(1)

Directive 92/119/EEC lays down general control measures to be applied in the event of an outbreak of certain animal diseases, including lumpy skin disease (LSD). These control measures include the establishment of protection and surveillance zones around the infected holding, and they also provide for emergency vaccination in the case of an outbreak of LSD in addition to other control measures.

(2)

In August 2015, LSD was confirmed in Greece for the first time. In 2016, there were cases of LSD in Bulgaria and additional cases in Greece, as well as in a number of neighbouring third countries.

(3)

In response to these outbreaks of LSD, the affected Member States, namely Greece and Bulgaria, as well as the affected neighbouring third countries, implemented mass vaccination programmes of their live bovine animals and captive wild ruminants. In 2016 and 2017, Croatia, where LSD has not occurred to date, also implemented a mass vaccination programme against LSD, as a preventive measure, in view of the epidemiological situation in neighbouring Member States and third countries. The vaccination programmes against LSD in Greece, Bulgaria and Croatia were approved by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/2009 (4), and those three Member States are duly listed in the Annex to that act as having approved vaccination programmes against LSD.

(4)

In 2017, LSD was present to a lesser extent in South-East Europe, with a large scale recurrence in Albania, and a few additional sporadic outbreaks in Greece and North Macedonia. In 2018 and to date in 2019, there has been a steady improvement of the LSD epidemiological situation and no case of LSD has been reported in any Member State or in any neighbouring third country in South-East Europe, excluding Turkey. During the same period, annual mass vaccination against LSD has continued in all the Member States and in neighbouring third countries in South-East Europe that had been affected by LSD.

(5)

In view of the favourable epidemiological situation, Croatia stopped preventive vaccination against LSD since the beginning of 2018 and replaced it with systematic disease surveillance. This surveillance confirmed the absence of LSD during 2018. As a result, Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/2008 (5) was amended by Commission Implementing Decisions (EU) 2019/81 (6), in order to delete that Member State from the list of Member States with ‘free zones with vaccination’ status in Annex I to Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/2008. In addition, Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/2009 was amended by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/82 (7), in order to delete Croatia from the list of Member States with an approved vaccination programme against LSD.

(6)

According to the rules of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), where LSD vaccination is discontinued in a country or a zone thereof, it takes a minimum period of 8 months before LSD–free status may be regained, in the case of preventive vaccination, or a minimum period of 14 months, in the case of vaccination in response to an occurrence of LSD. Hence, the measures laid down in Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/2009 should remain in place for a minimum period of 8 months or 14 months, depending on the zone, before LSD-free status can be restored.

(7)

Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/2009 applies until 31 December 2019, and accordingly the current measures in relation to LSD in Greece and Bulgaria laid down in that act will no longer apply after that date. Given the current epidemiological situation and the minimum time required to regain LSD-free status, it is necessary to prolong the period of application of these measures for an appropriate period of time.

(8)

Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council (8) lays down rules for the prevention and control of certain listed diseases, including LSD. As that Regulation is to apply from 21 April 2021, the period of application of Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/2009 should be prolonged until 20 April 2021.

(9)

Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/2009 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(10)

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