European Union Enacts Import Ban on Poultry and Germinal Products from North America and the UK

BRUSSELS, Belgium — October 12, 2026 — The European Commission has published Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2268, establishing targeted suspensions on imports of live poultry, hatching eggs, and fresh poultry meat originating from specific high-density commercial production zones across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The safeguard measures follow confirmed outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) strains H5N1 and H5N5 across key commercial flyways.

Targeted Zones and Epidemiological Triggers

The trade restrictions modify Annexes V and XIV of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404, amending the list of authorized third-country production zones permitted to export poultry commodities into the 27-member bloc:

• Canada (Zones CA-2.343, CA-2.344, CA-2.345): Enacts suspensions following confirmed commercial flock incursions across Manitoba and Alberta, establishing 3-kilometer protection and 10-kilometer surveillance zones around affected premises.

• United States (Zones US-2.1420, US-2.1421): Imposes immediate import halts covering commercial production units in Stearns County, Minnesota and Jay County, Indiana following primary index detections.

• United Kingdom (Zone GB-2.471): Restricts consignments originating from a 10-kilometer radius zone surrounding an officially confirmed H5N5 outbreak on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland.

Biosecurity & Sanitary Standards Requirements

Under the provisions of the regulation, the regionalized suspensions will remain active until the veterinary authorities of Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom complete mandatory depopulation, biosecure carcass disposal, and secondary preliminary disinfection protocols on all affected premises. European border control posts (BCPs) have been instructed to enforce immediate rejections of non-cleared consignments to prevent viral introduction into European commercial flocks.