(1)

Regulation (EU) 2016/429 lays down disease-specific rules for the diseases listed in accordance with Article 5(1) thereof, and it specifies how those rules are to be applied to different categories of listed diseases. Regulation (EU) 2016/429 also provides for the approval or withdrawal by the Commission of the disease-free status of Member States or zones or compartments thereof regarding certain listed diseases referred to in Article 9(1), points (a), (b) and (c), thereof. In addition, Regulation (EU) 2016/429 provides for Member States to establish compulsory eradication programmes for the listed diseases referred to in Article 9(1), point (b), thereof, and for optional eradication programmes for the listed diseases referred to in Article 9(1), point (c), thereof, and for the approval of such programmes by the Commission.

(2)

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689 (2) supplements Regulation (EU) 2016/429, and it lays down the criteria for granting, maintaining, suspending, and withdrawing the disease-free status of Member States or zones or compartments thereof, and the requirements for the approval of eradication programmes of Member States or zones or compartments thereof.

(3)

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/620 (3) lays down implementing rules for the listed diseases, referred to in Article 9(1), points (a), (b) and (c), of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, of animals, as regards the disease-free and non-vaccination status of certain Member States or zones or compartments thereof, and the approval of eradication programmes for those listed diseases. More particularly, it lists in the Annexes thereto, the Member States or zones or compartments thereof with approved disease-free status, and with existing approved compulsory or optional eradication programmes. Due to the changing epidemiological situation in the Union of certain listed diseases, Annexes VIII and XI to that Implementing Regulation should be amended.

(4)

As regards infection with bluetongue virus (serotypes 1-24) (infection with BTV), Czechia and Poland have notified the Commission of outbreaks of infection with BTV serotype 3. The outbreaks in Czechia were in the zone that still has disease-free status as regards that disease and the outbreaks in Poland were in the voivodships: dolnośląskie, zachodniopomorskie and warmińsko-mazurskie affecting also other voivodeships. In addition, Spain has notified the Commission of outbreaks of infection with BTV serotype 8 in the autonomous community of Castilla la Mancha and País Vasco, affecting also other autonomous communities, in the zone that still has disease-free status as regards that disease. As the whole territory of Poland and parts of the territory of Czechia and Spain have disease-free status, and are listed in Part I of Annex VIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/620, the approval of the disease-free status from infection with BTV should be withdrawn from the voivodeships: dolnośląskie, lubuskie, pomorskie, and zachodniopomorskie and certain zones of the voivodeships kujawsko-pomorskie, łódzkie, mazowieckie, opolskie, podlaskie, warmińsko-mazurskie and wielkopolskie in Poland, whole territory of Czechia and the autonomous community of País Vasco, autonomous community of Navarra, certain areas of the province of Zaragoza in the autonomous community of Aragón, certain zones in the province of Burgos in the autonomous community of Castilla y León and certain zones in the province of Guadalajara in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain. Therefore, the entries for Czechia, Poland and Spain in Part I of that Annex should be amended accordingly.

(5)

In addition, Spain has also informed the Commission that it has extended the territorial scope of the optional eradication programme for infection with BTV that has already been approved for the zones listed in Part II of Annex VIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/620, with the addition of the autonomous community of País Vasco, autonomous community of Navarra, certain zones of the province of Zaragoza in the autonomous community of Aragón, certain zones of the province of Burgos in the autonomous community of Castilla y León and certain zones in the province of Guadalajara in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain. Therefore, those areas should be added to the entry for Spain in Part II of Annex VIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/620, and the proposed amendment to the optional eradication programme for infection with BTV approved.

(6)

As regards infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), the competent authority of the Netherlands has informed the Commission that Verbeek’s poultry international B.V with approval number 1122 cannot be considered as a compartment free from HPAI as the conditions for maintaining disease-free status are no longer met. As this compartment is listed in Annex XI to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/620 as free from HPAI, the free status from HPAI should be withdrawn. Therefore, the entry for the Netherlands in that Annex should be amended accordingly.

(7)

Annexes VIII and XI to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/620 should, therefore, be amended accordingly.

(8)

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