(1)

Infection with peste des petits ruminants virus is an infectious disease affecting caprine and ovine animals, and it 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. In the event of an outbreak of peste des petits ruminants in caprine or ovine animals, there is a serious risk of the spread of that disease to other establishments of caprine or ovine animals.

(2)

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 infection with peste des petits ruminants virus, 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 and a surveillance zone.

(3)

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/2663 (4) was adopted on the basis of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and lays down certain emergency measures relating to infection with peste des petits ruminants virus in Croatia in response to an outbreak confirmed on 13 December 2025 in the municipality of Prgomet, in the Splitsko-Dalmatinska county. More specifically, Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/2663 provides that the protection and surveillance zones to be established by that Member State, in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 are to comprise at least the areas listed in the Annex to that Implementing Decision. It also provides that the measures required to be applied in those zones are to be applied at least until the dates listed in that Annex.

(4)

Since the last amendment of Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/2663, by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/128 (5), Croatia has notified the Commission of one new outbreak of peste des petits ruminants virus in an establishment where ovine and caprine animals were kept. This outbreak was reported on 16 January and concerns the Splitsko-Dalmatinska county.

(5)

In order to prevent any unnecessary disturbance to trade within the Union and to avoid any unjustified disruptions to trade being imposed by third countries, it is necessary to rapidly lay down at Union level, in collaboration with Croatia, the protection and surveillance zones established by that Member State, in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687.

(6)

Therefore, the areas listed as protection and surveillance zones for Croatia in the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/2663, as well as the duration of the measures to be applied therein, should be amended to take account of the new outbreak and of the boundaries of the protection and surveillance zones established by Croatia following the new outbreak of peste des petits ruminants virus therein.

(7)

The size of the protection and surveillance zones, and the duration of the measures to be applied therein, are based on the criteria set out in Article 64(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, and the rules laid down in Annexes X and XI to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 including the epidemiological situation as regards infection with peste des petits ruminants virus in the areas affected by that disease, and the overall epidemiological situation of infection with peste des petits ruminants virus in the Member State concerned as well as the level of risk for the further spread of that disease, within that Member State and in the Union. Also, the duration of the measures provided for by this Decision has been determined in line with the international standards set out in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) (6).

(8)

Given the urgency of the epidemiological situation in the Union as regards the spread of infection with peste des petits ruminants virus and the need to prevent the disease spreading from the affected establishment in Croatia to other parts of that Member State or to other Member States, it is appropriate that the measures laid down in this Implementing Decision apply as soon as possible.

(9)

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