Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2208

Contents

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^note, and in particular Article 220(1), first subparagraph, point (a), thereof,Whereas:

(1)Between 1 November 2024 and 30 April 2025, Italy confirmed 420 outbreaks of African swine fever and notified them to the Commission.

(2)Italy immediately and efficiently took all the necessary animal health and veterinary measures required pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council^note, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687^note and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594^note.

(3)On 31 March 2026, the Commission received a formal request from Italy for the part-financing of certain exceptional measures pursuant to Article 220(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 for the outbreaks confirmed between 1 November 2024 and 30 April 2025.

(4)The implementation of the animal health and veterinary measures referred to in recital 2 led to the non-production of piglets and fattening pigs due to movement restrictions, additional costs due to a longer rearing and fattening period of pigs and lower selling prices resulting from delayed slaughtering.

(5)Pursuant to Article 220(5) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, the Union part-financing should be equivalent to 50 % of the expenditure borne by Italy for the relevant exceptional market support measures. The maximum number of animals eligible for financing in the framework of each exceptional market support measure should be fixed by the Commission after scrutinising the request received from Italy concerning the restrictions related to outbreaks.

(6)To avoid any risk of overcompensation, the maximum amount of the Union part-financing should be based on technical and economic studies or accounting documents and fixed at an appropriate level for each animal.

(7)To avoid any risk of double funding, the losses incurred by the beneficiaries should not be compensated by State aid measures or via an 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 of the European Parliament and of the Council^note.

(8)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 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 Italian legislation relevant to the outbreaks of African swine fever confirmed between 1 November 2024 and 30 April 2025.

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

(10)In order to ensure the effectiveness of this exceptional measure, the 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 should be ensured, thereby maximising its availability and enhancing the capacity to respond promptly to emerging crises. Therefore, it is appropriate to define an eligibility period for Member States to pay this support to the beneficiaries. Any payments made after a specific end date should be considered ineligible for Union financing.

(11)The Union should therefore finance the expenditure incurred by Italy under these exceptional market support measures only where such expenditure is made by a certain eligibility end date. The support for this exceptional measure should therefore be paid by 31 May 2027.

(12)As no payments made after 31 May 2027 should be considered eligible under any circumstances, Article 5(2) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/127^note, which provides for a proportional reduction of the monthly payments effected after the deadline, should not apply.

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

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

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

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