Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/491 of 4 March 2026 amending Annex IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 as regards the entries for Argentina and Thailand in the list of third countries or territories, or zones thereof, authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of certain categories of equine animals, and correcting Annexes XIII and XVIII thereto as regards the entries for Paraguay and the United Arab Emirates in the lists of third countries or territories, or zones thereof, authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of fresh meat of ungulates and of certain dairy products of camelid animals

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) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Regulation (EU) 2016/429 lays down, inter alia, the animal health requirements for the entry into the Union of consignments of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin. One of those animal health requirements is that those consignments must come from a third country or territory, or zone or compartment thereof, listed in accordance with Article 230(1) of that Regulation.

(2) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 (2) supplements Regulation (EU) 2016/429 as regards the animal health requirements for the entry into the Union of consignments of certain species and categories of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin from third countries or territories, or zones or compartments thereof. Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 provides that consignments of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin falling within its scope are only to be permitted to enter the Union if they come from a third country or territory, or zone or compartment thereof, listed for the particular species and categories of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin.

(3) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 (3) lays down the lists of third countries or territories, or zones or compartments thereof, from which the entry into the Union of consignments of species and categories of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin, that fall within the scope of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692, is permitted. The lists and certain general rules concerning the lists are set out in Annexes I to XXII to that Implementing Regulation.

(4) Annex IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 sets out the list of third countries or territories, or zones thereof, authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of equine animals.

(5) Article 22(2), point (b), of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 provides that consignments of equine animals are only to be permitted to enter the Union if the animals of the consignment originate from a third country or territory, or zone thereof, where none of the listed diseases referred to in the table set out in point 3 of Part A of Annex IV has been reported during a certain time period also referred to therein. For surra (Trypanosoma evansi), that minimum period corresponds to 24 months at least. At the same time, in accordance with Article 22(3) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692, that period may be reduced for diseases included in Part B of Annex IV under the relevant specific conditions referred therein. For surra (Trypanosoma evansi), such specific conditions relate to no infection with this disease being reported in the establishment of origin of equine animals for a period of at least the 6 months prior to the date of the equine animal’s dispatch to the Union and to a surveillance programme, recognised by the Commission, demonstrating the absence of infection in that establishment of origin during the period of 6 months during which no surra (Trypanosoma evansi) has been reported.

(6) Argentina is currently listed in Part 1 of Annex IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404, assigned to Sanitary Group D, and authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of registered horses, registered equidae, other equine animals not for slaughter, and equine animals for slaughter. On 9 September 2025, Argentina notified the Commission that surra (Trypanosoma evansi) is present on its territory since 21 June 2025 and, therefore, consignments of equine animals from that third country could only be permitted to enter the Union if they comply with the relevant specific conditions for that disease referred to in Part B of Annex IV to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692. Argentina has provided the results of its surveillance programme for surra (Trypanosoma evansi) to demonstrate the absence of the disease in specific establishments of origin of equine animals for a period of at least 6 months prior to the date of the equine animal’s dispatch to the Union. The Commission has evaluated that programme positively in accordance with Article 10(1), point (b), of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692.

(7) In addition, Thailand is listed in Part 1 of Annex IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404, and assigned to Sanitary Group E. The entry into the Union of consignments of registered horses from this third country was authorised on 9 June 2025, by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/899 (4), based on the outcome of an audit (5) which took place in Thailand from 27 February to 13 March 2024 to evaluate the animal health controls in relation to exports of registered live equidae to the Union. Thailand has provided a satisfactory action plan to comply with the recommendations formulated in the audit report. In addition, since surra (Trypanosoma evansi) is present in that third country, Thailand has provided details of the surveillance programme for the disease in accordancewith Part B of Annex IV to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692. The surveillance programme has been positively evaluated by the Commission.

(8) In light of the positive evaluation of the surveillance programmes for surra (Trypanosoma evansi) submitted by Argentina and Thailand, the entry into the Union of consignments of equine animals from those third countries should be authorised under a specific condition regarding additional risk-mitigating measures for surra (Trypanosoma evansi). In accordance with Article 4(2) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692, such specific conditions are required to be assigned by the Union in the list to the listed third country or territory, or zone thereof and to the particular species and category of animals. Therefore, the specific condition ‘Surra-programme’, demonstrating, for Argentina and Thailand, these third countries’ compliance with the requirements of Part B of Annex IV to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692, should be inserted in column 6 of the table in Part 1 of Annex IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 for those two third countries. Additionally, a description of the specific condition ‘Surra-programme’, in accordance with Part B of Annex IV to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692, should be set out in Part 3 of Annex IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404.

(9) Annex IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(10) Furthermore, Annex XIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 sets out the list of third countries or territories, or zones thereof authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of fresh meat of ungulates. That list should be consistent with the list of third countries or parts thereof authorised for the introduction into the Union of consignments of fresh meat of ungulates set out in Annex II to Commission Regulation (EU) No 206/2010 (6), as Regulation (EU) No 206/2010 was repealed and replaced by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404. In that respect, Paraguay was listed in Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 206/2010 with the supplementary guarantee ‘A’ assigned to that third country in column 5 of the table in Part 1 of that Annex. However, due to an error that guarantee was omitted in the entry for Paraguay in Annex XIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404, and therefore that Annex should be corrected as regards this specific guarantee to reflect the conditions assigned to that third country by Regulation (EU) No 206/2010.

(11) In addition, Annex XVIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 sets out the list of third countries or territories, or zones thereof, authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of dairy products required to undergo a specific risk-mitigating treatment against foot and mouth disease. That list should be consistent with the list of third countries or parts thereof authorised for the introduction into the Union of consignments of raw milk, dairy products, colostrum and colostrum-based products and indicating the type of heat treatment required for such commodities set out in Annex I to Commission Regulation (EU) No 605/2010 (7), as Regulation (EU) No 605/2010 was repealed and replaced by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404. In that respect, the Emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai were listed in Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 605/2010 as parts of the United Arab Emirates authorised for the introduction into the Union of consignments of dairy products of camelid animals required to undergo a specific risk-mitigating treatment. However, due to an error, the Emirate of Abu Dhabi was omitted from the entry for the United Arab Emirates in the list set out in Annex XVIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 and therefore that Annex should be corrected to rectify that omission. Annex XVIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 should, therefore, be corrected accordingly.

(12) 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

Amendments to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404

Annex IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 is amended in accordance with Part I of the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

Corrections to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404

Annexes XIII and XVIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 are corrected in accordance with Part II of the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 3

Entry into force

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth 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, 4 March 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 the Council (OJ L 114, 31.3.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2021/404/oj).

(4) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/899 of 19 May 2025 amending Annex IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 as regards the entry for Thailand in the list of third countries or territories or zones thereof authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of equine animals (OJ L, 2025/899, 20.5.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/899/oj).

(5) DG(SANTE) 2024-8016, https://ec.europa.eu/food/audits-analysis/audit-report/details/4805.

(6) Commission Regulation (EU) No 206/2010 of 12 March 2010 laying down lists of third countries, territories or parts thereof authorised for the introduction into the European Union of certain animals and fresh meat and the veterinary certification requirements (OJ L 73, 20.3.2010, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2010/206/oj).

(7) Commission Regulation (EU) No 605/2010 of 2 July 2010 laying down animal and public health and veterinary certification conditions for the introduction into the European Union of raw milk, dairy products, colostrum and colostrum-based products intended for human consumption (OJ L 175, 10.7.2010, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2010/605/oj).