current epidemiological situation, there is a high risk for the further spread of sheep pox and goat pox, in particular due to the fact that, according to the information provided by Romania, outbreaks occurred after the previous restricted zones had been lifted, suggesting that the disease persists and continues to circulate.

(7)

Therefore, a new restricted zone, comprising a protection and a surveillance zone in Romania, as the one set out in the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1406 should be established and adjusted, both spatially and temporally, in order to prevent the further spread of sheep pox and goat pox in the territory of Romania and to the rest of the Union.

(8)

In addition, in order to minimise the risk of the further spread of the disease, it is also necessary to prolong the duration of the new protection and surveillance zones beyond the minimum requirements of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687.

(9)

The size of the protection and surveillance zones, and the duration of the measures to be applied therein, is based on the criteria set out 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 of the protection and surveillance zones, as well as of the duration of the measures to be applied therein, consider not only the epidemiological situation as regards sheep pox and goat pox in the areas affected by that disease, but also of the overall epidemiological situation of sheep pox and goat pox in the entire territory of Romania, and of the level of risk for the further spread of the disease. For the determination of the duration of the measures, the international standards of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health (5) have also been taken into account.

(10)

Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1406 should, therefore, be repealed and replaced by this Decision.

(11)

Given the urgency of the epidemiological situation in the Union as regards the spread of sheep pox and goat pox, and the need to prevent that disease from spreading from the affected establishments in Romania to other parts of that Member State or to other Member States, Romania should adopt the measures provided for in this Decision immediately.

(12)

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 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.