22.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 79/1

(1)

Decision (EU) 2017/1324 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) provides for the participation of the Union in the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (‘PRIMA’) jointly undertaken by several Member States.

(2)

PRIMA aims to implement a joint programme to build research and innovation capacities and to develop knowledge and common innovative solutions for agro-food systems, to make them sustainable, and for integrated water provision and management in the Mediterranean area, to make those systems and that provision and management more climate resilient, efficient, cost-effective and environmentally and socially sustainable, and to contribute to solving water scarcity, food security, nutrition, health, well-being and migration problems upstream.

(3)

PRIMA will be jointly undertaken by a number of Member States and third countries (‘Participating States’) with a high level of commitment to scientific, management and financial integration and under the same terms and conditions.

(4)

The Republic of Lebanon (‘Lebanon’) expressed its wish to join PRIMA as a Participating State and on an equal footing with the Member States and third countries associated to Horizon 2020 — the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2014-2020) participating in PRIMA.

(5)

In accordance with Article 1(2) of Decision (EU) 2017/1324 Lebanon is to become a Participating State in PRIMA subject to the conclusion of an international agreement for scientific and technological cooperation with the Union setting out the terms and conditions for the participation of Lebanon in PRIMA.

(6)

On 30 May 2017, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations, on behalf of the Union, with Lebanon, on an Agreement for scientific and technological cooperation between the European Union and the Republic of Lebanon setting out the terms and conditions for the participation of the Republic of Lebanon in the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) (‘the Agreement’), subject to the adoption of Decision (EU) 2017/1324. The negotiations were successfully completed.

(7)

The Agreement should be signed.

(8)

In order to allow for the participation of Lebanon in PRIMA from its start, the Agreement should be applied on a provisional basis, pending the completion of the procedures necessary for its entry into force,

22.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 79/3

22.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 79/7

(1)

On 4 August 2017, the Council adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1420 (2) implementing Article 2(3) of Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001, establishing an updated list of persons, groups and entities to which Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001 applies (‘the list’).

(2)

The Council has provided all the persons, groups and entities with statements of reasons explaining why they were entered into the list, where practically possible.

(3)

By way of a notice published in the Official Journal of the European Union, the Council informed the persons, groups and entities on the list that it had decided to keep them thereon. The Council also informed the persons, groups and entities concerned that it was possible to request a statement of the Council's reasons for entering them into the list where such a statement had not already been communicated to them.

(4)

The Council has reviewed the list as required by Article 2(3) of Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001. When carrying out that review, the Council took into account the observations submitted to it by those concerned as well as the updated information received from the competent national authorities on the status of listed individuals and entities at the national level.

(5)

The Council has verified that competent authorities as referred to in Article 1(4) of Common Position 2001/931/CFSP (3) have taken decisions with regards to all persons, groups and entities to the effect that they have been involved in terrorist acts within the meaning of Article 1(2) and (3) of Common Position 2001/931/CFSP. The Council has also concluded that the persons, groups and entities to which Articles 2, 3 and 4 of Common Position 2001/931/CFSP apply should continue to be subject to the specific restrictive measures provided for in Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001.

(6)

The list should be updated accordingly and implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1420 should be repealed,

22.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 79/11

(1)

Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 provides that only novel foods authorised and included in the Union list may be placed on the market within the Union.

(2)

Pursuant to Article 8 of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470 (2) was adopted, which establishes a Union list of authorised novel foods.

(3)

Pursuant to Article 12 of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, the Commission shall submit a draft implementing act on the placing on the Union market of a novel food and on the updating of the Union list.

(4)

Pursuant to Article 35(1) of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, any request for placing a novel food on the market within the Union submitted to a Member State in accordance with Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 258/97 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3) and for which the final decision has not been taken before 1 January 2018 shall be treated as an application submitted under Regulation (EU) 2015/2283.

(5)

On 13 March 2014, the company Naturalendo Tech Co., Ltd made a request to the competent authority of Ireland to place an extract of three herbal roots (Cynanchum wilfordii Hemsley, Phlomis umbrosa Turcz. and Angelica gigas Nakai) on the market as a novel food ingredient within the meaning of point (e) of Article 1(2) of Regulation (EC) No 258/97. The application requests for the novel food to be used in food supplements intended for post-menopausal women.

(6)

While the request for placing an extract of three herbal roots (Cynanchum wilfordii Hemsley, Phlomis umbrosa Turcz. and Angelica gigas Nakai) on the market as a novel food within the Union was submitted to a Member State in accordance with Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 258/97, the application also meets the requirements laid down in Regulation (EU) 2015/2283.

(7)

On 29 July 2014, the competent authority of Ireland issued its initial assessment report. In that report it came to the conclusion that an extract of mixture of the three herbal roots meets the criteria for novel food ingredients set out in Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 258/97.

(8)

On 15 September 2014, the Commission forwarded the initial assessment report to the other Member States. Reasoned objections were raised by the other Member States within the 60-day period laid down in the first subparagraph of Article 6(4) of Regulation (EC) No 258/97.

(9)

In view of the objections raised by the other Member States, the Commission consulted the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on 20 April 2015, asking it to carry out an additional assessment for an extract of three herbal roots (Cynanchum wilfordii Hemsley, Phlomis umbrosa Turcz. and Angelica gigas Nakai) as novel food ingredient in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 258/97.

(10)

On 21 September 2016, EFSA adopted ‘Scientific opinion on the safety of an extract of three herbal roots (Cynanchum wilfordii Hemsley, Phlomis umbrosa Turcz. and Angelica gigas Nakai) as a novel food’ (4). This opinion, although elaborated and adopted by EFSA under Regulation (EC) No 258/97 is in line with the requirements of Article 11 of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283.

(11)

In its opinion, EFSA did not establish the safety of the extract of mixture of the three herbal roots used in food supplements intended for adults at the maximum intake level of 514 mg/day as proposed by the applicant because the intake would exceed the level which is considered safe (2,5 mg/kg bw). However, EFSA concluded that the extract of mixture of the three herbal roots is safe for adults when added to food supplements at a maximum daily dose of 175 mg which corresponds to the safe level of intake for an adult person with a default body weight of 70 kg.

(12)

In view of the EFSA opinion, the applicant provided additional information to alleviate the safety concerns. On 12 January 2017, the Commission consulted EFSA to review the additional information in relation to the scientific opinion on the safety of the extract of mixture of the three herbal roots. On 4 April 2017, EFSA in its reviewed opinion on the safety of the extract of mixture of the three herbal roots (5), concluded that the scientific opinion initially adopted on 21 September 2016 did not need to be revised and thus, EFSA reconfirmed that the extract of mixture of the three herbal roots is safe for adults when added to food supplements at a maximum daily dose of 175 mg.

(13)

In its initial opinion, EFSA considers that the risk of allergic reaction to Angelica gigas Nakai is not dissimilar to that associated with celery as both plants belong to the same botanical family (i.e. Apiaceae). As celery is a food required to be labelled as an allergen under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council (6), it is necessary that the novel food ingredient should be appropriately labelled.

(14)

Both opinions give sufficient grounds to establish that the extract of three herbal roots (Cynanchum wilfordii Hemsley, Phlomis umbrosa Turcz. and Angelica gigas Nakai) at the proposed uses and use levels when used as an ingredient in food supplements, complies with Article 12(1) of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283.

(15)

Taking into account the intended use and the fact that the request for authorisation is only intended for adults, food supplements containing an extract of three herbal roots (Cynanchum wilfordii Hemsley, Phlomis umbrosa Turcz. and Angelica gigas Nakai) should be appropriately labelled.

(16)

Directive 2002/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (7) lays down requirements on food supplements. The use of the extract of three herbal roots (Cynanchum wilfordii Hemsley, Phlomis umbrosa Turcz. and Angelica gigas Nakai) should be authorised without prejudice to that Directive.

(17)

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

22.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 79/16

(1)

Regulation (EC) No 470/2009 provides for the establishment of maximum residue limits (‘MRLs’) for pharmacologically active substances intended for use in the Union in veterinary medicinal products administered to food-producing animals and in biocidal products used in animal husbandry.

(2)

Table 1 of the Annex to Commission Regulation (EU) No 37/2010 (2) (‘Table 1’) sets out the pharmacologically active substances and their classification regarding MRLs in foodstuffs of animal origin. In relation to some substances, different MRLs are set out for different species or groups of species and for different target tissues of those species or groups of species.

(3)

Article 11 of Directive 2001/82/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (3) lays down rules regarding the treatment of food-producing animals affected by a condition for which no veterinary medicinal product is authorised in a Member State. In particular, paragraph 2 of that Article, read together with Article 29 of Regulation (EC) No 470/2009, provides that such animals may be treated with medicinal products containing pharmacologically active substances only if those substances are included in Table 1 of the Annex to Regulation (EU) No 37/2010.

(4)

The Commission is required to adopt detailed rules on the MRLs to be considered for control purposes for foodstuffs derived from animals treated under Article 11 of Directive 2001/82/EC. For specific target tissues of animal species treated in the EU under Article 11 of Directive 2001/82/EC, no MRLs may be included in Table 1 of the Annex to Commission Regulation (EU) No 37/2010. In order to ensure a high level of consumer protection, specific rules are needed to specify which MRLs apply in those cases. The rules should take into account the MRLs established under Regulation (EC) No 470/2009 for different animal species and different target tissues, for which a risk assessment has demonstrated their safety to consumers. Applying the existing MRLs to tissue-species combinations for which no MRL has been set, in combination with the application of the appropriate withdrawal periods or the default minimum withdrawal periods according to Article 11, provides sufficient guarantees for consumer safety.

(5)

For treatments under Article 11 of Directive 2001/82/EC it is most appropriate to refer to MRLs, which are established in Table 1 for species that have a similar anatomy and metabolism, in order to define MRLs, for residues of veterinary medicinal products in animal species not listed in Table 1. Therefore food-producing animal species should be placed into groups and related to each other according to the different anatomical and metabolic relationships between them.

(6)

Preferentially MRLs listed in Table 1 for the same target tissue in a related or more closely related species are considered and as a last resort the lowest MRL for any target tissue in any species.

(7)

In case in Table 1 restrictions are defined regarding the application of the MRL for certain uses, these restrictions apply also to possible uses on other animal species and/or target tissues.

(8)

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

(a)

ruminants;

(b)

monogastric mammals;

(c)

poultry and ratites;

(d)

fin fish;

(e)

bees;

(f)

crustaceans;

(g)

molluscs.

(a)

animal species belonging, according to paragraph 1, to the same group shall be considered to be ‘related’ species;

(b)

within the ruminants group, ovine and caprine species shall be considered to be ‘more closely related’ to each other than to bovine species and bovine species shall be considered to be ‘more closely related’ to each other than to either ovine or caprine species;

(c)

Equidae and rabbits shall be considered to be equally related to monogastric mammals and ruminants. However, ruminants shall not be considered to be related to either Equidae or rabbits.

(a)

the target tissue ‘skin and fat’ in porcine and poultry species shall be equated to the target tissue ‘fat’ in other animal species, and vice versa;

(b)

the target tissue ‘skin and muscle’ in fin fish shall be equated to the target tissue ‘muscle’ in other animal species, and vice versa;

(c)

the edible parts of crustaceans and molluscs shall be equated to the target tissue ‘muscle’ in other animal species.

(a)

if at least one MRL is established in Table 1 for that target tissue in any species related to the treated species:

(b)

if point (a) does not apply, the MRL to be considered for control purposes shall be the lowest of all the MRLs established in Table 1 for that target tissue in species that are not related to the treated species;

(c)

if neither point (a) nor point (b) produces the MRL to be considered for control purposes, the MRL to be considered for control purpose shall be the lowest of all the MRLs established in Table 1 for other target tissues in any animal species;

(d)

in case in Table 1 restrictions are defined regarding the application of the MRL for certain uses, these restrictions equally apply when considering an MRL under article 3(a), 3(b) and 3(c) for possible uses on other animal species and/or target tissues.

22.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 79/19

(1)

In accordance with Article 67(3) of Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2), the revenue of the European Medicines Agency consists of a contribution from the Union and fees paid by undertakings to the Agency. Regulation (EC) No 297/95 lays down the categories and levels of such fees.

(2)

Those fees should be updated by reference to the inflation rate of 2017. The inflation rate in the Union, as made available by the Statistical Office of the European Union, was 1,7 % in 2017.

(3)

For the sake of simplicity, the adjusted levels of the fees should be rounded to the nearest EUR 100.

(4)

Regulation (EC) No 297/95 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(5)

For reasons of legal certainty, this Regulation should not apply to valid applications which are pending on 1 April 2018.

(6)

In accordance with Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 297/95, the update is to be made with effect from 1 April 2018. It is therefore appropriate that this Regulation enters into force as a matter of urgency and applies from that date,

(1)

Article 3 is amended as follows:

(2)

in the first paragraph of Article 4, ‘EUR 70 200’ is replaced by ‘EUR 71 400’;

(3)

Article 5 is amended as follows:

(4)

in the first paragraph of Article 6, ‘EUR 42 300’ is replaced by ‘EUR 43 000’;

(5)

Article 7 is amended as follows:

(6)

Article 8 is amended as follows:

22.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 79/23

(1)

The term of office of Mr Karel PINXTEN as a member of the Court of Auditors expired on 28 February 2018.

(2)

A new member should therefore be appointed to the Court of Auditors,

22.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 79/24

(1)

On 26 January 2015, 5 February 2015 and 23 June 2015, the Council adopted Decisions (EU) 2015/116 (1), (EU) 2015/190 (2) and (EU) 2015/994 (3) appointing the members and alternate members of the Committee of the Regions for the period from 26 January 2015 to 25 January 2020.

(2)

A member's seat on the Committee of the Regions has become vacant following the end of the term of office of Hans-Josef VOGEL,

—

Dr Eckhard RUTHEMEYER, Bürgermeister der Stadt Soest.

22.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 79/25

(1)

On 26 January 2015, 5 February 2015 and 23 June 2015, the Council adopted Decisions (EU) 2015/116 (1), (EU) 2015/190 (2) and (EU) 2015/994 (3) appointing the members and alternate members of the Committee of the Regions for the period from 26 January 2015 to 25 January 2020.

(2)

A member's seat on the Committee of the Regions has become vacant following the end of the term of office of Mr Markus TÖNS.

(3)

An alternate member's seat on the Committee of the Regions has become vacant following the end of the term of office of Mr Stefan ENGSTFELD,

(a)

as a member:

and

(b)

as an alternate member:

22.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 79/26

(1)

On 27 December 2001, the Council adopted Common Position 2001/931/CFSP (1).

(2)

On 4 August 2017, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2017/1426 (2) updating the list of persons, groups and entities subject to Articles 2, 3 and 4 of Common Position 2001/931/CFSP (‘the list’).

(3)

In accordance with Article 1(6) of Common Position 2001/931/CFSP, it is necessary to review the names of persons, groups and entities on the list at regular intervals to ensure that there are grounds for keeping them thereon.

(4)

This Decision sets out the result of the review that the Council has carried out in respect of persons, groups and entities to which Articles 2, 3 and 4 of Common Position 2001/931/CFSP apply.

(5)

The Council has verified that competent authorities as referred to in Article 1(4) of Common Position 2001/931/CFSP have taken decisions with regard to all persons, groups and entities on the list to the effect that they have been involved in terrorist acts within the meaning of Article 1(2) and (3) of Common Position 2001/931/CFSP. The Council has also concluded that the persons, groups and entities to which Articles 2, 3 and 4 of Common Position 2001/931/CFSP apply should continue to be subject to the specific restrictive measures provided for therein.

(6)

The list should be updated accordingly and Decision (CFSP) 2017/1426 should be repealed,

22.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 79/30

(1)

On 31 July 2015, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2015/1333 (1) concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Libya.

(2)

On 28 September 2017, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2017/1776 (2) amending Decision (CFSP) 2015/1333.

(3)

In view of the continuing instability and gravity of the situation in Libya the Council has decided that the restrictive measures concerning three persons should be extended for a further period of 6 months.

(4)

Decision (CFSP) 2015/1333 should therefore be amended accordingly,

22.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 79/31

(1)

Currently an anti-dumping duty applies on imports into the Union of essential bicycle parts originating in the People's Republic of China (‘China’) (‘the extended duty’) as a result of the extension by Regulation (EC) No 71/97 of the anti-dumping duty on imports of bicycles originating in China. The extended duty was lastly maintained by Council Regulation (EU) No 502/2013 (4).

(2)

Under Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 71/97, the Commission is empowered to adopt the necessary measures to authorise the exemption of imports of essential bicycle parts which do not circumvent the anti-dumping duty.

(3)

Those implementing measures are set forth in Regulation (EC) No 88/97 establishing the specific exemption system.

(4)

On this basis the Commission has exempted a number of bicycle assemblers from the extended duty (‘the exempted parties’).

(5)

As provided for in Article 16(2) of Regulation (EC) No 88/97, the Commission has published in the Official Journal of the European Union subsequent lists of the exempted parties (5).

(6)

The most recent Commission Implementing Decision concerning exemptions under Regulation (EC) No 88/97 was adopted on 22 February 2017 (6).

(7)

The Commission received from the parties listed in Tables 1 and 3 below requests for exemption with all the information required to determine that these were admissible in accordance with Article 4(1) of Regulation (EC) No 88/97.

(8)

The parties requesting exemptions were given an opportunity to comment on the Commission's conclusions as for the admissibility of their requests.

(9)

In accordance with Article 5(1) of Regulation (EC) No 88/97, pending a decision on the merits of requests from the parties requesting exemptions, the payment of the extended duty in respect of any imports of essential bicycle parts declared for free circulation by these parties was suspended as from the day on which the Commission received their requests.

(10)

The examination of the merits of the requests from the parties listed in Table 1 below has been concluded.

Table 1

(11)

The Commission established during this examination that the value of the parts originating in China constituted less than 60 % of the total value of the parts of all the bicycles assembled by each one of these parties. This was also the case for the majority of the assembled bicycles by each party.

(12)

Consequently, their assembly operations fall outside the scope of Article 13(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1036.

(13)

For that reason, and in accordance with Article 7(1) of Regulation (EC) No 88/97, the parties listed in Table 1 above should be exempted from the extended duty.

(14)

In accordance with Article 7(2) of Regulation (EC) No 88/97, the exemptions should take effect as from the date of receipt of the requests. The customs debts in respect of the extended duty from the parties requesting exemptions should therefore be considered void from the same date.

(15)

The parties requesting exemptions were informed of the Commission's conclusions on the merits of their requests and were given an opportunity to comment thereon.

(16)

Since the exemptions apply only to the parties specifically referred to in Table 1 above, the exempted parties should notify the Commission (7) without delay of any changes to these (for instance, following a change in the name, legal form or address or following the setting up of new assembly entities).

(17)

In case of change in references, the party should provide all relevant information, in particular on any modification in its activities linked to assembly operations. Where appropriate, the Commission will update the references to such party.

(18)

The exempted parties listed in Table 2 below notified the Commission on changes in their references (names, legal forms and addresses). The Commission, after having examined the information submitted, concluded that those changes in no way affect the assembly operations with regard to the conditions of exemption set forth in Regulation (EC) No 88/97.

(19)

While the exemption of these parties from the extended duty authorised in accordance with Article 7(1) of Regulation (EC) No 88/97 remain unaffected, the references to these parties should be updated.

Table 2

(20)

The examination of the merits of the request from the parties listed in Table 3 below is ongoing. Pending a decision on the merits of their requests, the payment of extended duty by these parties is suspended.

(21)

Since the suspensions apply only to the parties specifically referred to in Table 3 below, these parties should notify the Commission (7) without delay of any changes to these (for instance following a change in the name, legal form or address or following the setting up of new assembly entities).

(22)

In case of change in references, the party should provide all relevant information, in particular on any modification in its activities linked to assembly operations. Where appropriate, the Commission will update the references to such party.

Table 3

(23)

The suspension of payment of the duties for parties under examination should be lifted for the party listed in Table 4 below.

Table 4

(24)

The Commission received from the party in question a request to withdraw the application for an exemption while the examination of its merits was ongoing and the payment of the extended duty was suspended.

(25)

The Commission accepted the withdrawal and consequently the suspension of the payment of the extended duty should be lifted. The extended duty should be collected as from the date of receipt of the request for exemption submitted by this party, namely the date on which the suspension took effect (23 September 2016).

(26)

The party was informed of the Commission's conclusions and was given an opportunity to comment thereon. No comments were submitted within the deadline.

(27)

The exempted party listed in Table 5 below notified the Commission the closing down of its activities and the renunciation of the exemption from the payment of extended duty.

(28)

Consequently, in accordance with the principle of good administration, the authorisation of exemption from the payment of the extended duty should be revoked.

Table 5

22.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 79/38

(1)

Commission Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU (4) lays down animal health control measures in relation to African swine fever in certain Member States, where there have been confirmed cases of that disease in domestic or feral pigs (the concerned Member States). Parts I to IV of the Annex to that Implementing Decision demarcates and lists certain areas of the concerned Member States, differentiated by the level of risk based on the epidemiological situation as regards that disease.

(2)

The risk of the spread of African swine fever in wildlife is linked to the natural slow spread of that disease among wild boar populations, and also the risks linked to human activity, as demonstrated by the recent epidemiological evolution of that disease in the Union, and as documented by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in the Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Animal Health and Welfare, published on 14 July 2015; in the Scientific Report of the EFSA on Epidemiological analyses on African swine fever in the Baltic countries and Poland, published on 23 March 2017; and in the Scientific Report of the EFSA on Epidemiological analyses of African swine fever in the Baltic States and Poland, published on 7 November 2017 (5).

(3)

The Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU has been amended several times to take account of changes in the epidemiological situation as regards African swine fever in the Union that needed to be reflected in that Annex. The Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU was recently amended by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/169 (6) to take account of changes in the epidemiological situation in the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU was also subsequently amended by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/263 (7) to take account of changes in the epidemiological situation in Poland.

(4)

Since 7 February 2017, there has been no notification of any outbreak of African swine fever in domestic pigs in certain areas west of Riga of Latvia which are currently listed in Part III of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU. In addition, the surveillance data provided by that Member State demonstrate that the supervision of biosecurity measures has been implemented in a satisfactory manner in holdings in those areas, based on national programmes for biosecurity aimed at the prevention of the spread of that virus. These facts indicate an improvement in the epidemiological situation in Latvia.

(5)

In February 2018, an outbreak of African swine fever in domestic pigs occurred in gminy Jabłoń in Poland. That area is currently listed in Part II of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU. That outbreak constitutes an increased level of risk that should be reflected in the Annex to that Implementing Decision.

(6)

In February 2018, a number of cases of African swine fever in wild boar were observed at the Southern edge of the area in the Czech Republic listed in Part II of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU. These cases constitute an increased level of risk that should be reflected in the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU.

(7)

In January and February 2018, a number of cases of African swine fever in wild boar were observed in the Northern part of Lithuania bordering Latvia and in the Southern part of Lithuania bordering Poland. These cases constitute an increased level of risk for certain areas in the Northern and in Southern part of Lithuania that should be reflected in the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU.

(8)

In February 2018, a number of cases of African swine fever in wild boar were observed in certain areas at the Northern edge of the area listed in Part I and located at East in Latvia and in certain areas listed in Part I in Latvia bordering Lithuania. These cases constitute an increased level of risk that should be reflected in the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU.

(9)

In order to focus the animal health control measures provided for in Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU, and thus prevent the further spread of African swine fever, while at the same time preventing any unnecessary disturbance to trade within the Union, and also avoiding any unjustified barriers to trade being established by third countries, the Union list of areas subject to the animal health control measures set out in the Annex to that Implementing Decision should be updated to take account of the changes in the epidemiological situation as regards that disease in the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

(10)

In order to take account of recent developments in the epidemiological evolution of African swine fever in the Union, and in order to combat the risks associated with the spread of that disease in a proactive manner, higher risk areas of a sufficient size should be demarcated for the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland and included in the lists in Parts I and II of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU.

(11)

In addition, some of the areas affected by the recent cases of African swine fever in wild boar in the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland that are currently listed in Part I of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU should now be listed instead in Part II of that Annex.

(12)

Furthermore, the specific areas of Latvia that are currently listed in Part III of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU, where there have been no recent notifications of outbreaks of African swine fever, should now be listed instead in Part II of that Annex.

(13)

In addition, the specific area of Poland that is currently listed in Part II of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU, where there has been recent notification of an outbreak of African swine fever, should now be listed instead in Part III of that Annex. The Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU should therefore be amended accordingly.

(14)

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