12.10.2013 Official Journal of the European Union L 272/47 COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION of 10 October 2013 concerning a Union financial contribution towards surveillance and other emergency measures implemented in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland against African swine fever in neighbouring third countries (notified under document C(2013) 6540) (Only the Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian and Polish texts are authentic) (2013/498/EU) THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Having regard to Council Decision 2009/470/EC of 25 May 2009 on expenditure in the veterinary field (!), and in particular Article 8 thereof, Having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 (%), and in particular Article 84 thereof, Whereas: (1) African swine fever (ASF) is an infectious, usually fatal, viral disease of domestic and wild boars which causes serious disturbances to intra-Union trade in and export to third countries of live pigs and products derived from animals of the porcine species. (2)  Following the confirmation of ASF in Georgia in 2007, the disease spread to the Russian Federation where numerous outbreaks of that disease have been reported in pigs and wild boar throughout the European part of Russia. Furthermore, in June 2013, Belarus reported the confirmation of an outbreak of ASF in backyard pigs in the region of Grodno, some forty kilometres from the Lithuanian border and close to the border with Poland. (3)  The ASF situation in countries bordering the European Union constitutes a direct threat to pig holdings within the Union, because the virus may be introduced into Member States bordering the infected third countries through wild boar entering Union territory from () O] L 155, 18.6.2009, p. 30. () O] L 298, 26.10.2012, p. 1. infected areas, but also through vehicles which have transported live animals and feed or through the unauth- orised introduction into the Union of products derived from animals of the porcine species. () The risk of ASF introduction into the Union is higher for Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland due to the occurrence and the evolution of this diseases in the bordering territory of Belarus and the Russian Federation and they have informed the Commission and the other Member States of the measures that they intended to adopt for the protection of their territories and of other Member States. (5) Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland implemented surveillance for the early detection of ASF both in wild boars and domestic pigs and have raised disease awareness and preparedness in the framework of their contingency plans drawn up in accordance with Council Directive 2002/60/EC (}) to ensure a rapid response should ASF be introduced. Lithuania is directly threatened by the presence of ASF across the border in Belarus, in order to minimise the risk of disease spread on its territory should ASF be introduced, Lithuania intends to establish a buffer zone of 10 kilo- metres along the border with Belarus, in which they will decrease the density of susceptible hosts by promoting slaughter of pigs and preventing restocking of pig holdings. (6)  Wild boars moving through borders between the affected third countries and the EU pose a risk of ASF intro- duction, especially in some areas with intensive agri- culture where the wild boar is attracted by crops. As a short time risk mitigation measure, in an attempt to reduce this risk and based on available preliminary research data on the efficacy of the use of repellents consisting of synthetic odorous substances suggesting (}) Council Directive 2002/60/EC of 27 June 2002 laying down specific provisions for the control of African swine fever and amending Directive 92/119/EEC as regards Teschen disease and African swine fever (O] L 192, 20.7.2002, p. 27).