Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/134 of 20 January 2026 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689 as regards rules for surveillance and disease-free status from infestation with Echinococcus multilocularis

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 29, Article 39, Article 41(3) and Article 42(6) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Regulation (EU) 2016/429 lays down rules for the prevention and control of animal diseases which are transmissible to animals or humans, including rules for surveillance, Union surveillance programmes, approval of disease-free status by the Commission and for the maintenance of disease-free status.

(2) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689 (2) supplements the rules on surveillance, eradication programmes and disease-free status for certain listed diseases and emerging diseases of terrestrial, aquatic and other animals laid down in Regulation (EU) 2016/429.

(3) Infestation with Echinococcus multilocularis is listed in the Annex to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882 (3) as a disease of relevance to some Member States and for which measures are needed to prevent it from spreading to parts of the Union that are officially disease-free or that have eradication programmes for the disease concerned.

(4) Union rules for the control of infestation with Echinococcus multilocularis in dogs had been laid down in Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4) and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/772 (5).

(5) Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 was repealed by Article 270(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 as from 21 April 2021. However, Article 277 of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 provides that notwithstanding that repeal, Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 is to continue to apply until 21 April 2026 in respect of non-commercial movements of pet animals, in place of Part VI of Regulation (EU) 2016/429.

(6) The rules on surveillance, including diagnostic methods, the disease specific requirements for disease-free status and the specific criteria for maintenance of disease-free status for Echinococcus multilocularis laid down in Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/772 have proven to be effective in controlling infestation with Echinococcus multilocularis. Accordingly, the main provisions of those rules should be maintained in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689, as amended by this Regulation but updated to take account of the practical experience acquired through the application of those Regulations. Therefore, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689 should be amended to provide detailed rules on surveillance, including diagnostic methods, the disease specific requirements for disease-free status and the specific criteria for maintenance of disease-free status for Echinococcus multilocularis.

(7) As certain Member States have been recognised officially free from infestation with Echinococcus multilocularis and have been listed accordingly in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/878 (6), it should also be ensured that the Member States and zones thereof with an approved disease-free status before the date of application of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689 are deemed to have an approved disease-free status in accordance with that Regulation.

(8) As the transitional period related to the repeal of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 is to cease to apply after 21 April 2026 and in order to prevent infestation with Echinococcus multilocularis from spreading to parts of the Union that are officially disease-free, this Regulation should enter into force as a matter of urgency and apply from 22 April 2026,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Amendments to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689

Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689 is amended as follows:

(5) Annexes III and V to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689 are amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

Entry into force and application

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

It shall apply from 22 April 2026.

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

Done at Brussels, 20 January 2026.

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) 2020/689 of 17 December 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards rules for surveillance, eradication programmes, and disease-free status for certain listed and emerging diseases (OJ L 174, 3.6.2020, p. 211, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2020/689/oj).

(3) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882 of 3 December 2018 on the application of certain disease prevention and control rules to categories of listed diseases and establishing a list of species and groups of species posing a considerable risk for the spread of those listed diseases (OJ L 308, 4.12.2018, p. 21, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2018/1882/oj).

(4) 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 (OJ L 178, 28.6.2013, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/576/oj).

(5) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/772 of 21 November 2017 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to preventive health measures for the control of Echinococcus multilocularis infection in dogs, and repealing Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1152/2011 (OJ L 130, 28.5.2018, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2018/772/oj).

(6) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/878 of 18 June 2018 adopting 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(2) and (3) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/772 concerning the application of preventive health measures for the control of Echinococcus multilocularis infection in dogs (OJ L 155, 19.6.2018, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2018/878/oj).