Commission Decision 2007/777/EC2 lays down animal and public health rules for imports into the Union and the transit and storage in the Union of consignments of meat products and treated stomachs, bladders and intestines (‘the commodities’).

Part 1 of Annex II to Decision 2007/777/EC describes the areas of third countries for which the introduction into the Union of the commodities is restricted for animal health reasons and for which regionalisation is applied. Part 2 of that Annex sets out a list of third countries or parts thereof from which the introduction into the Union of the commodities is authorised, provided that the commodities have undergone the relevant treatment, as set out in Part 4 of that Annex.

Canada is listed in Part 2 of Annex II to Decision 2007/777/EC as a third country from which imports into and transit through the Union of commodities obtained from poultry, farmed feathered game and wild game birds are authorised from the whole territory or certain parts of its territory. The regionalisation of Canada was recognised by Decision 2007/777/EC as amended by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/2043 following outbreaks of HPAI in poultry in the Province of British Columbia in Canada. Decision 2007/777/EC provides that commodities from the affected area may be authorised for introduction into the Union after being subjected to treatment ‘D’ as set out in Part 4 of Annex II to Decision 2007/777/EC (‘treatment D’).

Canada confirmed a new outbreak of HPAI in poultry in the Province of Ontario during April 2015. The veterinary authorities of Canada immediately suspended issuing veterinary certificates for consignments of the concerned commodities intended for introduction to the Union from the entire territory of Canada due to this new outbreak. Canada has also implemented a stamping-out policy in order to control HPAI and limit its spread.

An Agreement between the Union and Canada4 provides for a swift mutual recognition of regionalisation measures in the event of outbreaks of disease in the Union or in Canada (‘the Agreement’).

Based on the new outbreak of HPAI in Canada in the Province of Ontario, commodities obtained from poultry, farmed feathered game and wild game birds from those parts of that Province that the veterinary authorities of Canada have placed under restrictions should undergo at least ‘treatment D’ in order to prevent the introduction of the HPAI virus into the Union.

In relation to HPAI outbreaks in British Columbia regionalisation of the Canadian territory was also recognised by Commission Regulation (EC) No 798/20085, as amended by Commission Implementing Regulations (EU) 2015/1986 and (EU) 2015/9087 for imports of certain poultry commodities falling within the scope of that Regulation.

For reasons of consistency, the description of the territories in Part 1 of Annex II to Decision 2007/777/EC should refer to the regionalisation as described in column 3 of the table in Part 1 of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 798/2008 subject to the dates referred to in columns 6A and 6B of that table.

Part 1 of Annex II to Decision 2007/777/EC should therefore be amended.

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