Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1242 of 19 June 2025 amending Annexes I and II 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) and article 259(2) 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 Delegated Regulation 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. In particular, Articles 63 to 66 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 provide for certain measures to be taken in the event of an official confirmation of an outbreak of a category A disease in wild animals, including African swine fever in wild porcine animals. Notably, those provisions provide for the establishment of an infected zone and prohibitions on movements of wild animals of listed species and products of animal origin thereof.

(3) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 (3) 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.

(4) Also, in the case of an outbreak of African swine fever in wild porcine animals in a Member State, Article 3, point (b), of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 provides for the establishment of an infected zone by the competent authority of that Member State, in accordance with Article 63 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687.

(5) Germany informed the Commission of the African swine fever situation on its territory, following the confirmation of an outbreak of that disease in a wild porcine animal in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia on 14 June 2025 in a previously disease free zone. In accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594, Germany established an infected zone where the general disease control measures laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 are applied, in order to prevent the further spread of that disease.

(6) In the case of a first outbreak of African swine fever in wild porcine animals in a previously disease-free Member State or zone, Article 6(2) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 provides for the listing of that area as an infected zone in Part A of Annex II to that Implementing Regulation. Consequently, the infected zone established by the competent authority of Germany in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany should be listed in Part A of Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594.

(7) Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 was last amended by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1072 (4) following changes in the epidemiological situation as regards African swine fever in Germany, Latvia, Poland and Slovakia.

(8) Since the date of adoption of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1072, there have been new outbreaks of African swine fever notified in wild porcine animals in Italy and Poland as well as outbreaks of African swine fever in kept porcine animals in Greece. The epidemiological situation in kept porcine animals has improved in certain areas of Croatia.

(9) Changes to the listing of 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, 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. Restricted zones are also 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) (5), as well as taking account of international standards, such as the Terrestrial Animal Health Code (6) of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), and justifications for zoning provided by the competent authorities of the Member State concerned.

(10) In May 2025, two outbreaks of African swine fever in wild porcine animals were observed in the Emilia Romagna region in Italy, in an area listed as restricted zone II in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594, but in close proximity to an area listed as restricted zone I in that Annex. These new outbreaks of African swine fever in wild porcine animals constitute an increased level of risk, which should be reflected in that Annex. This area of Italy currently listed as a restricted zone I 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.

(11) Also in May 2025, two outbreaks of African swine fever in wild porcine animals were observed in the Pomorskie and Świętokrzyskie regions in Poland, in areas listed as restricted zones II in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594, but in close proximity to areas listed as restricted zones I in that Annex. These new outbreaks of African swine fever in wild porcine animals constitute an increased level of risk, which should be reflected in that Annex. Those areas of Poland currently listed as restricted zones I should therefore be listed as restricted zones 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.

(12) In addition, in May 2025, an outbreak of African swine fever in kept porcine animals was observed in the Florina region in Greece, 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 Greece currently listed as a restricted zone II and affected by that recent outbreak of African swine fever, should therefore now be listed instead 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.

(13) Furthermore, in May 2025, an outbreak of African swine fever in kept porcine animals was observed in the Thessaloniki region in Greece, in an area listed as a restricted zone I 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 Greece currently listed as a restricted zone I and affected by that recent outbreak of African swine fever, should now be listed instead as a restricted zone III in that Annex, and the current boundaries of the restricted zones I and III also need to be redefined to take account of this outbreak.

(14) On the basis of information and justification provided by Croatia, and taking into account the effectiveness of the disease control measures for African swine fever for kept porcine animals in certain restricted zones III listed in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 being applied in Croatia in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, and in particular those laid down in Articles 22, 25 and 40 thereof, and in line with the risk mitigation measures for African swine fever set out in the WOAH Code, certain zones in the Vukovar-Srijem, Brod-Posavina and Osijek-Baranja counties in Croatia, currently listed as restricted zones III in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 should now be listed as restricted zones I in that Annex, due to the absence of African swine fever outbreaks in kept and wild porcine animals in those restricted zones III for the past twelve months.

(15) Also, on the basis of information and justification provided by Croatia, and taking into account the effectiveness of the disease control measures for African swine fever for kept and wild porcine animals in certain restricted zones I and III listed in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 being applied in Croatia in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, and in particular those laid down in Articles 22, 25 and 40 thereof, and in line with the risk mitigation measures for African swine fever set out in the WOAH Code, the zones in the Sisak-Moslavina, Karlovac, Brod-Posavina, Osijek-Baranja counties in Croatia, currently listed as restricted zones I and III in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 should now be delisted from that Annex, due to the absence of African swine fever outbreaks in kept and wild porcine animals in those restricted zones I and III for the past twelve months.

(16) 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 Croatia, Greece, Italy and Poland and listed as restricted zones I, II and III in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 and certain restricted zones I and III should be delisted from that Annex for Croatia.

(17) Also, the infected zone, in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany should be listed in Part A of Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594.

(18) 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.

(19) 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.

(20) 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

Annexes I and II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 are 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, 19 June 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 Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 of 17 December 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and the Council, as regards rules for the prevention and control of certain listed diseases (OJ L 174, 3.6.2020, p. 64, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2020/687/oj).

(3) 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).

(4) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1072 of 22 May 2025 amending Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594 laying down special control measures for African swine fever (OJ L, 2025/1072, 23.5.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/1072/oj).

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

(6) 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/.