Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/501 of 5 March 2026 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2002 as regards Union notification of listed diseases, regions in the Member States for the purposes of notification and reporting and applications for the recognition of disease-free status

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 Articles 23 and 40 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Regulation (EU) 2016/429 lays down rules for animal diseases that are transmissible to animals or humans, including rules on disease notification and reporting, and on disease-free status. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689 (2) supplements Regulation (EU) 2016/429, and it lays down rules on disease notification and reporting, and on disease-free status. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2002 (3) lays down rules on the conditions for the implementation of Union notification and reporting, and on the information and formats for the submissions of applications for the recognition of disease-free status.

(2) Infection with bluetongue virus (serotypes 1-24) (infection with BTV) and infection with epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus are vector-borne diseases, and they have a similar epidemiology. They are also both listed diseases, as defined in Article 4, point (18), of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, and they are subject to the disease prevention and control rules laid down in Article 9 of that Regulation. In addition, they are both listed as categories D and E diseases in the Annex to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882 (4) following a recent amendment made by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/169 (5) that has re-categorised infection with BTV as a category D+E disease. Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/169 applies from 15 July 2026.

(3) In accordance with Article 3 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2002 both diseases are also subject to immediate Union notification. However, that Union notification is required in different cases as outbreaks of infection with BTV are subject to immediate Union notification only when confirmed in BTV-free zones, while outbreaks of infection with epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus are always subject to immediate Union notification. For the sake of simplification and considering the similar epidemiology of both diseases, and the Union rules for both diseases, laid down in Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882, the cases where both infection with BTV and infection with epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus are subject to Union notification should be aligned. Therefore, Article 3 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2002, and the corresponding rules laid down in Annex I to that Implementing Regulation should be amended accordingly.

(4) Considering the massive number of outbreaks of infection with BTV and infection with epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus per year, Union notification of both diseases must provide relevant epidemiological information to inform the actions of the competent authorities while being sustainable and manageable by the competent authorities. Therefore, only those outbreaks that are relevant for an epidemiological point of view will be subject to Union notification.

(5) Considering the short deadline for Union notification of outbreaks of listed diseases, not all the information required to be provided in accordance with Article 3(3) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2002 may be available at the time of Union notification. Once it is available, it should be subject to Union notification without undue delay. Therefore, Article 3 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2002 should be amended accordingly.

(6) Article 21 of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 provides that the Member States are to establish notification and reporting regions for the purposes of Union notification and reporting of certain listed diseases. Those regions are listed in Annex IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2002. Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands and Austria have requested the Commission to amend the entries for their regions. Therefore, Annex IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2002 should be amended accordingly.

(7) Article 70 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689 lays down the criteria to recognise the disease free status of a Member State or a zone based on historical and surveillance data. Article 70 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689 was amended by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1798 (6), to provide for the possibility for a Member State to obtain disease-free status for all category B and C diseases based on historical and surveillance data. Following that amendment, the rules laid down in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2002 on the information and formats for applications to be submitted by the Member States in order to obtain disease-free status, based on those laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689, should also reflect that amendment. Therefore, Section 5 of Annex VI to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2002 should be amended accordingly.

(8) Therefore, as the amendments made to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882 by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/169 concerning the new categorisation of infection with BTV as a category D+E disease apply from 15 July 2026, this Regulation should also apply from that date.

(9) 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) 2020/2002

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2002 is amended as follows:

(2) Annexes I, IV and VI 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 twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

It shall apply from 15 July 2026.

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

Done at Brussels, 5 March 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) 2020/2002 of 7 December 2020 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to Union notification and Union reporting of listed diseases, to formats and procedures for submission and reporting of Union surveillance programmes and of eradication programmes and for application for recognition of disease-free status, and to the computerised information system (OJ L 412, 8.12.2020, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2020/2002/oj).

(4) 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).

(5) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/169 of 26 January 2026 amending the Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882 concerning the categorisation of infection with bluetongue virus (serotypes 1-24) as a listed disease (OJ L, 2026/169, 27.1.2026, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/169/oj).

(6) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1798 of 10 July 2023 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689 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 233, 21.9.2023, p. 24, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2023/1798/oj).