EU Changes Authorized Countries for Importing Animals and Animal Products 2026

Key data

European importers of live animals, meat, dairy products and other animal products from Botswana, Canada, United Kingdom and United States must immediately review whether their operations remain authorized. The Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/914, published on 23 April 2026 and entering into force on 21 April, modifies Annexes V, XIII and XIV of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404, which is the framework regulation that governs which third countries may export this type of products to the European market.

The changes may affect both the authorized geographic zones within each country and the specific categories of animals or products allowed. The usual reason for this type of modification is changes in the animal health status of the affected countries or new risk assessments conducted by the European Commission.

What does this regulation establish?

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 establishes the list of third countries, territories or zones from which entry into the European Union of shipments of certain animals and animal products is permitted. This list is organized in several annexes according to the type of product or animal.

The new Regulation 2026/914 specifically modifies three of those annexes regarding four countries:

Changes in the entries of these countries may be due to variations in their animal health status (for example, detection of disease outbreaks such as avian flu or foot-and-mouth disease) or new risk assessments conducted by the Commission. The exact details of what has changed for each country and product category should be consulted in the full text of the regulation published in the EU Official Journal.

Economic and operational impact

The direct impact of this modification depends on whether the changes in the annexes represent an expansion or a restriction of authorizations for each country and product category:

• If there is restriction or elimination of authorized zones: shipments from those zones will be rejected at the border. This implies loss of goods, return or destruction costs, and possible administrative penalties.
• If there is expansion of zones or categories: new import opportunities open up from regions or for products that were not previously authorized.
• If there are technical adjustments: new health certificates, changes in accompanying documents or adaptations in border control procedures may be required.

The most immediate operational risk is the rejection of shipments already in transit or in the contracting process if the new authorization status has not been verified before shipment. The costs associated with border rejection (storage, return, destruction) can be very significant depending on the volume and type of product.

Who does it affect?

This regulation directly affects:

• European importers of live animals from Botswana, Canada, United Kingdom or United States.
• European importers of meat products (beef, pork, poultry, game, etc.) from these four countries.
• European importers of dairy products and other animal products from these origins.
• Distributors and logistics operators managing the transit or storage of these goods in European territory.
• Customs agents and freight forwarders processing the clearance of these shipments at the border.
• Foreign trade advisors and consultants advising importing companies in the agri-food sector.
• CFOs and purchasing directors of companies in the meat, dairy or food distribution sector with suppliers in these four countries.

Practical example

A Spanish beef importing company has a contract for a shipment with a supplier located in a specific zone of the United States. Before confirming shipment or while the goods are in transit, Regulation 2026/914 enters into force on 21 April 2026, modifying the entries for the United States in the annexes of Regulation 2021/404.

If the supplier's zone of origin has been restricted or removed from the authorized list (for example, due to an animal disease outbreak detected in that region), the shipment will be rejected at the EU border control point. The company will have to bear the costs of storage at the border, return to origin or destruction of the goods, in addition to facing possible administrative penalties for non-compliance.

To avoid this situation, the company must verify, before each operation, that the zone and product category of its US supplier continues to be listed as authorized in Annexes V, XIII or XIV of Regulation 2021/404 in its version updated by Regulation 2026/914.

What should companies do now?

1. Immediately review the updated Annexes V, XIII and XIV of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404, in the version modified by Regulation 2026/914, to verify whether the zones and product categories of your suppliers in Botswana, Canada, United Kingdom or United States remain authorized.
2. Communicate to affected suppliers any changes in authorizations that may affect shipments already contracted or in preparation, to avoid shipments that will be rejected at the border.
3. Alert your customs agent or freight forwarder that there is a regulatory modification in force since 21 April 2026 that may affect the clearance of shipments of animals or animal products from these four countries.
4. Review purchase contracts with suppliers from these countries to identify force majeure or regulatory adaptation clauses that may apply if a zone becomes restricted.
5. Consult with a specialist advisor in animal health and foreign trade if there are doubts about whether a specific product category or zone remains authorized, especially for high-value or high-volume shipments.
6. Monitor future updates to Regulation 2021/404, as the lists of authorized countries and zones are updated frequently.