Brussels suspends US poultry imports from three states over avian influenza

The European Commission has suspended the entry into the Union of consignments of poultry, germinal products of poultry and fresh meat of poultry and game birds from the areas of the United States affected by six new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The decision is contained in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2149 of 21 September 2026, published in the Official Journal of the European Union, L series, on 22 September 2026 (CELEX: L_202602149).

A notification from Washington and six confirmed outbreaks

The United States notified the Commission on 11 September 2026 of six new HPAI outbreaks in poultry in the states of South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota. The outbreaks were confirmed by laboratory analysis (RT-PCR) between 4 September and 10 September 2026.

Following those outbreaks, the US veterinary authority notified the establishment of restricted zones of at least 10 km around the affected establishments and the implementation of a stamping-out policy to control the presence of HPAI and limit its spread. Washington also submitted further information on the epidemiological situation on its territory and on the measures taken.

The Commission evaluated that information and concluded that entry had to be suspended in order to protect the animal health status of the Union, taking into account the dates on which the outbreaks were confirmed.

The six restricted zones

The regulation amends Annexes V and XIV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404, adding the zones US-2.1407 to US-2.1412 after the existing zone US-2.1406. Each is a circular zone with a 10 km radius:

• US-2.1407 — Edmunds 21, Edmunds County, South Dakota (outbreak confirmed 4.9.2026).
• US-2.1408 — McPherson 17, McPherson County, South Dakota (9.9.2026).
• US-2.1409 — Turner 03, Turner County, South Dakota (9.9.2026).
• US-2.1410 — Lamoure 08, Lamoure County, North Dakota (4.9.2026).
• US-2.1411 — Otter Tail 16, Otter Tail County, Minnesota (10.9.2026).
• US-2.1412 — Becker 15, Becker County, Minnesota (10.9.2026).

What is blocked and when it takes effect

Annex V sets out the lists of third countries, territories or zones authorised for the entry of consignments of poultry and germinal products of poultry; Annex XIV covers fresh meat of poultry and game birds. The amended entries suspend the entry of commodities identified by the codes BPP, BPR, DOC, DOR, SP, SR, POU-LT20, HEP, HER and HE-LT20, and of POU, RAT and GBM.

The regulation enters into force on the day following that of its publication, that is 23 September 2026, and is binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. It was adopted in Brussels on 21 September 2026 and signed for the Commission by its President, Ursula von der Leyen. The measures are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, and the text carries EEA relevance.

The legal basis is Regulation (EU) 2016/429 on transmissible animal diseases (the Animal Health Law), in particular Articles 230(1) and 232(1), point (b), together with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404.

Why it matters

The Commission states that the amendments had to take effect as a matter of urgency, so the suspension applies from the day after publication rather than after a transition period. For EU importers and veterinary authorities, the practical effect is that no consignments of poultry, hatching eggs, day-old chicks, germinal products or fresh poultry and game bird meat may enter the Union from the six named counties until the United States restores its HPAI-free status in those areas. For producers in South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota, the measure closes the EU market for the affected zones with immediate effect.

Source: Official Journal of the European Union, L series, No 2026/2149, 22 September 2026, p. 1 (official reference: CELEX L_202602149).