(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) establishes the lists of third countries, or territories, or zones or compartments 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.

(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, germinal products of poultry, and of fresh meat of poultry and game birds.

(5)

The United Kingdom has notified the Commission of two outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry in the county of Cumbria, England (1), and in the county of Aberdeenshire, Scotland (1), which were confirmed respectively on 2 and 9 July 2023 by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

(6)

Following that recent outbreak of HPAI, the veterinary authorities of the United Kingdom established a restricted zone of at least 10 km around the affected establishments and implemented a stamping-out policy in order to control the presence of HPAI and limit the spread of that disease.

(7)

The United Kingdom has submitted information to the Commission on the epidemiological situation on its territory and the measures taken to prevent the further spread of HPAI.

(8)

That information has been evaluated by the Commission. The Commision considers that, in view of the animal health situation in the area under restrictions established by the veterinary authorities of the United Kingdom, the entry into the Union of consigments of poultry, germinal products of poultry, and fresh meat of poultry and game birds from those areas should be suspended, in order to protect the animal health status of the Union.

(9)

Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States have provided updated information in relation to epidemiological situations on their territories as regards HPAI that gave rise to the suspension of the entry of certain products into the Union, as set out in Annexes V and XIV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404.

(10)

In particular, Canada has submitted updated information on the epidemiological situation on its territory in relation to 32 outbreaks of HPAI in poultry establishments in the provinces of Alberta (6), British Columbia (11), Nova Scotia (1), Ontario (2), Quebec (6) and Saskatchewan (6) which were confirmed between 14 April 2022 and 6 May 2023.

(11)

In addition, the United Kingdom has submitted updated information on the epidemiological situation on its territory in relation to three outbreaks of HPAI in poultry establishments in the counties of Lincolnshire (2) and East Sussex (1) in England, the United Kingdom, which were confirmed between 17 May 2023 and 25 May 2023.

(12)

Moreover, the United States has submitted updated information on the epidemiological situation on its territory in relation to three outbreaks of HPAI in poultry establishments in the states North Dakota, South Dakota and Tennessee, which were confirmed between 5 January 2023 and 19 April 2023.

(13)

Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States have also submitted information on the measures that were taken to prevent the further spread of HPAI. In particular, following those outbreaks of that disease, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States 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 on the infected poultry establishments on their territories.

(14)

The Commission has evaluated the information submitted by Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Commission considers that Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States have provided appropriate guarantees that the animal health situation that gave rise to the suspensions, no longer represents a threat to animal or public health within the Union, and that, consequently, the entry into the Union of poultry commodities from the concerned zones of Canada, the United Kingdom and 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)

In addition, as it has not exported for many years and do not plan any export to the Union poultry and germinal products thereof, fresh meat of ratites, meat products from poultry and game birds and eggs and egg products, Namibia has requested to be removed from the list of third countries authorised for the entry into the Union of those commodities set out in Annexes V, XIV, XV and XIX to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404. Therefore, those Annexes should be amended accordingly.

(17)

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1226 (4) amended Annexes V and XIV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 by setting an opening date for the previously closed zone CA-2.187, in the entries for Canada. An error has been detected in the row for that zone in Part 1 to Annex V which should be corrected. That Annex should therefore be corrected accordingly.

(18)

Taking into account the current epidemiological situation in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States as regards HPAI and the request by Namibia, the amendments to be made to Annexes V, XV, XIV and XIX to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 by this Regulation should take effect as a matter of urgency.

(19)

The correction of the entry for Canada in the row for the zone CA-2.187 in Part 1 of Annex V to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 should apply from the date of application of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1226.

(20)

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