THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 2013 on the non-commercial movement of pet animals and repealing Regulation (EC) No 998/2003, and in particular Article 20 thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/772 lays down rules for the application of preventive health measures for the control of Echinococcus multilocularis infection in dogs intended for non-commercial movement into the territory or parts of the territory of certain Member States. More particularly, Article 2 of that Delegated Regulation lays down the rules for the categorisation of Member States, or parts thereof, with regard to Echinococcus multilocularis infection, and establishes the conditions that Member States must fulfil in order to remain eligible to apply those preventive health measures.
(2)
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/878 lists the Member States or part of the territories of Member States that comply with the rules for categorisation with regard to Echinococcus multilocularis laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/772. The list of Member States or parts of the territory of Member States that comply with the rules for categorisation laid down in Article 2(3) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/772 is set out in Part 2 of the Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/878.
(3)
In accordance with the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community (Withdrawal Agreement), and in particular Article 5(4) of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland in conjunction with Annex 2 to that Protocol, Regulation (EU) No 576/2013, as well as the Commission acts based on it, applies to and in the United Kingdom in respect of Northern Ireland after the end of the transitional period.
(4)
The whole of the territory of the United Kingdom is currently listed in Part 2 of the Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/878. Accordingly, it is necessary to amend Part 2 of that Annex by replacing the entry referring to the United Kingdom by an entry referring to the United Kingdom in respect of Northern Ireland.
(5)
As the transitional period provided for in the Withdrawal Agreement ends on 31 December 2020, this Regulation should apply from 1 January 2021.
(6)
The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: