Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2629 of 20 November 2023 amending Annexes V and XIV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 as regards the entries for Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States in the lists of third countries authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of poultry, germinal products of poultry, fresh meat of poultry and game birds

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on transmissible animal diseases and amending and repealing certain acts in the area of animal health (‘Animal Health Law’) ¹, and in particular Articles 230(1) and 232(1) and (3) thereof.

Whereas:

• (1) Regulation (EU) 2016/429 provides that consignments of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin must come from a third country or territory, or zone or compartment thereof, listed in accordance with Article 230(1) of that Regulation in order to enter the Union.

• (2) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 ² lays down the animal health requirements that consignments of certain species and categories of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin, from third countries or territories, or zones thereof, or compartments thereof in the case of aquaculture animals, must comply with in order to enter the Union.

• (3) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 ³ establishes the lists of third countries, or territories, or zones or compartments thereof, from which the entry into the Union of the species and categories of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin falling within the scope of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 is permitted.

• (4) More particularly, Annexes V and XIV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 set out the lists of third countries, or territories, or zones thereof authorised for the entry into the Union, respectively, of consignments of poultry, germinal products of poultry, fresh meat of poultry and game birds.

• (5) Canada has notified the Commission of four outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry in the province of Saskatchewan, which were confirmed between 30 October 2023 and 1 November 2023 by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

• (6) The United Kingdom has notified the Commission of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry in England, in the council area of Lincolnshire, which was confirmed on 9 November 2023, by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

• (7) The United States has notified the Commission of 13 outbreaks of HPAI in poultry in the states of Iowa (5), Minnesota (3), Montana (1), and South Dakota (4), which were confirmed between 3 November 2023 and 9 November 2023 by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

• (8) Following these recent outbreaks of HPAI, the veterinary authorities of Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States established restricted zones of at least 10 km around the affected establishments and implemented a stamping-out policy to control the presence of HPAI and limit the spread of that disease.

• (9) Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States have submitted information to the Commission on the epidemiological situation on their territories and the measures taken to prevent the further spread of HPAI.

• (10) That information has been evaluated by the Commission. The Commision considers that, in view of the animal health situation in the areas under restrictions established by the veterinary authorities of Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, the entry into the Union of consigments of poultry, germinal products of poultry, and fresh meat of poultry and game birds from those areas should be suspended, in order to protect the animal health status of the Union.

• (11) Annexes V and XIV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 should therefore be amended to take account of the current epidemiological situation as regards HPAI in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.

• (12) Taking into account the current epidemiological situation in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States as regards HPAI, the amendments to be made to Annexes V and XIV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 by this Regulation should take effect as a matter of urgency.

• (13) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Annexes V and XIV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 are amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

Entry into force and applicability

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 20 November 2023.

For the Commission

The President

Ursula VON DER LEYEN

ANNEX

Annexes V and XIV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 are amended as follows:

• (1) Annex V is amended as follows:

• (a) in Part 1, Section B is amended as follows:

• (i) in the entry for Canada, the following rows for the zones CA-2.202 to CA-2.205 are added after the row for the zone CA-2.201:

• (ii) in the entry for the United Kingdom, the following row for the zone GB-2.324 is added after the row for the zone GB-2.323:

• (iii) in the entry for the United States, the rows for the zones US-2.493 to US-2.505 are added after the row for the zone US-2.492:

• (b) Part 2 is amended as follows:

• (i) in the entry for Canada, the following descriptions of the zones CA-2.202 to CA-2.205 are added after the row for the zone CA-2.201:

• (ii) in the entry for the United Kingdom, the following description of the zone GB-2.324 is added after the description of the zone GB-2.323:

• (iii) in the entry for the United States, the following descriptions of the zones US-2.493 to US-2.505 are added after the description of the zone US-2.492:

• (2) in Annex XIV, in Part 1, Section B is amended as follows:

• (a) in the entry for Canada, the following rows for the zones CA-2.202 to CA-2.205 are added after the row for the zone CA-2.201:

• (b) in the entry for the United Kingdom, the rows for the zone GB-2.324 are added after the rows for the zone GB-2.323:

• (c) in the entry for the United States, the rows for the zones US-2.493 to US-2.505 are added after the row for the zone US-2.492:

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2023/2629/oj

ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)