Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2188 of 1 October 2026 amending Annexes II and IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 as regards the entries for Egypt, the United Kingdom and Uruguay in the lists of third countries or territories, or zones thereof, authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of certain ungulates and certain categories of equine animals

of 1 October 2026

amending Annexes II and IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 as regards the entries for Egypt, the United Kingdom and Uruguay in the lists of third countries or territories, or zones thereof, authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of certain ungulates and certain categories of equine animals

(Text with EEA relevance)

Preamble

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on transmissible animal diseases and amending and repealing certain acts in the area of animal health (‘Animal Health Law’) ¹ , and in particular Article 230(1) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Regulation (EU) 2016/429 lays down, inter alia, the animal health requirements for the entry into the Union of consignments of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin. One of those animal health requirements is that those consignments must come from a third country or territory, or zone or compartment thereof, listed in accordance with Article 230(1) of that Regulation.

(2) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 ² supplements Regulation (EU) 2016/429 as regards the animal health requirements for the entry into the Union of consignments of certain species and categories of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin from third countries or territories, or zones or compartments thereof. Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 provides that consignments of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin falling within its scope are only to be permitted to enter the Union if they come from a third country or territory, or zone or compartment thereof, listed for the particular species and categories of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin.

(3) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 ³ lays down the lists of third countries or territories, or zones or compartments thereof, from which the entry into the Union of consignments of species and categories of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin, that fall within the scope of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692, is permitted. The lists and certain general rules concerning the lists are set out in Annexes I to XXII to that Implementing Regulation.

(4) Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 sets out the list of third countries or territories, or zones thereof, authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of ungulates, other than equine animals and ungulates intended for confined establishments. In the entries for the zones GB-1 and GB-2 in the United Kingdom as regards ovine and caprine animals there is a reference to a model animal health/official certificate for the entry into Northern Ireland of ovine and caprine animals from Great Britain (‘OV/CAP-X-NI’ model) set out in Chapter 4a of Annex II to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/403 ⁴ . The ‘OV/CAP-X-NI’ model certificate was applicable until 31 December 2024 and deleted from Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/403 by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/544 ⁵ . It is therefore necessary to also delete the references to that model certificate from the entries for the United Kingdom, in column 5 of the table in Part 1 of Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404. Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(5) Annex IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 sets out the list of third countries or territories, or zones thereof, authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of equine animals.

(6) Egypt is listed in Annex IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404, assigned to Sanitary Group E, regionalised as the zones EG-1 and EG-2 to certain northern governorates and authorised for entry into the Union of registered horses from those zones. In June 2026, Egypt requested the Commission to authorise the re-entry into the Union of registered horses from a new zone established for the purpose of the show jumping, the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT), taking place in Giza on 22–24 October 2026 and provided the Commission with guarantees as regards the establishment of an equine disease free zone for that purpose.

(7) After evaluation of the documentation provided by Egypt, the Commission concluded that the guarantees offered by the Egyptian central competent authority are sufficient to authorise the re-entry into the Union of registered horses from that new zone EG-3 in Egypt after their participation in the LGCT in Giza.

(8) In order to authorise the re-entry into the Union between 15 October and 14 November 2026 of the registered horses after their temporary export for the purpose of taking part in the LGCT in Giza in Egypt, it is necessary to list for that temporary period the zone EG-3 in Part 1 and insert a description of the zone EG-3 in Part 2 of Annex IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 for that third country.

(9) Moreover, Article 22(2), point (b), of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 provides that consignments of equine animals are only to be permitted to enter the Union if the animals of the consignment originate from a third country or territory, or zone thereof, where none of the listed diseases referred to in the table set out in point 3 of Part A of Annex IV has been reported during a certain time period also referred to therein. For surra ( Trypanosoma evansi ), that minimum period corresponds to 24 months at least. At the same time, in accordance with Article 22(3) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692, that period may be reduced for diseases included in Part B of Annex IV under the relevant specific conditions referred therein. For surra ( Trypanosoma evansi ), such specific conditions relate to no infection with this disease being reported in the establishment of origin of equine animals for a period of at least the 6 months prior to the date of the equine animal’s dispatch to the Union and to a surveillance programme, recognised by the Commission, demonstrating the absence of infection in that establishment of origin during the period of 6 months during which no surra ( Trypanosoma evansi ) has been reported.

(10) Uruguay is currently listed in Part 1 of Annex IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404, assigned to Sanitary Group D, and authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of registered horses, registered equidae, other equine animals not for slaughter, and equine animals for slaughter. On 2 June 2026, Uruguay has provided details of the surveillance programme for surra ( Trypanosoma evansi ) in accordance with Part B of Annex IV to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692. The Commission has evaluated that programme positively in accordance with Article 10(1), point (b), of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692.

(11) In light of the positive evaluation of the surveillance programme for surra ( Trypanosoma evansi ) submitted by Uruguay, the entry into the Union of consignments of equine animals from that third country should be authorised under a specific condition regarding additional risk-mitigating measures for surra ( Trypanosoma evansi ). In accordance with Article 4(2) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692, such specific conditions are required to be assigned by the Union in the list to the listed third country or territory, or zone thereof and to the particular species and category of animals. Therefore, the specific condition ‘Surra-programme’, demonstrating Uruguay’s compliance with the requirements of Part B of Annex IV to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692, should be inserted in column 6 of the table in Part 1 of Annex IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 for that third country.

(12) Annex IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 should therefore be amended accordingly.

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

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Annexes II and IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 are amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union .

Final provisions

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 1 October 2026. For the Commission The President Ursula VON DER LEYEN

¹ OJ L 84, 31.3.2016, p. 1 , ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/429/oj .

² Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 of 30 January 2020 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards rules for entry into the Union, and the movement and handling after entry of consignments of certain animals, germinal products and products of animal origin ( OJ L 174, 3.6.2020, p. 379 , ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2020/692/oj ).

³ Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 of 24 March 2021 laying down the lists of third countries, territories or zones thereof from which the entry into the Union of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin is permitted in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and the Council ( OJ L 114, 31.3.2021, p. 1 , ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2021/404/oj ).

⁴ Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/403 of 24 March 2021 laying down rules for the application of Regulations (EU) 2016/429 and (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards model animal health certificates and model animal health/official certificates, for the entry into the Union and movements between Member States of consignments of certain categories of terrestrial animals and germinal products thereof, official certification regarding such certificates and repealing Decision 2010/470/EU ( OJ L 113, 31.3.2021, p. 1 , ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2021/403/oj ).

⁵ Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/544 of 25 March 2025 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/403 as regards model animal health certificates and model animal health/official certificates for the entry into the Union of consignments of certain categories of terrestrial animals and germinal products thereof ( OJ L, 2025/544, 22.4.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/544/oj ).

Annexes II and IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 are amended as follows:

(1) in Annex II, Part 1, the entry for the United Kingdom is replaced by the following:

(2) Annex IV is amended as follows:

Footnotes

1. , ELI: . ↩ ↩²

2. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 of 30 January 2020 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards rules for entry into the Union, and the movement and handling after entry of consignments of certain animals, germinal products and products of animal origin (, ELI: ). ↩ ↩²

3. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 of 24 March 2021 laying down the lists of third countries, territories or zones thereof from which the entry into the Union of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin is permitted in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and the Council (, ELI: ). ↩ ↩²

4. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/403 of 24 March 2021 laying down rules for the application of Regulations (EU) 2016/429 and (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards model animal health certificates and model animal health/official certificates, for the entry into the Union and movements between Member States of consignments of certain categories of terrestrial animals and germinal products thereof, official certification regarding such certificates and repealing Decision 2010/470/EU (, ELI: ). ↩ ↩²

5. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/544 of 25 March 2025 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/403 as regards model animal health certificates and model animal health/official certificates for the entry into the Union of consignments of certain categories of terrestrial animals and germinal products thereof (). ↩ ↩²