Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/530 of 10 March 2026 on exceptional support measures for the sheepmeat and pigmeat sectors in Hungary

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

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

Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007 (1), and in particular Article 220(1), first subparagraph, point (a), thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Between 6 March 2025 and 17 April 2025, five outbreaks of foot and mouth disease were confirmed and notified by Hungary. The species affected were cattle.

(2) Hungary immediately and efficiently took all the necessary animal health and veterinary measures required in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2) and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 (3).

(3) In particular, Hungary took control, monitoring and preventive measures and established protection and surveillance zones (‘the regulated zones’) pursuant to Commission Implementing Decisions (EU) 2025/496 (4), (EU) 2025/613 (5), (EU) 2025/654 (6), (EU) 2025/672 (7), (EU) 2025/696 (8), (EU) 2025/795 (9), (EU) 2025/827 (10) and (EU) 2025/1097 (11).

(4) Hungary informed the Commission that the necessary health and veterinary measures, which had been applied to contain and eradicate the spread of the disease, had affected a number of operators and that those operators suffered income losses that were not eligible for Union financial contribution under Regulation (EU) 2021/690 of the European Parliament and of the Council (12).

(5) On 22 August 2025, the Commission received a formal request from Hungary for part-financing of certain exceptional measures pursuant to Article 220(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 for the outbreaks confirmed between 6 March 2025 and 17 April 2025.

(6) The implementation of the animal health and veterinary measures referred to in recitals 3 and 4, led to the loss of value of fattening sheep that could not be slaughtered and sold as light lambs around Easter due to movement restrictions and led to economic losses caused by longer rearing and fattening periods of pigs.

(7) In accordance with Article 220(5) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, the Union part-financing has to be equivalent to 60 % of the expenditure borne by Hungary for the relevant exceptional market support measures. The maximum quantities eligible for financing in respect of each exceptional market support measure should be fixed by the Commission after scrutinising the request received from Hungary related to the outbreaks.

(8) To avoid any risk of overcompensation, the maximum amounts and flat rate amount of part-financing should be based on technical and economic studies or accounting documents and fixed at an appropriate level for each animal according to categories.

(9) To avoid any risk of double funding, the losses incurred by beneficiaries should not have been compensated by State aid or insurance, and the Union part-financing under this Regulation should be limited to eligible animals and products for which no Union financial contribution has been received under Regulation (EU) 2021/690.

(10) The extent and duration of the exceptional market support measures provided for in this Regulation should be limited to what is strictly necessary to support the market. In particular, the exceptional market support measures should apply only to the production of sheepmeat and pigmeat from the holdings located in the regulated zones and for the duration of the animal health and veterinary measures laid down in the Union and Hungarian legislation relevant to the outbreaks.

(11) To ensure flexibility in case the number of animals eligible for compensation differs from the maximum numbers set out in this Regulation, which are based on estimates, compensation may be adjusted within certain limits, as long as the maximum amount of expenditure part-financed by the Union is respected.

(12) As Union aid is fixed in euro, it is necessary to ensure a uniform and simultaneous application and to fix a date for the conversion of the amount allocated to Member States not having adopted the euro as their national currencies, as is the case for Hungary. Since this Regulation does not provide for a deadline for the submission of the applications for aid, it is appropriate to consider, for the purposes of Article 30(3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/127 (13), the date of entry into force of this Regulation as the operative event for the exchange rate regarding the amounts set out in this Regulation.

(13) In order to ensure the effectiveness of this exceptional measure, beneficiaries should rapidly receive the emergency financial support. Additionally, a timely monitoring of the budget as well as an up-to-date follow up and efficient use of the agricultural reserve, thereby maximising its availability and enhancing the capacity to respond promptly to emerging crises, should be ensured. Therefore, it is appropriate to define an eligibility date for Hungary to pay this support to the beneficiaries. Any payments made after this date should be considered ineligible for Union financing.

(14) The Union should therefore finance the expenditure incurred by Hungary under this exceptional measure only where such expenditure is made by a certain eligibility date. The support for this exceptional measure should therefore be paid by 31 August 2026.

(15) As no payments made after 31 August 2026 are to be considered eligible under any circumstances, Article 5(2) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/127, which provides for a proportional reduction of the monthly payments effected after the deadline, is not to apply.

(16) In order to ensure the eligibility and the correctness of the payments, Hungary should carry out ex ante checks.

(17) In order to ensure an immediate implementation of the measures laid down in this Regulation by Hungary, this Regulation should enter into force on the third day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

(18) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for the Common Organisation of the Agricultural Markets,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The Union shall provide part-financing equivalent to 60 % of the expenditure borne by Hungary to support the sheepmeat and pigmeat markets seriously affected by the outbreaks of foot and mouth disease which were detected and notified by Hungary between 6 March 2025 and 17 April 2025.

Article 2

(a) for the duration of the application of animal health and veterinary measures referred to in the Union legislation listed in the Annex and related to the period laid down in Article 1; and

(b) for those sheep and pig holdings that have been subject to the animal health and veterinary measures and located in the zones referred to in the Union legislation listed in the Annex (‘the regulated zones’); and

(c) if it has been paid by Hungary to the beneficiaries by 31 August 2026 at the latest; and

(d) if the animal or product, for the period linked to the outbreaks referred to in point (a), has not benefitted from any compensation by means of State aid or insurance and for which no Union financial contribution has been received under Regulation (EU) 2021/690.

Article 3

(a) for losses related to the prolonged rearing and fattening periods of pigs due to movement restrictions in the regulated zones, the flat rate EUR 1,18 per pig per day up to a maximum of 28 441 animals shall apply;

(b) for the loss of value of animals in the regulated zones, the maximum amount of EUR 57 553 for sheep up to a maximum of 1 071 sheep.

Article 4

Hungary shall carry out administrative and on-the-spot checks in accordance with Articles 59 and 60 of Regulation (EU) 2021/2116 of the European Parliament and of the Council (14).

In particular, Hungary shall verify:

(a) the eligibility of the applicant submitting the request for support;

(b) for each eligible applicant: the eligibility, the quantity and the value of the actual loss of production;

(c) that funding has not been received by any eligible applicant from any other sources to compensate the losses referred to in Article 2 of this Regulation.

For eligible applicants for which administrative checks are completed, aid can be paid without waiting for all checks being made, notably those applicants selected for on-the-spot checks. Nevertheless, all the on-the-spot checks shall be made not later than six months after the payments.

In cases where the eligibility of an applicant was not confirmed, the aid shall be recovered, and sanctions shall be applied in accordance with Article 59(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/2116.

Article 5

This Regulation shall enter into force on the third 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, 10 March 2026.

For the Commission The President Ursula VON DER LEYEN

(1) OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/1308/oj.

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

(3) 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).

(4) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/496 of 11 March 2025 concerning certain interim emergency measures relating to foot and mouth disease in Hungary (OJ L, 2025/496, 12.3.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/496/oj).

(5) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/613 of 24 March 2025 concerning certain emergency measures relating to foot and mouth disease in Hungary and repealing Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/496 (OJ L, 2025/613, 25.3.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/613/oj).

(6) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/654 of 26 March 2025 concerning certain emergency measures relating to foot and mouth disease in Hungary and Slovakia and amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/613 (OJ L, 2025/654, 31.3.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/654/oj).

(7) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/672 of 31 March 2025 concerning certain emergency measures relating to outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in Hungary and Slovakia and repealing Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/613 (OJ L, 2025/672, 2.4.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/672/oj).

(8) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/696 of 3 April 2025 amending the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/672 concerning certain emergency measures relating to outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in Hungary and Slovakia (OJ L, 2025/696, 4.4.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/696/oj).

(9) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/795 of 14 April 2025 amending the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/672 concerning certain emergency measures relating to outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in Hungary and Slovakia (OJ L, 2025/795, 15.4.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/795/oj).

(10) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/827 of 25 April 2025 amending the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/672 concerning certain emergency measures relating to outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in Hungary and Slovakia (OJ L, 2025/827, 28.4.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/827/oj).

(11) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1097 of 23 May 2025 amending the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/672 concerning certain emergency measures relating to outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in Hungary and Slovakia (OJ L, 2025/1097, 27.5.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/1097/oj).

(12) Regulation (EU) 2021/690 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 establishing a programme for the internal market, competitiveness of enterprises, including small and medium-sized enterprises, the area of plants, animals, food and feed, and European statistics (Single Market Programme) and repealing Regulations (EU) No 99/2013, (EU) No 1287/2013, (EU) No 254/2014 and (EU) No 652/2014 (OJ L 153, 3.5.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/690/oj).

(13) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/127 of 7 December 2021 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2116 of the European Parliament and of the Council with rules on paying agencies and other bodies, financial management, clearance of accounts, securities and use of euro (OJ L 20, 31.1.2022, p. 95, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2022/127/oj).

(14) Regulation (EU) 2021/2116 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2 December 2021 on the financing, management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 (OJ L 435, 6.12.2021, p. 187, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/2116/oj).