COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGUL ATION (EU) 2020/466 
of 30 March 2020 
on temporar y measures to contain risks to human, animal and plant health and animal welfare dur ing 
certain serious disr uptions of Member States’ control systems due to coronavir us disease  
(CO VID-19) 
(Text with EEA relevance) 
THE EUR OPEAN COMMISSION, 
Havi ng regar d to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, 
Havi ng regard to Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017 on official 
controls and other official activities perf ormed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and 
welf are, plant health and plant protection products, amending Regulations (EC) No 999/2001, (EC) No 396/2005, (EC) 
No 1069/2009, (EC) No 1107/2009, (EU) No 1151/2012, (EU) No 652/2014, (EU) 2016/429 and (EU) 2016/2031 of the 
European Parliament and of the Council, Council Regulations (EC) No 1/2005 and (EC) No 1099/2009 and Council 
Directives 98/58/EC, 1999/74/EC, 2007/43/EC, 2008/119/EC and 2008/120/EC, and repealing Regulations (EC) 
No 854/2004 and (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Directives 89/608/EEC, 
89/662/EEC, 90/425/EEC, 91/496/EEC, 96/23/EC, 96/93/EC and 97/78/EC and Council Decision 92/438/EEC (Offici al 
Controls Regulation) (1), and in particular Article 141(1) thereof, 
Whereas: 
(1) Regulation (EU) 2017/625 lays down rules for, inter alia, the performance of official controls and of other official 
activities by the compet ent author ities of Member States. It also empo wers the Commission to adop t, by means of 
an implementing act, appropr iate temporar y measures necessar y to contain risks to, inter alia, human, animal and 
plant health and animal welf are, if it has evidence of a serious disruption in a Member State’s control system. 
(2) The ongoing crisis related to coronavi rus disease (CO VID-19) represents an excep tional and unprecedent ed challenge 
for the capacity of Member States to fully conduct official controls and other official activities in accordance with EU 
legislation. 
(3) In its ‘Guidelines for border manag ement measures to prot ect health and ensure the availability of goods and 
essential services’ (2), the Commission stressed that in the current situation, the smooth functioning of the Sing le 
Marke t should not be impa cted. In addition, Member State s should continue to ensure the circulation of goods. 
(4) In accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/625, Member State s are oblig ed to set up a control system, compo sed of 
compet ent author ities designat ed to perform official controls and other official activities. In particular , in 
accordance with Article 5(1)(e) of that Regulation, compet ent author ities are to have, or to have access to, a 
suffi cient number of suitably qualified and exper ienced staff so that official controls and other official activities can 
be performe d efficiently and effectively . 
(5) Dur ing the ongoing crisis relat ed to COVID-19, Member States have put in place considerable movement restr ictions 
for their populations, in order to prote ct human health. 
(6) A number of Member States have informed the Commission that, as a consequence of such move ment restr ictions, 
their the capacity to deplo y suitable staff for official controls and other official activities, as required by Regulation 
(EU) 2017/625, is seriously impact ed. 
(1)OJ L 95, 7.4.2017, p. 1. 
(2)C(2020) 1753 final of 16 March 2020. EN Offi cial Jour nal of the European Union L 98/30                                                                                                                                           31.3.2020   (7) A number of Member States have informed the Commission specifi cally of difficulties to perform official controls 
and other official activities which require the physical presence of control staff. In particular , difficulties arise 
regarding the clinical examination of animals, certain checks on products of animal origin, plants and plant 
products and on food and feed of non-animal origin, and regar ding the testing of samples in official laborat ories 
designate d by Member State s. 
(8) In accordance with EU legislation regulating trade of live animals and germinal products within the Sing le Marke t, 
notably Council Directives 64/432/EEC (3), 88/407/EEC (4), 89/556/EEC (5), 90/429/EEC (6), 91/68/EEC (7), 
92/65/EEC (8), 2006/88/EC (9), 2009/156/EC (10) and 2009/158/EC (11), consignments of animals and germinal 
products are to be accompanied by originals of animal health certificates throughout their mov ements between 
Member States. 
(9) A number of Member States have also informed the Commission that official controls and other official activities 
resulting in the signature and issuance of original paper official certificates and official attes tations which should 
accompan y consignments of animals and germinal products mov ed between Member States or enter ing the Union, 
can currently not be performe d in accordance with EU legislation. 
(10) Theref ore, an alternati ve to the presentation of original paper offici al certificates and official attestations should be 
temporar ily author ised taking into account the use by registered users of the Trade Control and Exper t System 
(TRA CES) as referred to in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1715 (12) and the current technical 
inability of TRA CES to issue electronic certificates in accordance with that Imple menting Regulation. This 
alternati ve should be without prejudice to the obligation of operat ors in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/625 
to present original documents, when technically feasible. 
(11) In view of these specific circumstances, measures should be take n to avoid serious health risks for staff of the 
compet ent author ities without jeopardising the prevention of risks to human, animal and plant health arising from 
animals, plants and their products and without jeopardising the prevention of risks to animal welf are. At the same 
time, the proper functioning of the Sing le Mark et, based on Union agri-food chain legislation should be ensured. 
(12) Member States with serious difficulties to operat e their existing control systems should theref ore be able to apply the 
temporar y measures laid down in this Regulation, to the extent necessar y to manag e the relat ed serious disrupti ons 
of their control systems . Member States should take all necessar y action to remedy the serious disruption in their 
control systems as soon as possible. 
(13) Member States applying the temporar y measures provided for in this Regulation should inform the Commission and 
the other Member States thereof as well as of measures take n to remedy the difficulties in carrying out official 
controls and other official activities in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/625. 
(3)Council Directive 64/432/EEC of 26 June 1964 on animal health problems affec ting intra-Community trade in bovine animals and 
swine (OJ 121, 29.7.1964, p. 1977/64). 
(4)Council Directive 88/407/EEC of 14 June 1988 laying down the animal health requirements applicable to intra-Community trade in 
and impor ts of deep-frozen semen of domestic animals of the bovin e species (OJ L 194, 22.7.1988, p. 10). 
(5)Council Directive 89/556/EEC of 25 Sept ember 1989 on animal health conditions governing intra-Community trade in and 
impo rtation from third countr ies of embr yos of domestic animals of the bovin e species (OJ L 302, 19.10.1989, p. 1). 
(6)Council Directive 90/429/EEC of 26 June 1990 laying down the animal health requirements applicable to intra-Community trade in 
and impor ts of semen of domestic animals of the porcine species (OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 62). 
(7)Council Directive 91/68/EEC of 28 Januar y 1991 on animal health conditions governing intra-Community trade in ovine and capr ine 
animals (OJ L 46, 19.2.1991, p. 19). 
(8)Council Directive 92/65/EEC of 13 July 1992 laying down animal health requirements govern ing trade in and impor ts into the 
Community of animals, semen, ova and embr yos not subject to animal health requirements laid down in specific Community rules 
referred to in Annex A(I) to Directive 90/425/EEC (OJ L 268, 14.9.1992, p. 54). 
(9)Council Directive 2006/88/EC of 24 Octo ber 2006 on animal health requirements for aquaculture animals and products thereof, and 
on the prevention and control of certain diseases in aquatic animals (OJ L 328, 24.11.2006, p. 14). 
(10)Council Directive 2009/156/EC of 30 November 2009 on animal health conditions governing the movement and impor tation from 
third countr ies of equidae (OJ L 192, 23.7.2010, p. 1). 
(11)Council Directive 2009/158/EC of 30 November 2009 on animal health conditions governing intra-Community trade in, and 
impor ts from third countr ies of, poultr y and hatc hing eggs (OJ L 343, 22.12.2009, p. 74). 
(12)Commission Implementin g Regulation (EU) 2019/1715 of 30 September 2019 laying down rules for the functioning of the 
information management system for official controls and its system components (the IMSOC Regulation) (OJ L 261, 14.10.2019, 
p. 37). EN Offi cial Jour nal of the European Union 31.3.2020                                                                                                                                           L 98/31   (14) This Regulation should be applicable for two months, in order to facilitate the planning and the performa nce of 
official controls and other official activities during the crisis linked to COVID-19. In view of the information 
received from a number of Member States, which sugg ests that temporar y measures should be provided for 
immediately , this Regulation should enter into force on the day following the day of its publication. 
(15) The measures provid ed for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committ ee on 
Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGUL ATION: 
Article 1 
This Regulation lays down temporar y measures necessar y to contain widespread risks to human, animal and plant health 
and animal welfare, in order to address serious disruptions in the functioning of Member States’ control systems in view of 
the crisis linked to COVID-19. 
Article 2 
Member States that wish to apply the temporar y measures laid down in this Regulation shall inform the Commission and 
the other Member State s thereof, as well as of measures take n to remedy their difficulties in carrying out official controls 
and other official activities in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/625. 
Article 3 
Offi cial controls and other official activities may excep tionally be performe d by one or more natural persons specifically 
author ised by the compet ent author ity on the basis of their qualifications, training and practical exper ience, who are in 
contact with the compet ent author ity by any available means of communication, and who are required to follow the 
instr uctions of the compet ent author ity for the performa nce of such official controls and other official activities. Such 
persons shall act impartially , and they shall be free from any conf lict of interest as regards the official controls and other 
official activities performed by them. 
Article 4 
Offi cial controls and other official activities on official certificates and official attes tations may excep tionally be performed 
by way of an official control perf ormed on an electronic copy of the original of such certificates or attestations, or on an 
electronic format of the certificate or attestation produced and submitted in TRA CES, provided the person responsible for 
presenting the official certificate or official attestation presents to the compet ent author ity a statement affir ming that the 
original of the official certificate or official attestation will be submitted as soon as technically feasible. When performi ng 
such official controls and other official activities, the compe tent author ity shall take into account the risk of non- 
compl iance of animals and goods concer ned and operators’ past record as regards the outcome of official controls 
performe d on them and their compliance with the rules refer red to in Article 1(2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625. 
Article 5 
Offi cial controls and other official activities may excep tionally be perf ormed: 
(a) in the case of analyses, testing or diagnoses to be performe d by official laborat ories, by any laborat ory designated for 
this purpose by the compet ent author ity on a temporar y basis; 
(b) in the case of physical meetings with operat ors and their staff in the context of official control methods and techniques 
refer red to in Article 14 of Regulation (EU) 2017/625, via available means of distance communication. EN Offi cial Jour nal of the European Union L 98/32                                                                                                                                           31.3.2020   Article 6 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. 
It shall apply until 1 June 2020. 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. 
Done at Brussels, 30 Marc h 2020.  
For the Commission 
The President 
Ursula VON DER LEYEN     EN Offi cial Jour nal of the European Union 31.3.2020                                                                                                                                           L 98/33