(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. Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 sets out the general rules, and the lists are set out in Annexes II to XXII thereto.

(4)

The United Kingdom has notified the Commission of confirmed cases of infections with bluetongue virus (BTV) in bovine and ovine animals in Great Britain. In addition, North Macedonia has notified the Commission of confirmed cases of BTV in ovine and caprine animals in its territory. Consequently, the United Kingdom and North Macedonia should be required to test donor bovine, ovine and caprine animals with respect to semen, oocytes or in vitro produced embryos for BTV. Annexes IX and X 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 of consignments of germinal products of bovine animals and of ovine and caprine animals respectively. Due to the confirmed cases of BTV in Great Britain and North Macedonia, the animal health guarantee ‘BTV-test’ should be inserted in the entries for the zones GB-1 and GB-2 in the United Kingdom and in the zone MK-0 in North Macedonia in column 6 of the table in Part 1 of Annex IX, and in the entry for the zone GB-0 in the United Kingdom in column 6 of the table in Part 1 of Annex X to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404. Annexes IX and X to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(5)

Annex XV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 lists the third countries or territories, or zones thereof authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of meat products from ungulates, poultry and game birds. The description of the zone ‘BR-2’ in Brazil in the table set out in Part 2 of that Annex, amongst others, refers to the zones ‘BR-3’ and ‘BR-4’ in Brazil in the table set out in Part 2 of Annex XIII to that Implementing Regulation. However, following the amendment of Annex XIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404, by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1170 (4), the zones ‘BR-3’ and ‘BR-4’ in Brazil are no longer listed in the table set out in Part 2 of Annex XIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404. Therefore, the description of zone ‘BR-2’ in Brazil in Part 2 of Annex XV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 should be amended accordingly.

(6)

In addition, the whole territory of Moldova is listed in Annex XV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 as a third country from which consignments of meat products from poultry which have undergone specific risk-mitigating treatment ‘D’, in accordance with Annex XXVI to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692, are authorised for entry into the Union.

(7)

On 21 June 2024, Moldova submitted a request to the Commission to list its zone ‘MD-1’ in Annex XV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 as a zone authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of meat products of poultry that are not required to undergo a specific risk-mitigating treatment in accordance with Annex XXVI to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692.

(8)

The Commission has evaluated the request from Moldova and concluded that, considering the animal health status of zone ‘MD-1’ in Moldova with regard to relevant listed diseases and the guarantees provided by the competent authority of Moldova as regards compliance or equivalence with the animal health requirements applicable in the Union, that zone could be listed for the entry into the Union of consignments of meat products of poultry with an assigned non-specific treatment ‘A’ in column 10 of the table in Part 1, Section A of Annex XV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404, indicating that the meat products are not required to undergo any specific risk-mitigating treatment. Annex XV to that Implementing Regulation should be amended accordingly.

(9)

In addition, it is necessary to update certain references in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404. Annexes I, IX, X and XV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 should, therefore, be amended accordingly.

(10)

Furthermore, Part 1, Section A, of Annex XXI to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 lists the third countries or territories, or zones or compartments thereof from which the entry into the Union of consignments of certain aquatic animals of listed species and products of animal origin from those listed species is authorised. In the entry for the United States, in the rows for the zones ‘US-2’, ‘US-3’, ‘US-4’ and ‘US-5’, in column 6 of that list, the reference to a model animal health certificate ‘AQUA-ENTRY-ESTAB/RELEASE/OTHER’ was erroneously deleted by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1727 (5), when it amended that Annex. That reference should be reinserted and Annex XXI to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 should therefore be corrected accordingly.

(11)

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1727 applies from 1 October 2021. Accordingly, the correction made to Annex XXI to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 by this Regulation should also apply from that date.

(12)

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