An official document of the European Commission with number (EU) 2025/640, issued on March 25, 2025, introduces unprecedented veterinary restrictions on the movement of small ruminants in the Eastern European region.
The strict restrictive measures are a direct result of the epizootic situation, characterized by multiple outbreaks of infectious diseases. Specifically for Bulgaria, the critical point is the registered case in Velingrad, which caused serious concern among veterinary authorities.
The Commission's decision provides differentiated deadlines for different countries: Greece receives a ban until May 31, while for Romania the restrictions are valid until June 9. For Bulgaria, the unconditional ban extends until September 30, 2025.
The main goal of the restrictions is to prevent potential cross-border spread of epidemics, protect health standards, and minimize risks for agricultural producers. Until the specified period expires, animals can only move within the borders of the respective country.
The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) and the Ministry of Agriculture urge all livestock owners and carriers to track the current regulations extremely precisely, comply with quarantine protocols, and subject animals to mandatory medical examinations.
The final removal of restrictions will be directly linked to improving the epizootic situation and complete elimination of risks of infectious disease spread.