(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 II to XXII, and Annex I, to that Implementing Regulation, respectively.

(4)

Annex XIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 sets out the list of third countries, territories or zones thereof authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of fresh meat of ungulates, including bovine animals. In accordance with Article 2, point (43), of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692, offal is included in the definition of fresh meat. International standards, such as the Terrestrial Animal Health Code (4) of the World Organisation for Animal Health does not consider offal as a safe commodity in case of an infection with lumpy skin disease virus (LSD). Moreover, Annex VII to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 (5) provides risk-mitigating treatments for products of animal origin from the restricted zone and as regards meat, in case of an outbreak of LSD, for the removal of offal.

(5)

Japan has notified the Commission of confirmed outbreaks of LSD in bovine animals in its territory. Consequently, the specific condition ‘No offal’ should be inserted in the entry for Japan in column 5 of the table in Part 1 of Annex XIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 to suspend the entry into the Union of offal from bovine animals originating from that third country. Annex XIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(6)

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