Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1169 of 1 June 2026 amending Annex VIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 as regards the entries for Montenegro and Serbia in the list of third countries or territories, or zones thereof authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of dogs, cats and ferrets
Date: 2026-06-01
Institutions: Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission
Subjects: Montenegro, Serbia, disease prevention, domestic animal, health certificate, import (EU), rabies, veterinary inspection








L_202601169EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
L series













2026/1169


12.6.2026







            COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2026/1169
of 1 June 2026
         
amending Annex VIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 as regards the entries for Montenegro and Serbia in the list of third countries or territories, or zones thereof authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of dogs, cats and ferrets
(Text with EEA relevance)


THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,


Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on transmissible animal diseases and amending and repealing certain acts in the area of animal health (‘Animal Health Law’) (1), and in particular Article 230(1) thereof,

Whereas:







(1)


Regulation (EU) 2016/429 provides that consignments of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin must come from a third country or territory, or zone or compartment thereof, listed in accordance with Article 230(1) of that Regulation in order to enter into the Union.












(2)


Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 (2) lays down the animal health requirements that consignments of certain species and categories of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin, from third countries or territories, or zones thereof, or compartments thereof in the case of aquaculture animals, must comply with in order to enter into the Union. In particular, Article 76 of that Delegated Regulation sets out the specific requirements as regards consignments of dogs, cats and ferrets intended for entry into the Union, including in paragraph 1, point (b) of that Article, the rabies antibody titration test requirements for such animals.












(3)


Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 (3) lays down the lists of third countries or territories, or zones thereof, from which the entry into the Union of the particular species and categories of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin concerned is permitted. Those lists and certain general rules concerning those lists are set out in Annexes I to XXII to that Implementing Regulation.












(4)


The table in Part 1 of Annex VIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 sets out the list of third countries or territories, or zones thereof, authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of dogs, cats and ferrets. Montenegro and Serbia appear in that list with an assigned specific condition, in column 5 of that table, ‘rabies antibody titration test’. This requires dogs, cats and ferrets of any consignments from those third countries to have undergone a valid rabies antibody titration test in accordance with Article 76(1), point (b), of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 before entering into the Union. Montenegro and Serbia have now requested to be listed without that specific condition in column 5 of the table in Part 1 of Annex VIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404, and they have provided sufficient evidence and guarantees to the Commission substantiating that request. Annex VIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 should, therefore, be amended accordingly.












(5)


Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 should, therefore, be amended accordingly.












(6)


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





HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:



Article 1
Annex VIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.


Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force on the seventh day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.




This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 1 June 2026.


For the Commission


The President

Ursula VON DER LEYEN
            





(1)  
            OJ L 84, 31.3.2016, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/429/oj.

(2)  Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 of 30 January 2020 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards rules for entry into the Union, and the movement and handling after entry of consignments of certain animals, germinal products and products of animal origin (OJ L 174, 3.6.2020, p. 379, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2020/692/oj).

(3)  Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 of 24 March 2021 laying down the lists of third countries, territories or zones thereof from which the entry into the Union of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin is permitted in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 114, 31.3.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2021/404/oj).




ANNEX
Annex VIII, Part 1, to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 is amended as follows:






(a)


the entry for Montenegro is replaced by the following:












‘ME

Montenegro


ME-0


Dogs, cats and ferrets for commercial purposes


CANIS-FELIS-FERRETS’


 


 


 


 














(b)


the entry for Serbia is replaced by the following:












‘RS

Serbia


RS-0


Dogs, cats and ferrets for commercial purposes


CANIS-FELIS-FERRETS’


 


 


 


 











ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/1169/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)