EU Commission updates Sardinian restricted zones against bovine nodular dermatitis

The European Commission has rewritten the annexes of implementing decision (EU) 2025/1582 on emergency measures against contagious nodular dermatitis virus infection in Italy. Implementing decision (EU) 2026/1949, adopted in Brussels on August 13, 2026, and notified under number C(2026) 5847, is published in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic, 2nd Special Series no. 83 of October 22, 2026, with the code 26CE2508. The addressee is the Italian Republic, and the Italian language text is the only authentic one.

The regulatory framework

The decision is based on Article 259, paragraph 1, of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 on animal health and fits into the system of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, which mandates protection and surveillance zones around outbreaks of category A diseases. Article 1 of 2025/1582 establishes the restricted zones and vaccination zones in Italy; Article 2 prohibits the movement of cattle from those zones to destinations outside the perimeter or outside the national territory until the deadlines set out in the annexes.

Article 1 of the new decision fully replaces the annexes, while Article 2 designates the Italian Republic as the sole addressee. The measure, signed on behalf of the Commission by member Olivér Várhelyi, received the favorable opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed.

Escalaplano and delays in controls

Recital 5 contains the central motivation: following the last amendment, made by implementing decision (EU) 2026/1765 of July 14, 2026, Italy notified the Commission of “persistent delays” in the implementation of disease control measures in the confirmed outbreak in the municipality of Escalaplano, Sardinia, with regard to Article 12 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687. This led to the revision of the duration of the measures, justified by the risk of persistent circulation and spread beyond the areas already affected.

The sequence of previous updates is tight:

• implementing decision (EU) 2026/1145 of May 20, 2026;
• implementing decision (EU) 2026/1355 of June 12, 2026;
• implementing decision (EU) 2026/1765 of July 14, 2026.

Zones, outbreaks, and deadlines

Annex I redraws the areas established around the Sardinian outbreaks, identified with ADIS codes from IT-LSD-2026-00001 to IT-LSD-2026-00011, with ten outbreaks listed in total:

• protection zone: parts of Sardinia within a circle with a radius of 20 km centered on eleven UTM 30 ETRS89 coordinates, with a final application date of October 2, 2026;
• surveillance zone: a radius of 50 km from the same coordinates, excluding the areas included in the protection zone, with a deadline of October 19, 2026.

Annex II confirms the vaccination zones: zone II covers the entire territory of Sardegna until the last day of the recovery period provided for in Annex IX, part 4, of delegated regulation (EU) 2023/361; zone I covers the entire territory of Valle d’Aosta. Vaccination continues according to the official plan submitted by Italy on July 1, 2025.

Farms, movements and export

The measure maintains the block on the movement of cattle from protection and surveillance zones toward destinations outside the perimeter or toward other Member States and third countries, until the dates indicated in the annex. The decision explicitly declares the objective of preventing the further spread of the disease in Italy, other Member States, and third countries, while simultaneously avoiding “unnecessary disruptions to trade” within the Union and unjustified obstacles to trade with third countries.

For farmers in Sardegna, the measure means the maintenance of restrictions on movement and marketing, with vaccination remaining the tool for exiting the emergency. Publication in the Gazzetta Ufficiale makes the update operational on the internal level as well, with the Italian Republic being the sole formal addressee of the act.

Source: Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana, 2nd Special Series no. 83 of October 22, 2026 — Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1949 of August 13, 2026, amending the annexes to implementing decision (EU) 2025/1582 (26CE2508).