Peste of Small Ruminants in Romania 2026: What Livestock Farmers and Importers Must Do

Key data

If your company imports live animals, genetic material, or products derived from sheep and goats from Romania, this regulation affects you from 17 June 2026. Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1387 modifies Decision 2025/638, which already established emergency measures against peste des petits ruminants (PPR) in Romanian territory. The adjustment responds to the epidemiological evolution of the disease on the ground.

Spain, as a country importing live animals and derived products, must ensure that its border and health controls incorporate the new restrictions from the date of entry into force.

What does this regulation establish?

PPR (peste des petits ruminants) is a highly contagious viral disease that affects exclusively sheep and goats, with very high mortality rates. Its control in the EU is based on strict restrictions on animal movement to prevent spread between farms and between Member States.

Decision 2026/1387 modifies the previous emergency rule (2025/638) to adapt it to the current epidemiological situation in Romania. The adjustments may include:

• Update of the restricted geographic zones within Romania (expansion or reduction according to outbreak evolution).
• Modification of the periods of application of emergency measures.
• Review of the animal health control protocols applicable to sheep and goat movements.
• Update of the conditions for intra-community trade of these species from Romania.

Economic and operational impact

The animal movement restrictions resulting from a PPR outbreak have direct consequences on the value chain of the sheep and goat sector:

• Paralysis or limitation of exports of live sheep and goats from restricted zones in Romania to other Member States, including Spain.
• Additional certification and health control costs at the border for operators importing from Romania.
• Risk of retention or return of batches in border controls if compliance with the new conditions cannot be demonstrated.
• Impact on prices and availability of breeding and slaughter animals from Romania, one of the EU's main sheep-producing countries.
• Obligation to update traceability documentation and health certificates for batches in transit or pending clearance.

For Romanian farmers in affected zones, the restrictions mean the inability to market their animals outside the delimited zones until the measures are lifted, with the resulting impact on income and herd management.

Who does it affect?

• Sheep and goat farmers in Romania, especially those located in zones restricted due to the PPR outbreak.
• Spanish importers and those from other Member States that purchase live animals (sheep, goats) or genetic material from Romania.
• Romanian exporters of sheep and goats destined for EU markets.
• Transport and logistics operators that manage movements of these species from or through Romania.
• Competent animal health authorities at EU border inspection posts, which must apply the updated controls.
• Slaughterhouses and meat industry that work with animals of Romanian origin of these species.
• Genetic selection and breeding trade companies of sheep and goats with operations in Romania.

Practical example

A Spanish company importing breeding lambs from Romania is scheduled to receive a batch of 500 animals in July 2026. Before confirming shipment, it must:

1. Verify whether the farm of origin in Romania is located within any of the updated restricted zones by Decision 2026/1387.
2. Confirm with the Romanian exporter that the animals have the updated health certification in accordance with the new protocols.
3. Communicate to the competent Spanish authority (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) the origin of the batch so that the corresponding border controls are applied.
4. If the zone of origin is restricted, the batch cannot be cleared until the restrictions are lifted or the specific conditions established in the regulation are met.

Non-compliance with these requirements may result in the retention or return of the batch at the border inspection post, with the associated logistical and economic costs.

What should companies do now?

1. Review the geographic origin of all sheep and goat animals that are imported or pending import from Romania, checking whether they come from restricted zones according to Decision 2026/1387.
2. Contact Romanian suppliers to confirm that their farms are not affected by the updated restriction zones and that they have current health documentation.
3. Update internal control procedures to require health certificates compliant with the new regulation for all batches from Romania.
4. Notify the competent veterinary authority of the destination Member State (in Spain, the MAPA) of any batch in progress or planned from Romania to ensure appropriate border controls.
5. Consult the full text of Decision 2026/1387 in the EU Official Journal to identify the exact geographic zones and specific requirements applicable.
6. Review contracts and insurance with Romanian suppliers to assess whether health restrictions trigger force majeure clauses or termination conditions.

Official source

Consult complete regulation at official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/./legal-content/AUTO/?uri=OJ:L_202601387