Legal framework of the animal health sector governing movements of live animals, germinal products (semen, oocytes and embryos) from animals and animal by-products between EU Member States and Switzerland

According to bilateral treaties, the rules governing exchanges of live animals and animal products between EU Member States and Switzerland are the same as for intracommunity movements. The same regulations also govern exchanges with Northern Ireland and Norway. For consignments from or to Iceland, the “intracommunity rules” apply to aquaculture animals and animal products other than germinal products (semen, oocytes and embryos).

Where the regulations do not provide for harmonized rules and/or a specific model certificate for a particular animal or product category, national rules of the country of destination apply. Please ask the competent authority in the country of destination what conditions need to be fulfilled.

Regulations governing (transboundary) movements with live animals, germinal products (animal semen, oocytes and embryos), and animal by-products

The overarching protective measures in force on the day of import apply in all cases.

Swiss regulations (available in German, French and Italian)

EDAV-EU

EDAV-EU-EDI (the EU-Regulations governing movements between Member States and Switzerland are listed in Annex I)

EDAV-Ht (governing transboundary movements of pet animals)

Many fundamental requirements are laid down in the «basic» Regulation EU 2016/429 (e.g. Article 4 lists the main definitions and Annex III the “species of ungulates”).

The Delegated and Implementing Regulations complete these requirements.

The most relevant are:

for terrestrial animals and hatching eggs: Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/688, with animal health requirements for movements within the Union of terrestrial animals and hatching eggs. (a few complementary rules are, however, laid down in further acts: e.g. part of the bluetongue requirements for movements of live animals and germinal products are to be found in Annex V Part II Chapter II of Delegated Regulation EU 2020/689 on “Surveillance and disease-free status”).

for aquatic animals: Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/990, with animal health and certification requirements for movements within the Union of aquatic animals and products of animal origin from aquatic animals.

for germinal products (semen, oocytes and embryos): Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/686, including rules on traceability and animal health requirements for movements within the Union of germinal products of certain kept terrestrial animals.

For animal by-products Regulation (EC)1069/2009, and Implementing Regulation (EU) 142/2011. See also Animal by-products from the EU.

Certificates

For consignments of terrestrial animals and hatching eggs, the required certificate is the appropriate model according to Articles 6-13 / Annex I of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/403 (in Version TRACES-NT).

For consignments of aquatic animals and products thereof, the required certificate is the appropriate model according to Article 6 / Annex I of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2236. Unfortunately, the regulation does not include a model of the self-declaration document for movements of aquaculture animals to another Member State. The information that such documents must contain is laid down in Art.14 and Annex II Section B of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/990. You can find a template from the FSVO here.

The cases in which an official certificate, self-declaration and/or (TRACES) notification is required are defined in Articles 208 to 221 of the “basic” Regulation (EU) 2016/429. Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/990 contains further specifications

Implementing regulation (EU) 2020/2035 contains model certificates for imports of different food from third countries.

Only a few models concern “intracommunity movements”, e.g. for ante mortem inspections in the holding of provenance, movements of (food) products of animal origin from zones under disease control measures, or of unskinned large wild game.

For consignments with animal by-products of “category 3”, a Commercial document CE 142/2011 (PDF, 357 kB, 10.07.2019) is normally sufficient. For consignments with “processed animal protein” and “materials of categories 1 and 2”, the rules laid down in Art. 48 of regulation (EC) 1069/2009 apply.

[the model veterinary certificate for movements of animal by-products from zones under disease control measures shall be included in Regulation (EU) 142/2011].