EU tightens avian flu controls after Swedish outbreak, suspends US poultry

The European Commission has moved to contain a fresh outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Swedish poultry and to recalibrate import rules for poultry from the United States and Canada, in two legal acts published in the Official Journal of the European Union of 24 August 2026. Both measures, adopted in Brussels on 21 August 2026, are grounded in Regulation (EU) 2016/429, the Union’s Animal Health Law.

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1958 amends the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2447, which lays down emergency measures against HPAI outbreaks in Member States. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1959 updates the lists of third countries authorised to export poultry and poultry products to the Union, set out in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404.

Swedish outbreak triggers restricted zones

Sweden notified the Commission of an HPAI outbreak in an establishment where poultry were kept in the Tanum Municipality, following the last amendment of the Annex by Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1944. The Commission examined the disease-control measures taken by Stockholm and confirmed that the boundaries of the zones were at a sufficient distance from the affected establishment.

The Annex now lists, for the first time, protection and surveillance zones for Sweden, identified under ADIS reference SE-HPAI(P)-2026-00003:

• A protection zone covering parts of the municipality of Tanum within a three-kilometre radius, centred on WGS84 coordinates N 58.807525 and E 11.194736, applicable until 7 September 2026.
• A surveillance zone extending across parts of the municipalities of Tanum and Strömstad within a ten-kilometre radius, applicable until 16 September 2026.

The Decision, addressed to the Member States, was signed by Commission member Olivér Várhelyi.

US imports suspended after South Dakota outbreak

On 14 August 2026 the United States notified the Commission of a new HPAI outbreak in poultry in the state of South Dakota, confirmed on 12 August 2026 by RT-PCR laboratory analysis. Washington established a restricted zone of at least ten kilometres around the affected establishment and applied a stamping-out policy.

In response, the Commission suspended the entry into the Union of consignments of poultry and germinal products of poultry, and of fresh meat of poultry and game birds, from the new zone US-2.1402, located in Beadle County, South Dakota, within a ten-kilometre radius. The Regulation was signed by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Canadian and US zones re-authorised

The same Regulation re-authorises imports from zones where earlier outbreaks have been resolved. Canada submitted updated information on two outbreaks in the province of Saskatchewan, confirmed on 12 December 2025 and 12 May 2026, leading to the re-authorisation of zones CA-2.325 and CA-2.337. The United States provided data on 51 outbreaks across Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Dakota, confirmed between 14 October 2025 and 26 June 2026, allowing the re-authorisation of the corresponding US zones.

The Regulation also corrects an omission in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1140, inserting the previously missing zones US-2.1375 to US-2.1379 into Annexes V and XIV.

Source: Official Journal of the European Union, L series, 24 August 2026 (official references: CELEX L_202601958 and CELEX L_202601959).