Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/281 of 2 February 2026 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 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 Article 230(1), Article 232(1), point (b) and Article 232(3), point (b) thereof.

Whereas:

(1) Regulation (EU) 2016/429 provides that consignments of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin from third countries or territories are only to be allowed to enter into the Union if the third countries or territories concerned are listed in accordance with Article 230(1) of that Regulation.

(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, 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, 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) The United States has notified the Commission of six new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry in the states of Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, which were confirmed on 22 January 2026 and 23 January 2026 by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

(6) Following those recent outbreaks of HPAI, the veterinary authority of 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.

(7) The United States has submitted information to the Commission on the epidemiological situation on its territory and the measures it has taken to prevent the further spread of HPAI following those recent HPAI outbreaks.

(8) 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 States, 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 new outbreaks in that third country should be suspended in order to protect the animal health status of the Union, taking into account the dates when the outbreaks were confirmed. Therefore, the entries for the United States in the tables set out in Section B of Part 1 and in Part 2 of Annex V, and the table set out in Section B of Part 1 of Annex XIV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 should be amended accordingly.

(9) In addition, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States have provided updated information to the Commission in relation to the epidemiological situation on their respective territories as regards earlier outbreaks of HPAI that gave rise to the suspension of the entry into the Union of consignments of poultry and germinal products of poultry, and of fresh meat of poultry and game birds, as set out in the table in Section B of Part 1 of Annex V, and in the table in Section B of Part 1 of Annex XIV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404.

(10) On 12 January 2026, Canada submitted updated information on the animal health situation and the measures it has taken in relation to two outbreaks of HPAI in poultry in the province of Quebec, which were confirmed on 18 November 2025 and 12 December 2025 by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

(11) On 23 January 2026 and 26 January 2026, the United Kingdom submitted updated information on the animal health situation and the measures it has taken in relation to four outbreaks of HPAI in poultry in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, in England, which were confirmed on 26 October 2025 and 7 November 2025 by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

(12) On 22 January 2026, the United States submitted updated information on the animal health situation and the measures it has taken in relation to 24 outbreaks of HPAI in poultry in the states of Arkansas, Kansas, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Utah, which were confirmed between 29 September 2025 and 2 January 2026 by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

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

(14) 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 had given rise to the suspension of the entry of consignments of poultry and germinal products of poultry, and of fresh meat of poultry and game birds into the Union from the affected zones, as set out in the table in Section B of Part 1 of Annex V, and in the table in Section B of Part 1 of Annex 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 those third countries, from which entry into the Union had been suspended, should be re-authorised. Therefore, the entries for Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States in those tables in those Annexes should be amended accordingly.

(15) Taking into account the new HPAI outbreaks in the United States 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.

(16) 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, 2 February 2026.

For the Commission The President Ursula VON DER LEYEN

(1) OJ L 84, 31.3.2016, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/429/oj.

(2) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 of 30 January 2020 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards rules for entry into the Union, and the movement and handling after entry of consignments of certain animals, germinal products and products of animal origin (OJ L 174, 3.6.2020, p. 379, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2020/692/oj).

(3) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 of 24 March 2021 laying down the lists of third countries, territories or zones thereof from which the entry into the Union of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin is permitted in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 114, 31.3.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2021/404/oj).