Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1228 of 11 June 2026 amending Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636 to include Montenegro and Serbia in the list of third countries or territories referred to in Article 17(1), point (b), of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131
Date: 2026-06-11
Institutions: Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission
Subjects: Montenegro, Serbia, domestic animal, health certificate, live animal, rabies, surveillance concerning imports, transport of animals, vaccination, veterinary inspection








L_202601228EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
L series













2026/1228


12.6.2026







            COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2026/1228
of 11 June 2026
         
amending Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636 to include Montenegro and Serbia in the list of third countries or territories referred to in Article 17(1), point (b), of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131
(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 253(1), point (d), thereof,

Whereas:







(1)


Regulation (EU) 2016/429 lays down rules for the prevention and control of animal diseases that are transmissible to animals or to humans, including among other things, the animal health requirements applicable to non-commercial movements of pet animals into a Member State from a third country or territory.












(2)


Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 (2) supplements Regulation (EU) 2016/429 as regards animal health requirements for non-commercial movements of pet animals. Article 17(1), point (b), of that Delegated Regulation provides that pet dogs, pet cats or pet ferrets may be moved for non-commercial purposes into the Union without having undergone an antibody titration test provided that the animals are moved from a third country or territory which has demonstrated, in an application to the Commission, that it fulfils at least the specific criteria relating to rabies, laid down in that provision.












(3)


Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636 (3) establishes, in Annex II thereto, the list of third countries or territories referred to in Article 17(1), point (b), of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131.












(4)


Montenegro and Serbia have both submitted an application on their status with regard to rabies, as well as information concerning compliance with the criteria laid down in Article 17(1), point (b), of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131. From the assessment of these applications, it can be concluded that Montenegro and Serbia comply with the relevant criteria laid down in that Delegated Regulation and should therefore be included in the list set out in Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636.












(5)


Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636 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 II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636 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, 11 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) 2026/131 of 20 January 2026 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council, as regards animal health requirements for non-commercial movement of pet animals (OJ L, 2026/131, 27.3.2026, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2026/131/oj).

(3)  Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636 of 20 March 2026 adopting lists of third countries or territories that comply with certain conditions for non-commercial movements of pet animals (OJ L, 2026/636, 27.3.2026, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/636/oj).




ANNEX
Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636 is amended as follows:






(a)


the following entry is inserted between the entry for Saint Lucia and the entry for Montserrat:







‘ME


Montenegro’


 














(b)


the following entry is inserted between the entry for Saint Pierre and Miquelon and the entry for Singapore:







‘RS


Serbia’


 











ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/1228/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)