BAKGRUNN (fra kommisjonsforordnignen)

(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, or 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) Canada has notified the Commission of six outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry in the provinces of British Columbia (5) and Saskatchewan (1), which were confirmed between 21 October 2024 and 31 October 2024 by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

(6) The United Kingdom has notified the Commission of an outbreak of HPAI in poultry in the county of Cornwall, England, which was confirmed on 17 November 2024 by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

(7) The United States has notified the Commission of five outbreaks of HPAI in poultry in the states of California (3), Montana (1) and Utah (1), which were confirmed on 12 November 2024 by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

(8) Following those 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 following these recent outbreaks.

(10) That information has been evaluated by the Commission. The Commission 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 consignments of poultry and germinal products of poultry, and of fresh meat of poultry and game birds from those areas concerned by the recent outbreaks should be suspended, in order to protect the animal health status of the Union.

(11) In addition, the United States has provided updated information to the Commission in relation to the epidemiological situation on its territory as regards HPAI that gave rise to the suspension of the entry into the Union of certain products, as set out in Annexes V and XIV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404.

(12) The United States has submitted updated information on the epidemiological situation in relation to two outbreaks of HPAI in poultry in the state of Florida, which were confirmed on 18 September 2024 and 7 October 2024, by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

(13) The United States has also submitted information on the measures it has taken to prevent the further spread of HPAI. In particular, following the outbreaks of HPAI, the United States has 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 on its territory.

(14) The Commission has evaluated the information submitted by the United States, and considers that it has provided appropriate guarantees that the animal health situation that gave rise to the suspension of the entry of consignments of certain products into the Union from the concerned zones in that third country, as set out in Annexes V and XIV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404, no longer represents a threat to animal or public health within the Union, and that, consequently, the entry into the Union of those consignments from the concerned zones of the United States, from which entry into the Union had been suspended, should be reauthorised.

(15) 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.

(16) Taking into account the current epidemiological situation in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States as regards HPAI, and in order to avoid unnecessary disruption in trade with 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.

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