(1)

African swine fever is an infectious viral disease affecting kept and wild porcine 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 outbreaks of African swine fever in wild porcine animals, there is a serious risk of the spread of that disease to other wild porcine animals and to other establishments of kept porcine 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 63 to 66 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 provide for certain measures to be taken in the event of an official confirmation of an outbreak of a category A disease in wild animals, including African swine fever in wild porcine animals. Notably, those provisions provide for the establishment of an infected zone and prohibitions on movements of wild animals of listed species and products of animal origin thereof.

(4)

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 (4) lays down special disease control measures regarding African swine fever. In particular, Article 3, point (b), of that Implementing Regulation provides for the establishment of an infected zone in the case of an outbreak of African swine fever in wild porcine animals, in accordance with Article 63 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687. In addition, Article 6 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 provides that following an outbreak of African swine fever in wild porcine animals in a previously disease-free Member State or zone, that area is to be listed as an infected zone in Part A of Annex II thereto, and that the infected zone established in accordance with Article 63 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 is to be adjusted without delay to comprise at least the infected zone listed in Part A of Annex II to that Implementing Regulation.

(5)

Furthermore, Article 8(2) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 provides that the Member States concerned are to apply the special disease control measures laid down in that Implementing Regulation applicable to restricted zones II in the areas listed as infected zones in Part A of Annex II thereto, in addition to the measures laid down in Articles 63 to 66 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687. In addition, Article 8(3) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 provides that the Member States are to prohibit the movements of consignments of kept porcine animals and products thereof to other Member States and to third countries from the infected zone of that Member State concerned listed in Part A of Annex II.

(6)

Finally, Article 8(4) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 provides that competent authority of the Member States concerned may decide that the prohibition provided for in Article 8(3) of that Implementing Regulation does not apply to the movements of consignments of meat products, including casings, obtained from porcine animals kept in the infected zone listed in Part A of Annex II thereto, which have undergone the relevant risk-mitigating treatment in accordance with Annex VII to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687.

(7)

Germany has informed the Commission of the current African swine fever situation on its territory, following the confirmation of one outbreak of African swine fever in wild porcine animals in the State of Hesse on 16 June 2024 in an area that was previously free of that disease. Accordingly, the competent authority of that Member State established an infected zone in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594, where the general disease control measures laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 are applied, in order to prevent the further spread of that disease.

(8)

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 identify at Union level the infected zone for African swine fever in Germany in collaboration with that Member State.

(9)

In addition, in order to prevent the further spread of African swine fever, pending the listing of the areas of Germany affected by the recent outbreak of African swine fever in wild porcine animals, as an infected zone in Part A of Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594, those areas of Germany should be listed in the Annex to this Decision and they should be subject to the special disease control measures applicable to restricted zones II as provided for in Article 8(2) of the Implementing Regulation for areas which have been listed as infected zones in Part A of Annex II to that Regulation.

(10)

Due to the persistent and serious nature of this new epidemiological situation of African swine fever in the Union, and taking account of the increased immediate risk of the further spread of the disease, the special disease control measures for African swine fever provided for in Articles 8(3) and (4) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594, should also apply to movements of consignments of kept porcine animals and products thereof from the areas listed in the Annex to this Decision to other Member States and to third countries, in addition to the measures laid down in Articles 63 to 66 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687.

(11)

Given the urgency of the epidemiological situation in the Union as regards the spread of African swine fever, it is important that the measures laid down in this Implementing Decision apply as soon as possible.

(12)

Accordingly, pending the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, the infected zone in Germany should be established immediately and listed in the Annex to this Decision and the duration of that zoning fixed. Furthermore, the application of special disease control measures should be foreseen.

(13)

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