Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/902 of 12 May 2025 amending Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 laying down special disease control measures for African swine fever

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 71(3) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) African swine fever is an infectious viral disease affecting kept and wild porcine animals 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 of those consignments to third countries.

(2) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 (2) lays down special disease control measures regarding African swine fever to be applied for a limited period of time by the Member States which are listed, or which have areas listed, in Annexes I and II thereto (the Member States concerned). That Implementing Regulation lays down rules on the listing at Union level in Annex I thereto of restricted zones I, II and III following outbreaks of African swine fever, and rules on the listing at Union level in Annex II thereto, following an outbreak of that disease in a previously disease-free Member State or zone.

(3) Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 was last amended by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/862 (3) following changes in the epidemiological situation as regards African swine fever in Germany, Greece, Italy and Poland.

(4) Since the date of adoption of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/862, there have been new outbreaks of African swine fever in wild porcine animals in Italy as well as an outbreak of African swine fever in kept porcine animals in Slovakia.

(5) Amendments to the restricted zones I, II and III in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 must be based on the epidemiological situation as regards African swine fever in the areas affected by that disease and the overall epidemiological situation of African swine fever in the Member State concerned, and the level of risk for the further spread of that disease. They should also be established on scientifically agreed principles and criteria for geographically defining zoning due to African swine fever laid out in the Commission Notice on the guidelines on the prevention, control and eradication of African swine fever in the Union (ASF guidelines) (4), as well as taking account of international standards, such as the Terrestrial Animal Health Code (5) of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), and justifications for zoning provided by the competent authorities of the Member State concerned.

(6) In April and May 2025, several outbreaks of African swine fever in wild porcine animals were observed in the Liguria region in Italy, in an area listed as a restricted zone I in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594. These new outbreaks of African swine fever in wild porcine animals constitute an increased level of risk, which should be reflected in that Annex. In order to ensure territorial continuity, in accordance with Article 6(2), this area of Italy currently listed as a restricted zone I and affected by those aoutbreaks, should therefore be listed as a restricted zone II in that Annex, and the current boundaries of the restricted zones I and II also need to be redefined to take account of those outbreaks.

(7) Also, in May 2025, an outbreak of African swine fever in kept porcine animals was observed in the Nitriansky County in Slovakia, in an area listed as a restricted zone II in Annex I to Implementing regulation (EU) 2023/594. This new outbreak of African swine fever in kept porcine animals constitutes an increased level of risk, which should be reflected in that Annex. In order to ensure territorial continuity, in accordance with Article 7(2) of that Implementing Regulation, that area of Slovakia currently listed as a restricted zone II and affected by that recent outbreak of African swine fever, should therefore be listed as a restricted zone III in that Annex, and the current boundaries of the restricted zone II also need to be redefined to take account of that outbreak.

(8) Accordingly, in order to take account of the recent developments in the epidemiological situation 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 restricted zones of a sufficient size should be demarcated for Italy and Slovakia and listed as restricted zones I, II and III in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594.

(9) As the situation as regards African swine fever is very dynamic in the Union, when demarcating those new restricted zones, account has been taken of the epidemiological situation in the surrounding areas.

(10) Given the urgency of the epidemiological situation in the Union as regards the spread of African swine fever, it is important that the amendments to be made to Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 by this Regulation take effect as soon as possible.

(11) 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:

Article 1

Amendments to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594

Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 is replaced by the text set out in the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

Entry into force

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 12 May 2025.

For the Commission The President Ursula VON DER LEYEN

(1) OJ L 84, 31.3.2016, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/429/oj.

(2) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 of 16 March 2023 laying down special disease control measures for African swine fever and repealing Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/605 (OJ L 79, 17.3.2023, p. 65, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2023/594/oj).

(3) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/862 of 30 April 2025 amending Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 laying down special control measures for African swine fever (OJ L, 2025/862, 2.5.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/862/oj).

(4) C/2023/7855 (OJ C, C/2023/1504, 18.12.2023, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2023/1504/oj).

(5) WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health code 31st Edition, 2023. Volumes I and II ISBN 978-92-95121-74-4 https://www.woah.org/en/what-we-do/standards/codes-and-manuals/terrestrial-code-online-access/.