Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1721 of 1 August 2025 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, territories or zones thereof authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of poultry and germinal products of poultry and of fresh meat of poultry

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 lays down the lists of third countries, or territories, or zones 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. Those lists and certain general rules concerning those lists are set out in Annexes I to XXII to that Implementing Regulation.

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

• (5) On 24 July 2025, the United Kingdom has notified the Commission of two new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry in Wales which were confirmed on 23 June 2025 and 24 June 2025 by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

• (6) On 29 July 2025, the United Kingdom has notified the Commission of a new outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry in Somerset, England, which was confirmed on 28 July 2025 by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

• (7) Following those recent outbreaks of HPAI, the veterinary authorities of the United Kingdom 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.

• (8) The United Kingdom has submitted further information to the Commission on the epidemiological situation in its territory, as well as on the measures taken to prevent the further spread of HPAI following those recent HPAI outbreaks.

• (9) That information has been evaluated by the Commission. In view of the animal health situation in the areas under restrictions established by the veterinary authority of the United Kingdom, the entry into the Union of consignments, of poultry and germinal products of poultry, and of fresh meat of poultry and game birds from the areas concerned by the outbreaks should be suspended in order to protect the animal health status of the Union. Therefore, the entries for the United Kingdom in the tables set out in in Section B, Part 1 and in Part 2 of Annex V, and the table set out in Section B, Part 1 of Annex XIV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 should be amended accordingly, taking into account the dates when the outbreaks occurred.

• (10) Furthermore, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States have provided updated information to the Commission in relation to the epidemiological situation in their territories as regards HPAI that previously gave rise to the suspension of the entry into the Union of consignments of poultry, germinal products of poultry, and fresh meat of poultry and game birds, as set out in Annexes V and XIV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404.

• (11) On 15 July 2025, Canada submitted updated information on the animal health situation and the measures it has taken in relation to an outbreak of HPAI in poultry in the province of Prince Edward Island, which was confirmed on 15 May 2025 by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

• (12) On 15 July 2025, the United Kingdom submitted updated information on the animal health situation and the measures it has taken in relation to an outbreak of HPAI in poultry in the county of West Yorkshire, England which was confirmed on 11 June 2025 by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

• (13) On 24 July 2025, the United Kingdom submitted updated information on the animal health situation and the measures it has taken in relation to an outbreak of HPAI in poultry in the county of Durham, England which was confirmed on 17 June 2025 by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

• (14) On 28 July 2025, the United States submitted updated information on the animal health situation and the measures it has taken in relation to three outbreaks of HPAI in poultry in the states of California (2) and South Dakota (1) which were confirmed between 16 January 2025 and 30 April 2025 by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

• (15) Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States informed the Commission that, following those outbreaks of HPAI, they implemented a stamping out policy in order to control and limit the spread of that disease, and also completed the requisite cleaning and disinfection following the implementation of the stamping out policy on the infected poultry establishments.

• (16) The Commission has evaluated the information submitted by Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, and considers that they have provided appropriate guarantees that the animal health situation that has given rise to the suspension of the entry of consignments of poultry and germinal products of poultry, and fresh meat of poultry and game birds into the Union from the affected zones, as set out in Annexes V and XIV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404, no longer represents a threat to animal or public health in the Union, and that, consequently, the entry into the Union of those consignments from the affected zones of Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, from which entry into the Union has been suspended, should be reauthorised. Therefore, the entries for those third countries in the tables set out in Section B, Part 1 and in Part 2 of Annex V, and the table set out in Section B, Part 1 of Annex XIV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 should be amended accordingly.

• (17) Taking into account the recent HPAI outbreaks in the United Kingdom, and in order to avoid any unnecessary disruption in trade with Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, 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.

• (18) 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

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, 1 August 2025.

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 row for the zone CA-2.267 is replaced by the following:

• (ii) in the entry for the United Kingdom, the rows for the zones GB-2.380 and GB-2.381 are replaced by the following:

• (iii) in the entry for the United Kingdom, the following rows for the zones GB-2.383 to GB-2.385 are added after the row for the zone GB-2.382:

• (iv) in the entry for the United States, the row for the zone US-2.830 is replaced by the following:

• (v) in the entry for the United States, the row for the zone US-2.973 is replaced by the following:

• (vi) in the entry for the United States, the row for the zone US-2.1029 is replaced by the following:

• (b) in Part 2, in the entry for the United Kingdom, the following descriptions of the zones GB-2.383 to GB-2.385 are added after the description of the zone GB-2.382:

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

• (a) in the entry for Canada, the row for the zone CA-2.267 is replaced by the following:

• (b) in the entry for the United Kingdom, the rows for the zones GB-2.380 and GB-2.381 are replaced by the following:

• (c) in the entry for the United Kingdom, the following rows for the zones GB-2.383 to GB-2.385 are added after the row for the zone GB-2.382:

• (d) in the entry for the United States, the row for the zone US-2.830 is replaced by the following:

• (e) in the entry for the United States, the row for the zone US-2.973 is replaced by the following:

• (f) in the entry for the United States, the row for the zone US-2.1029 is replaced by the following:

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/1721/oj

ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)