Brussels redraws Sardinia restricted zones as lumpy skin disease persists

The European Commission has redrawn the restricted zones and extended the emergency measures against infection with lumpy skin disease virus in Italy, keeping the ban on moving bovine animals out of the affected areas in place. The change is contained in Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/2186 of 24 September 2026, published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 30 September 2026. The decision is addressed to the Italian Republic and only the Italian language version is authentic.

The measure amends the Annexes to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1582, which lays down the emergency measures for outbreaks of lumpy skin disease virus in Italy. It is adopted under Article 259(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 on transmissible animal diseases, the so-called Animal Health Law, and follows the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed. The decision was signed in Brussels by Olivér Várhelyi, Member of the Commission, and notified under document C(2026) 6900.

A favourable trend, but one outbreak still active

Italy informed the Commission of the completion of the disease control and surveillance measures linked to outbreak IT-LSD-2026-00011, located in the municipality of Samugheo, in Sardinia. In view of the favourable evolution of the epidemiological situation and the expiry of the minimum periods applicable to the protection and surveillance zones under Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, the restricted zones linked to that outbreak had to be revised.

However, the Commission notes the proximity of that outbreak to the surveillance zone established around the still active outbreak IT-LSD-2026-00010, in the municipality of Escalaplano. Taking into account the overall epidemiological situation and the risk of further spread, the boundaries of the restricted zones are adjusted and the disease control measures within them are prolonged. This is the second amendment of the year, after Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1949 of 13 August 2026.

The new zones and their deadlines

The replaced Annex I covers the region of Sardinia and the outbreaks IT-LSD-2026-00001 and IT-LSD-2026-00003 to IT-LSD-2026-00011, with the following areas and end dates:

• Protection zone: parts of Sardinia within a 20-kilometre radius circle centred on UTM 30 ETRS89 coordinates (references 2026/1 and 2026/3 to 2026/10), applicable until 15 January 2027.
• Surveillance zone: parts of Sardinia within a 20-kilometre radius circle centred on coordinate 2026/11, until 1 February 2027.
• Surveillance zone: parts of Sardinia within a 20-kilometre radius circle centred on coordinates 2026/1 and 2026/3 to 2026/10, from 16 January 2027 to 1 February 2027.
• Surveillance zone: parts of Sardinia within a 50-kilometre radius circle centred on the same coordinates, excluding the areas included in the protection zone, until 1 February 2027.

Movement ban and vaccination continue

Article 2 of Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1582 prohibits movements of bovine animals from the protection and surveillance zones to destinations outside the external perimeter of those zones in Italy or outside the Member State until the dates listed in Annex I. Given the restricted zone still in place in Sardinia, that prohibition continues to apply.

The vaccination zones also remain necessary, and vaccination is to continue in line with Italy’s official vaccination plan dated 1 July 2025, submitted to the Commission under Article 6(4), point (a), of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/361:

• Vaccination zone II: the entire territory of the region of Sardinia, until the last day of the recovery period referred to in Part 4 of Annex IX to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/361.
• Vaccination zone I: the entire territory of the region of Valle d’Aosta.

The Commission justifies the immediate application of the amendments by the need to prevent further spread of the disease within Italy, to other Member States or to third countries, and to avoid unnecessary disturbance to trade within the Union or unjustified barriers to trade with third countries.

For Sardinian cattle farmers, the decision means the movement restrictions and the vaccination campaign will run well into 2027, with the protection zone in force until mid-January and the wider surveillance rings until 1 February. The redrawn boundaries also mean some holdings move in or out of the restricted area, with direct consequences for when and where bovine animals may be moved.

Source: Official Journal of the European Union, L series, 2026/2186, 30 September 2026, p. 1 (official reference: CELEX 32026D2186).