(fra kommisjonsforordningen)

(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) Canada has notified the Commission of two new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry in the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, which were confirmed on 1 December 2025 and 2 December 2025, respectively, by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

(6) The United Kingdom has notified the Commission of five new outbreaks of HPAI in poultry in the counties of Kent, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, in England, which were confirmed between 3 December 2025 and 8 December 2025 by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

(7) The United States has notified the Commission of 25 new outbreaks of HPAI in poultry in the states of Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota and Vermont, which were confirmed between 28 November 2025 and 8 December 2025 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 respective territories and the measures they have taken to prevent the further spread of HPAI following those recent HPAI outbreaks.

(10) That information has been evaluated by the Commission. 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 the areas concerned by the new outbreaks in those third countries 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 those third countries 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.

(11) In addition, Canada has provided updated information to the Commission in relation to the epidemiological situation on its territory 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.

(12) On 19 November 2025, 1 December 2025, 5 December 2025, and 13 December 2025, Canada submitted updated information on the animal health situation and the measures it has taken in relation to six outbreaks of HPAI in poultry in the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, which were confirmed between 16 October 2025 and 3 November 2025 by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

(13) Canada informed the Commission that, following those earlier outbreaks of HPAI, it has implemented a stamping out policy in order to control and limit the spread of that disease, and it has 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 and considers that it has 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 in that third country, 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 those affected zones of Canada from which entry into the Union had been suspended, should be re-authorised. Therefore, the entries for Canada in those tables in those Annexes should be amended accordingly.

(15) Taking into account the new HPAI outbreaks in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and in order to avoid any unnecessary disruption in trade with Canada, 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,