Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/732 of 20 March 2026 concerning certain interim emergency measures relating to foot and mouth disease in Greece (notified under document C(2026) 2029)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on transmissible animal diseases and amending and repealing certain acts in the area of animal health (‘Animal Health Law’)⁽¹⁾, and in particular Article 259(2) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Foot and mouth disease is an infectious viral disease affecting animals of the mammal orders of Artiodactyla and Proboscidea and 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 foot and mouth disease there is a serious risk of the spread of that disease to other establishments keeping animals of listed species as identified in the Annex to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882⁽²⁾.

(2) Commission Delegated Regulation 2020/687⁽³⁾ 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 Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882. 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 foot and mouth disease, 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, and if necessary, further restricted zones around or adjacent to the protection and surveillance zones.

(3) Greece informed the Commission of the current foot and mouth disease situation on its territory, following an outbreak of that disease in establishments keeping animals of listed species in the Lesvos regional unit in Greece. In accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, Greece has established restricted zones, which comprise protection and surveillance zones, where the disease control measures laid down in that Delegated Regulation are applied in order to prevent the further spread of that disease.

(4) In order to prevent any unnecessary disturbance to trade within the Union, and to avoid unjustified barriers to trade being imposed by third countries, it is necessary to rapidly identify at Union level the restricted zones for foot and mouth disease in Greece, which comprise the protection and surveillance zones, and a further restricted zone, in collaboration with that Member State.

(5) The size of the protection and surveillance zones and the further restricted zone, and duration of the measures to be applied therein, as established in accordance with Annexes X and XI to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, must be based on the epidemiological situation as regards foot and mouth disease in the areas affected by that disease and the overall epidemiological situation of foot and mouth disease in the Member State concerned as well as the level of risk for the further spread of the disease.

(6) In view of the current epidemiological situation in Greece and the risk that infection with foot and mouth disease virus can spread through sub-clinically infected animals of listed species, it is necessary to prohibit the movement of such animals from any location within the further restricted zone to a destination located outside the external perimeters that restricted zone until a fixed date.

(7) Accordingly, the areas identified as protection and surveillance zones and the further restricted zone in Greece should be set out in the Annex to this Decision, and the duration of that regionalisation fixed.

(8) Given the urgency of the epidemiological situation in the Union as regards the spread of foot and mouth disease and the need to prevent that disease spreading from the affected establishment in Greece to other parts of that Member State or to other Member States or to third countries, it is appropriate that the measures laid down in this Implementing Decision apply as soon as possible. This Decision is to be reviewed at the next meeting of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: