THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Directive 89/662/EEC of 11 December 1989 concerning veterinary checks in intra-Community trade with a view to the completion of the internal market, and in particular Article 9(4) thereof,
Having regard to Council Directive 90/425/EEC of 26 June 1990 concerning veterinary and zootechnical checks applicable in intra-Community trade in certain live animals and products with a view to the completion of the internal market, and in particular Article 10(4) thereof,
Having regard to Council Directive 2002/99/EC of 16 December 2002 laying down the animal health rules governing the production, processing, distribution and introduction of products of animal origin for human consumption, and in particular Article 4(3) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Commission Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU 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 Member States concerned). The Annex to that Implementing Decision demarcates and lists certain areas of the Member States concerned in Parts I to IV thereof, 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.
(3)
The Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU has been amended several times to take account of changes in the epidemiological situation in the Union as regards African swine fever that needed to be reflected in that Annex.
(4)
In March 2018, a case of African swine fever in wild boar was observed in central-eastern Poland (namely, in gmina Sniadowo, gmina Latowicz and gmina Zambrow) in areas of Poland listed in Part I of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU. Also, other cases were observed in the south-eastern part of Poland (namely, in gmina Urszulin and gmina Zmudz) in areas of Poland 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 that Annex.
(5)
Also in March 2018, a case of African swine fever in wild boar was observed in south-eastern Latvia (namely, in the Saldus region) at the boundary between an area listed in Part I and an area listed in Part II of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU. This case constitutes an increased level of risk that should be reflected in that Annex.
(6)
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, new high risk areas of a sufficient size should be demarcated for Poland and Latvia and included in the lists in Parts I and II of the Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/709/EU. That Annex should therefore be amended accordingly.
(7)
The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: