Foot and mouth: suspension of beef from Botswana

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/914 of 21 April 2026 amending Annexes V, XIII and XIV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 as regards the entries for Botswana, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States in the lists of third countries, territories, or zones thereof authorised for the entry into the Union of consignments of certain animals and products of animal origin

Update

Following a new outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Botswana, the European Union (EU) has suspended imports of beef from the zones of the country that were still authorised to export to the EU (zones BW-1, BW-2, BW-3, and BW-5). As a result, all exports of beef to the EU from Botswana have been suspended.

Impacted Products

Beef

What is changing?

Beef can only be exported from countries, or in some cases specific regions within a country, that have been authorised and listed by the EU (Regulation 2021/404, Annex XIII).

Several regions of Botswana were authorised by the EU as meeting the animal health requirements for the export of matured and de-boned beef.

However, due to a new outbreak of FMD confirmed on 1 April 2026 in the region of Barolong, the EU has suspended imports of beef from those zones that were still authorised: BW-1, BW-2, BW-3, and BW-5. As a result, all exports of beef to the EU from Botswana have been suspended.

Why?

Following notification of the FMD outbreak by Botswana, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) suspended the status of several zones in the country as “FMD-Freezones where vaccination is not practised”. The only EU-approved slaughterhouse in Botswana is in the region of Barolong, where the FMD outbreak occurred. Due to the risk of introducing FMD into the EU, and as EU rules do not allow the transport of animals from the farm to the slaughterhouse through zones not listed for exports to the EU (Delegated Regulation 2020/692, Art. 124(c)), consignments of beef from Botswana are no longer authorised.

Timeline

No consignments of beef from Botswana slaughtered and certified after 1 April 2026 may enter the EU market.

Consignments certified before 1 April 2026 are permitted onto the EU market until 29 June 2026 (90 days).

Background

This suspension of exports follows measures relating to FMD in Botswana taken by the EU in November 2023 (see Animal health list: identification of ungulates; and amended veterinary disease control zones in Botswana) and February 2026 (see Foot and mouth: restrictions on fresh beef from Botswana).

The EU’s Animal Health Law (Regulation 2016/429) provides a framework for monitoring animal health issues and responding to risks. To export products of animal origin to the EU, non-EU countries must demonstrate that they meet EU animal health requirements in relation to particular species and categories of animals or products.

Regulation 2020/692 sets out the animal health requirements for imports into the EU.

Regulation 2021/404 establishes the list of authorised non-EU countries (“third countries”) that meet the EU’s animal health requirements. The list is regularly updated, for example if there is an outbreak of a notifiable disease, or an improvement in the animal health situation, within a country.

Regulation 2021/405 (Art. 3) states that to export fresh meat to the EU, countries must be listed both in Regulation 2021/404, Annex XIII and Regulation 2021/405, Annex -I (see Lists of non-EU countries for public health and animal health – explained).

In addition, from 3 September 2026, non-EU countries must also be authorised and listed in relation to the use of antimicrobials (Regulation 2024/2598; see List of non-EU countries compliant with new EU antimicrobial requirements).

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