Imports of live wild birds will be banned in the European Union (EU) and only eight approved countries will be allowed to export captive birds to the bloc under new rules adopted by EU veterinary experts on Thursday.

Under the regulation, which is expected to be approved by the European Commission and come into effect on July 1, only specific countries or regions which have been approved to export live commercial poultry will be allowed to export captive birds to the EU.

These cover Australia, certain states in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Israel, New Zealand and the United States, the commission said in a press release.

More stringent conditions will have to be met both before and after the birds are imported into the EU, for instance only birds bred in captivity and in approved breeding establishments will be allowed to enter the EU.

EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou welcomed the endorsement of the new measures, saying these were crucial to maintaining the highest possible level of animal health protection in the EU.

"The devastation that the H5N1 avian influenza virus has caused globally serves as a reminder that we can take no chances in this area," he said.