(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 three outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry in Scotland, in the council areas of Aberdeenshire (1) and Highland (1), and the Isle of Lewis (1) which were confirmed on 8 August 2023 and 9 August 2023 by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

(6)

Furthermore, the United States has notified the Commission of two outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry in the state of New York, which were confirmed on 29 July 2023 and 3 August 2023 by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR).

(7)

Following those recent outbreaks of HPAI, the veterinary authorities of 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 in order to control the presence of HPAI and limit the spread of that disease.

(8)

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.

(9)

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 the United Kingdom and the United States, the entry into the Union of consignments 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.

(10)

The United Kingdom has provided updated information in relation to epidemiological situation on its territory 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.

(11)

In particular, the United Kingdom has submitted updated information on the epidemiological situation on its territory in relation to an outbreak of HPAI in a poultry establishment in the country of Cumbria, England, which was confirmed on 2 July 2023.

(12)

The United Kingdom also submitted information on the measures that were taken to prevent the further spread of HPAI. In particular, following those outbreaks of that disease, the United Kingdom 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 on the infected poultry establishment on its territory.

(13)

The Commission has evaluated the information submitted by the United Kingdom. The Commission considers that the United Kingdom has provided appropriate guarantees that the animal health situation that gave rise to the suspension, 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 zone the United Kingdom from which entry into the Union had been suspended, should be reauthorised.

(14)

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 the United Kingdom and the United States.

(15)

Taking into account the current epidemiological situation in the United Kingdom and the United States as regards HPAI, 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,