(1)

Infection with lumpy skin disease virus is an infectious, vector-borne disease affecting bovine animals. Its occurrence can have a severe impact on the concerned animal population and on the profitability of farming, also causing disturbance to movements of those animals and products thereof within the Union and exports to third countries.

(2)

In the event of an outbreak of an infection with lumpy skin disease virus in bovine animals, there is a serious risk of the spread of that disease to other establishments of bovine animals particularly due its main mode of transmission through vectors.

(3)

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 lumpy skin disease 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 at least a protection zone, a surveillance zone, and, if necessary, further restricted zones around or adjacent to the protection and surveillance zones.

(4)

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1318 (4) was adopted on the basis of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, and it lays down certain interim emergency measures relating to infection with lumpy skin disease virus in Italy.

(5)

More particularly, Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1318 requires the establishment of restricted zones in the sense of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 in that Member State, and determine the areas listed in their respective Annexes as such zones.

(6)

Since the adoption of Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1318, Italy has notified the Commission of 25 additional outbreaks of infection with lumpy skin disease virus in establishments keeping bovine animals in the provinces of Nuoro and Sassari, in the region of Sardinia, as well as one additional outbreak in the region of Lombardy, which were reported between 25 June and 17 July 2025. In response to these outbreaks, Italy has established protection and surveillance zones, as well as further restricted zones, in the provinces of Nuoro and Sassari, in the region of Sardinia, as well as protection and surveillance zones in the region of Lombardy, where the disease control measures laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 are applied. In addition, Italy has established a surveillance zone in an area bordering France, in response to the outbreak confirmed by France on 12 July 2025 in regions close to the Italian border.

(7)

The size of the areas indicated as protection zones and the surveillance zones as well as the further restricted zone in the Annex to this Decision, as well as the duration of the measures to be applied therein, are based on the criteria laid down in Article 64(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 as well as on the rules laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687. The criteria applied for the choice of the size of the protection zone and the surveillance zone, as well as of the duration of the measures to be applied therein, include the consideration of not only the epidemiological situation as regards infection with lumpy skin disease virus in the areas affected by that disease, but also of other epidemiological factors, including geographical parameters and the risk for the further spread of the disease in view of the presence of insect vectors. The chosen duration of the measures foreseen in this Decision has also taken into account the international standards of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health (5).

(8)

Regulation (EU) 2016/429, in particular Article 69, provides that the competent authority of a Member State may use emergency protective vaccination where necessary for the effective control of a listed disease in kept animals. To that end, the competent authority is to establish vaccination zones and implement an official vaccination plan that meets specific requirements. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/361 (6), which supplements Regulation (EU) 2016/429 lays down, inter alia, the specific rules to be implemented by Member States when using emergency protective vaccination in bovine animals to prevent or control a listed disease. That Delegated Regulation also contains the conditions under which the movement of vaccinated animals and products thereof may be allowed. Specific conditions for emergency protective vaccination against infection with lumpy skin disease are laid down in Annex IX to that Delegated Regulation.

(9)

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/140 (7) lays down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 with regard to the Union antigen, vaccine and diagnostic reagent banks. In particular, it lays out the procedural and technical requirements under Article 8 for Member States to request emergency access to vaccines, including those for lumpy skin disease, from vaccine banks.

(10)

On 1 July 2025, Italy submitted to the Commission its official vaccination plan for emergency protective vaccination against infection with lumpy skin disease. The plan includes information on the geographical and administrative scope of the vaccination zones, the number of establishments and animals to be vaccinated, and the duration of the vaccination, as required by Article 6(4), point (a), of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/361. They also requested sufficient vaccine doses from the Union vaccine bank, in accordance with Article 8 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/140 in order to commence emergency protective vaccination in the entire territory of the region of Sardinia

(11)

The conditions under which Italy is to apply emergency protective vaccination against infection with lumpy skin disease virus, as well as the risk-mitigating measures that are to be taken for the movement of vaccinated animals and their products are laid down in Annex IX to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/361. In line with these conditions, vaccination may be implemented in vaccination zones I or II, depending on the confirmation of infection with lumpy skin disease virus.

(12)

The type, size and duration of vaccination zones I and II may need to be adjusted in the light of the evolving epidemiological situation and the progress of the vaccination campaigns, particularly taking into account the evolving level of vaccine coverage achieved. Where appropriate or necessary, a vaccination zone II or part thereof may need to be converted into a vaccination zone I and vice versa, in line with the criteria set out in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/361 and based on the information provided by the competent authorities of the affected Member States. Accordingly, it is necessary to indicate, in the Annex to this Decision, the dates for the conversion of one type of vaccination zone to another.

(13)

In view of the current epidemiological situation and the risk that infection with lumpy skin disease virus can spread through sub-clinically infected bovine animals, it is necessary to prohibit the movement of such animals from any location within the protection, surveillance, or further restricted zones to destinations outside the external perimeters of the further restricted zones in Italy or outside that Member State. To that end, specific areas in the territories of Italy had to be identified where enhanced measures like those applicable in further restricted zones, as provided for in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, should be applied, and from where movements of bovine animals outside the external perimeters of those areas or beyond are also prohibited until a certain date.

(14)

In order to prevent any unnecessary disturbance to trade within the Union, and to avoid unjustified barriers to trade being imposed by third countries, the areas identified as protection, surveillance and further restricted zones, as well as the vaccination zones, should be set out in the Annex to this Decision, and the duration of those measures fixed, in collaboration with those Member States.

(15)

To ensure legal clarity, the restricted zones and vaccination zones should be clearly defined in terms of their geographical scope and their duration to prevent the further spread of the disease within Italy to other Member States or to third countries. In light of the epidemiological situation, the provisions of this Decision should apply as soon as possible.

(16)

Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1318 should, therefore, be repealed and replaced by this Decision.

(17)

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

(a)

restricted zones, which comprise the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones, are established immediately by the competent authorities of those Member States in accordance with Article 21 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, and under the conditions laid down in that Article;

(b)

vaccination zones are established immediately by the competent authorities of those Member States in accordance with Part 1 of Annex IX to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/361, and under the conditions laid down in that Annex;

(c)

the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones referred to in point (a) as well as the vaccination zones referred to in point (b) comprise at least the areas listed in Annexes I and III to this Decision;

(d)

the measures required to be applied in the protection, surveillance and further restricted zones as well as the vaccination zones are applied at least until the dates listed in the Annexes to this Decision.