Castilla y León lifts the additional restriction zone due to Newcastle disease outbreaks

The General Directorate of Agricultural and Livestock Production of the Junta de Castilla y León has lifted the Additional Restriction Zone (ZRA) established as a result of the Newcastle disease (ND) outbreaks declared in the community during 2026. The decision is formalized in the Resolution of November 4, 2026, published in the Official Gazette of Castilla y León no. 216, of November 9, 2026, and takes effect from November 8.

The ZRA was created by the Resolution of July 31, 2026, of the General Directorate of Agricultural and Livestock Production, as a complementary measure for sanitary control, prevention, and epidemiological surveillance against the outbreaks declared in Castilla y León. Its territorial scope was adjusted through three subsequent resolutions, dated September 14, September 28, and October 16, 2026, as measures were lifted in the protection zones (ZP) and surveillance zones (ZV) associated with each outbreak.

The applied framework is Regulation (EU) 2016/429, on animal health, and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, which develops the rules for the prevention and control of listed diseases. The creation of the ZRA was based on Article 64 of the first regulation and Article 21.1.c) of the second, and the resolution is issued under the authorization of the third final provision of Order AGR/36/2024, of January 15.

An additional restriction born in July and adjusted three times

The outbreaks that prompted the ZRA were declared between June and August 2026 and were numbered from 2026/7 to 2026/35. They affected holdings in five provinces, with a special concentration in the surroundings of Íscar, Olmedo, and Medina del Campo (Valladolid):

• Valladolid: Aldea de San Miguel, Montemayor de Pililla, Íscar, La Pedraja de Portillo, Olmedo, Megeces, Alcazarén, Cogeces del Monte, Villamarciel, and San Vicente del Palacio.
• Segovia: Remondo, Gomezserracín, Cuéllar, Navas de Oro, and Santiuste de San Juan Bautista.
• Ávila: Narros del Castillo, Nava de Arévalo, and Arévalo (outbreak 2026/34, declared on August 5, and outbreak 2026/35, declared on August 21).
• Salamanca: Rágama and Paradinas de San Juan.
• Zamora: Peleagonzalo.

The last published annex, corresponding to the resolution of October 16, established the ZRA in the veterinary units of Arévalo and San Pedro del Arroyo (Ávila); Cantalejo, Carbonero el Mayor, Cuéllar, and Santa María la Real de Nieva (Segovia); Peñaranda de Bracamonte (Salamanca); Medina del Campo, Olmedo, Peñafiel, Tordesillas, and Valladolid (Valladolid); and Toro (Zamora).

Surveillance without active circulation of the virus

During the validity of the RZ (Restricted Zone), the sanitary slaughter of affected holdings, the disposal of risk materials, the cleaning and disinfection of facilities, active and passive epidemiological surveillance, and official controls on the movement of birds and poultry products were carried out. The resolution states that the epidemiological evolution has been favorable and that no evidence of active virus circulation has been found outside the areas subject to specific measures.

For the lifting of each zone, compliance with the requirements of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 was verified: sanitary controls in the PZs (Protection Zones) in accordance with Article 39, a minimum period of 30 days of maintaining measures in the SZs (Surveillance Zones) in accordance with Article 55 and Annex XI, biosecurity surveys, and visits from Official Veterinary Services with favorable result reports.

The resolution further emphasizes that during the application period of the RZ, no new outbreaks were detected that would justify maintaining additional territorial measures, which allowed for a progressive withdrawal of the extraordinary restrictions.

What ceases to apply and what remains in force

The resolution declares the end of the specific control measures, reinforced surveillance, movement control, and biosecurity linked exclusively to the RZ, as well as those establishing its territorial delimitation. In contrast, it maintains in full force the measures applicable to the PZs and SZs of the outbreak declared in Fuente el Olmo de Fuentidueña (Segovia), which remain subject to the specific regime of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 until the scheduled deadlines expire.

The text was signed in Valladolid on November 4, 2026, by the Director General of Agricultural and Livestock Production, Juan José García García, and does not exhaust the administrative route: an administrative appeal (recurso de alzada) may be filed against it before the head of the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Environment, and Environmental Policy within one month from the day following its publication.

The end of the RZ restores normality regarding the movement of birds and poultry products to the holdings of the affected veterinary units, which as of November 8 are no longer subject to the reinforced surveillance and biosecurity regime. The poultry sector of Castilla y León thus closes the 2026 Newcastle episode with a single outbreak still under monitoring, that of Segovia, whose associated restricted zones remain operational.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla y León, no. 216, November 9, 2026, section I.D Other Provisions, pp. 286-288 (official reference: BOCYL-D-09112026-216-27).