Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/520 of 4 March 2026 amending Annexes XIV and XV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 as regards the entries for Argentina and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the lists of third countries, territories or zones thereof authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of fresh meat of poultry and game birds and of meat products from 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), point (b) 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 XIV and XV 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 fresh meat of poultry and game birds, and of meat products from poultry.

(5) On 23 February 2026, Argentina notified the World Organisation for Animal Health of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a poultry establishment in the province of Buenos Aires, which had been confirmed on that same day by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

(6) The lists of third countries or territories, or zones thereof set out in Section B, Part 1 of Annex XIV and in Section A of Part 1 of Annex XV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 currently indicate that the entry into the Union of consignments of fresh meat of and meat products from poultry and game birds from Argentina is authorised. In addition, Section A of Part 1 of Annex XV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 does not currently require any risk-mitigating treatments for the entry into the Union of consignments of meat products from poultry from that third country.

(7) Due to the risk of the introduction of HPAI into the Union linked with the entry of consignments of fresh meat of and meat products from poultry and game birds from Argentina, and in the absence of guarantees allowing for regionalisation of that third country, the entry into the Union of such consignments from Argentina should no longer be authorised. In addition, the risk-mitigating treatment D, in accordance with Annex XXVI to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692, should be required for the entry into the Union of consignments of meat products from poultry from that third country.

(8) In addition, on 26 February 2026, Bosnia and Herzegovina notified the Commission an outbreak of HPAI in a poultry establishment located in the municipality of Petrovo in Republika Srpska, which was confirmed on 25 February 2026 by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

(9) The lists of third countries or territories, or zones thereof set out in Section B, Part 1 of Annex XIV and in Section A of Part 1 of Annex XV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 currently indicate that the entry into the Union of consignments of fresh meat of and meat products from poultry from Bosnia and Herzegovina is authorised. In addition, Section A of Part 1 of Annex XV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 does not currently require any risk-mitigating treatments for the entry into the Union of consignments of meat products from poultry from that third country.

(10) Due to the risk of the introduction of HPAI into the Union linked with the entry of consignments of fresh meat of and meat products from poultry from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in the absence of guarantees allowing for regionalisation of that third country, the entry into the Union of such consignments from Bosnia and Herzegovina should no longer be authorised. In addition, the risk-mitigating treatment D, in accordance with Annex XXVI to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692, should be required for the entry into the Union of consignments of meat products from poultry from that third country.

(11) The entries for Argentina and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the lists of third countries or territories, or zones thereof set out in the table in Section B, Part 1 of Annex XIV and in the table in Section A, Part 1 of Annex XV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 should therefore be amended to take account of the current epidemiological situation in those third countries.

(12) Taking into account the recent outbreaks of HPAI in Argentina and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the amendments to be made to Annexes XIV and XV 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 XIV and XV 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, 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 of the Council (OJ L 114, 31.3.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2021/404/oj).