Lists of authorized countries for importing animals to the EU: what changes in 2026

Key data

Spanish and European importers working with third-country suppliers in the meat, dairy, aquaculture or live animal trade sectors have an immediate task: to check whether their suppliers remain authorized. The corrigendum to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404, published on 23 March 2026, may have altered the lists of countries, territories or zones from which the entry of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin into the European Union is permitted.

This is not a minor formal change. A corrigendum to this type of regulation may result in the inclusion or exclusion of specific countries or zones, with immediate effect on import operations. The risk is direct: goods detained or turned back at the border if the country of origin is no longer authorized.

What does this regulation establish?

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 establishes the lists of third countries, territories and zones from which the entry into the EU of the following is permitted:

• Live animals
• Germinal products (semen, embryos, ova)
• Products of animal origin (meat, dairy products, aquaculture products, among others)

This regulation is underpinned by Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council, which governs transmissible animal diseases and establishes the health framework for the trade and import of animals and animal products in the EU.

The corrigendum published on 23 March 2026 amends the original text of Regulation 2021/404. The corrections may affect:

• The inclusion of new countries, territories or zones in the authorized lists
• The exclusion of previously authorized countries, territories or zones
• Technical corrections to the designation or delimitation of specific zones within a country

It is important to note that authorization is not always granted at the level of an entire country: it may apply to specific zones or territories within a single country, which requires a detailed verification process and not merely a check at the country-of-origin level.

Economic and operational impact

The economic impact of this corrigendum depends directly on whether the countries or zones from which each importer operates have been modified in the lists. The possible scenarios are:

• Supplier that loses authorization: Goods in transit or pending clearance may be detained at the border or returned to the country of origin. This entails storage costs, return transport costs, loss of the goods and potential contractual penalties with the supplier.
• Supplier that gains authorization: This opens up the possibility of working with new origins that were previously unavailable, which may represent an opportunity to diversify suppliers or reduce procurement costs.
• Technical correction with no substantive change: If the correction only affects designations or formal errors without altering the list of authorized parties, the operational impact is nil, but verification remains necessary to rule out this scenario.

The risk of inaction is asymmetric: the cost of verification is low (a documentary check), while the cost of a border detention can be very high, particularly for perishable products such as fresh meat, dairy products or aquaculture products.

Who is affected?

• Importers of meat and meat products from third countries
• Importers of dairy products of non-EU origin
• Companies in the aquaculture sector that import products from third countries
• Operators trading in live animals from outside the EU
• Companies importing germinal products (semen, embryos, ova) from third countries
• Customs agents and logistics operators handling these goods at the border
• Foreign trade and compliance advisors supporting importing companies in these sectors

Practical example

A Spanish meat product importing company regularly works with a supplier located in a specific zone of a third country. Until now, that zone appeared on the authorized lists of Regulation 2021/404 and imports were cleared through customs without incident.

Following the publication of this corrigendum on 23 March 2026, the company does not verify whether that zone remains authorized. It has an order in transit. Upon arrival at the border, the veterinary inspection detects that the zone of origin no longer appears on the updated lists. The goods are detained and, as they are a perishable product, must be destroyed or returned within a very short timeframe. The cost: total loss of the goods, border storage expenses and contractual penalties with the supplier.

The same situation, with a prior 30-minute check on EUR-Lex, would have made it possible to halt the order or find an alternative authorized supplier before the goods left the country of origin.

What should companies do now?

1. Consult the updated version of Regulation 2021/404 on EUR-Lex to identify which countries, territories or zones have been modified by this corrigendum. The original version is not sufficient: you must access the consolidated version incorporating all corrections.
2. Verify the status of each active non-EU supplier, checking not only the country but the specific zone or territory from which it operates, as authorization may be partial within a single country.
3. Review ongoing or in-transit orders originating from third countries, particularly for perishable products (fresh meat, dairy products, aquaculture products), to avoid border detentions.
4. Alert the logistics department and customs agents to the update of the lists, so that the appropriate documentary checks are applied before clearance.
5. Establish a periodic verification procedure for the lists under Regulation 2021/404, given that these lists are updated frequently through amending regulations and corrigenda such as this one.

Official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, please consult a qualified professional. Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/./legal-content/AUTO/?uri=OJ:L_202690219