This Week in Agri-Food — Brussels (#31, 2026)
Regulation (EU) 2026/1278 updates hazardous chemical listings; new health certificate model for NZ animal products; emergency animal disease controls in DE, BG, RO; phytosanitary risk procedures clarified.
August 09, 2026 to August 15, 2026
Regulation (EU) 2026/1278 updates hazardous chemical listings; new health certificate model for NZ animal products; emergency animal disease controls in DE, BG, RO; phytosanitary risk procedures clarified.
📋 In This Week's Newsletter
• ⚖️ EU Legislation
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week
EU Legislation (Official Journal)
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1278 updates hazardous chemical and pesticide listings
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1278, adopted on 9 June 2026 and published on 12 August 2026, amends and corrects Regulation (EU) No 649/2012 concerning the export and import of hazardous chemicals. The regulation updates Annex I and V to include new substances, reflecting recent bans and regulatory changes affecting pesticides and industrial chemicals such as carbendazim, metribuzin, and Dechlorane Plus. Several chemicals are added or amended due to withdrawals by industry from approval processes under Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, as well as alignment with REACH and persistent organic pollutants frameworks. The entry into force is set for 1 October 2026.
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1936 sets new rules for imports from New Zealand
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1936 of 5 August 2026 lays down new certification requirements and a model health certificate for consignments of live animals and animal products from New Zealand determined as equivalent to Union standards. The Decision, published on 12 August 2026, repeals Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/1901. It incorporates new provisions reflecting Regulations (EU) 2017/625 and 2016/429, including requirements around antimicrobial use and electronic certification, with a transitional period for compliance until 3 March 2027.
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1195 details high-risk plant listing procedures
Adopted 5 June 2026 and published 14 August 2026, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1195 supplements Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 by establishing detailed procedures for listing high-risk plants, plant products, or objects. It defines requirements for technical dossiers from Member States or Commission initiatives, the role of a preliminary assessment group with experts from EFSA and Member States, and provisions for confidentiality of certain information. The regulation applies from the twentieth day after publication.
Emergency disease measures updated for Bulgaria and Romania: sheep pox and goat pox controls
On 10 August 2026, the Commission adopted Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1943, amending Decision (EU) 2026/1108 for Romania, and Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1945, amending Decision (EU) 2025/1160 for Bulgaria. Both measures respond to new outbreaks of sheep pox and goat pox by adjusting the areas and durations of protection, surveillance, and further restricted zones in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687. The zones and measures are updated to reflect epidemiological developments as notified by the respective Member States.
eur-lex.europa.eu | eur-lex.europa.eu
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1944 updates avian influenza controls in Germany
Published 11 August 2026, Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1944 amends the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2447 in response to new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Lower Saxony, Germany. The update defines revised protection and surveillance zones as required under Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, following disease notifications and control measures enacted by German authorities.
Amendments to EU–Switzerland Veterinary Agreement: animal health and antimicrobial provisions
Decision No 1/2026 of the Joint Veterinary Committee, adopted 24 July 2026, amends Appendices 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 10 to Annex 11 of the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products. The amendments align animal health and official controls provisions with latest EU regulations, establish integration of Switzerland in EU information management systems, and update rules on antimicrobial usage in productive animals. The changes take effect from 1 September 2026.
What We're Reading This Week
- Breakfast looks a lot more expensive under new EU pesticide plans: New EU pesticide regulations threaten to drive up the cost of common breakfast foods across Europe.
