Aragón declares Newcastle vaccination mandatory in poultry farms

The Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Food of the Government of Aragon has declared preventive vaccination against Newcastle disease mandatory in all poultry production and breeding farms in the community. The decision is formalized in the Resolution of October 16, 2026, of the Directorate General for Food Quality and Safety, published in the Official Gazette of Aragon number 204, of October 21, 2026 (reference BOA20261021025), and takes effect from the day following its publication.

The regulation is based on the consideration of Newcastle disease as a viral pathology of high contagiousness and of mandatory notification to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). Regulation (EU) 2018/1882 categorizes it as a “category A” disease for the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 empowers the competent authorities to strengthen epidemiological surveillance. At the state level, Royal Decree 779/2023 includes it among the diseases subject to mandatory official notification, while Law 8/2003, of April 24, on animal health enables the competent authority to adopt measures against the risk of spread.

The trigger: outbreaks in bordering communities

The text justifies the measure based on the declaration of multiple Newcastle outbreaks since late 2025 in farms in the Valencian Community and Castile and León, a situation that has led neighboring communities to reinforce their own requirements:

• Valencian Community: resolutions of July 1 and October 7, 2026, from the Directorate General for Agricultural and Livestock Production regarding epidemiological surveillance, control of vaccine immunity, and biosecurity.
• Castile and León: Resolution of July 2, 2026, with mandatory vaccination implemented progressively from August 1 in Valladolid and Segovia and extended to the entire community from September 1.
• Castile-La Mancha: Resolution of September 9, 2026, from the Directorate General for Agricultural Planning, which imposes vaccination in all poultry farms in the region.
• Catalonia: plans to also establish mandatory vaccination in its territory.

Aragon argues that the geographical proximity of these outbreaks, the virus’s capacity for diffusion to domestic and wild birds, and the intensity of commercial movements constitute a real risk of introduction, regardless of whether there are active outbreaks in the region.

What the resolution mandates and for whom

Vaccination must be applied according to the schedule set by the manufacturer for each authorized vaccine, ensuring an “adequate and sustained” level of immunization across all flocks. The scope of application presents these limits and obligations:

• It affects all poultry production and breeding farms in Aragon.
• Farms intended for self-consumption are excluded.
• Owners must keep documentation proving compliance with the vaccination schedule available to the official veterinary services.
• They must comply with the surveillance and biosecurity obligations of Royal Decree 346/2025, of April 22.

The resolution emphasizes that the measure does not impose restrictions on movements or the productive activity of the farms, and defines it as an “adequate and proportionate” action of a permanent nature. Competence lies with the General Directorate of Food Quality and Safety, which, through the Animal Health Service, performs the functions of prevention, control, surveillance, and eradication of zoonoses in accordance with Decree 32/2024, of February 28, and article 71.17 of Organic Law 5/2007 of the Statute of Autonomy.

Appeal and Entry into Force

Against the resolution, which does not exhaust the administrative route, an appeal for reversal may be filed before the Counselor of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food within a maximum period of one month from the day following its publication, according to articles 121 and 122 of Law 39/2015. The document was signed in Zaragoza on October 16, 2026, by the Director General of Food Quality and Safety, Enrique Novales Allué.

The measure fully affects the Aragonese poultry sector, which from now on assumes a permanent health cost in all its production and breeding farms, and comes at a time when three neighboring communities have already shielded their livestock counts with the same requirement. The stated objective is to prevent the disease from reaching Aragonese farms and thus protect the poultry livestock and the agri-food chain of the community.

Source: Official Gazette of Aragon, no. 204, October 21, 2026, section III. Other Provisions and Agreements (official reference: BOA20261021025).