Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1130 of 19 April 2024 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 on the model identification documents for the non-commercial movement of dogs, cats and ferrets, the establishment of lists of territories and third countries and the format, layout and language requirements of the declarations attesting compliance with certain conditions provided for in Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council
Date: 2024-04-19
Institutions: Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission
Subjects: Belarus, Russia, domestic animal, health certificate, rabies, third country, transport of animals, vaccination, veterinary inspection




L_202401130EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
L series













2024/1130


26.4.2024







            COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2024/1130
of 19 April 2024
         
amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 on the model identification documents for the non-commercial movement of dogs, cats and ferrets, the establishment of lists of territories and third countries and the format, layout and language requirements of the declarations attesting compliance with certain conditions provided for in Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council
(Text with EEA relevance)


THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,


Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 2013 on the non-commercial movement of pet animals and repealing Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 (1), and in particular Article 13(2) thereof,

Whereas:







(1)


Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 lays down the animal health requirements applicable to the non-commercial movement of pet animals into a Member State from another Member State and from third countries and the checks applicable to such movement.












(2)


Article 10(1) of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 provides the conditions under which pet animals of the species listed in Part A of Annex I to that Regulation, namely pet dogs, cats and ferrets, may be moved for non-commercial purposes into a Member State from a territory or a third country. In accordance with Article 10(1), point (c), such pet animals are to have undergone a rabies antibody titration test that complies with the validity requirements set out in Annex IV to that Regulation.












(3)


By way of derogation from Article 10(1), point (c), Article 12(1) of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 provides that the antibody titration test is not required for pet dogs, cats and ferrets that are being moved into a Member State from a territory or a third country listed, amongst others, pursuant to Article 13(2) of that Regulation.












(4)


To be listed under Article 13(2) of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013, a territory or a third country should submit an application in which it demonstrates that for pet dogs, cats and ferrets, it fulfils at least the specific criteria under points (a) to (e) of Article 13(2), in order to ensure a sufficient level of safety with regard to public and animal health risks related to such non-commercial movement of pet animals.












(5)


Part 2 of Annex II to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 (2) lays down the list of territories and third countries benefitting from the derogation provided for in Article 13(2) of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013.












(6)


Checks carried out in the recent years at points of entry into the Union by national authorities in accordance with Article 34 of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 have shown repetitive non-compliances concerning preventive health measures against rabies in regard to pet dogs, cats and ferrets being moved from Belarus and Russia. Those non-compliances include the absence of, and inappropriate administration of an anti-rabies vaccination as well as falsely documented anti-rabies vaccination, the validity of which has however been inaccurately certified in the accompanying animal health certificates.












(7)


As part of the criteria to be fulfilled by any third country in its application for entry on the list provided for in Article 13(2) of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013, point (d) of that Article requires that rules on the prevention and control of rabies are in force and implemented effectively to minimise the risk of infection of pet animals, including those on the vaccination of domestic animals against rabies.












(8)


Furthermore, official control services have to ensure that pet dogs, cats and ferrets are moved with animal health certificates duly completed and issued in accordance with Article 26 of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013. This implies verifying and certifying that such pet animals have received an anti-rabies vaccination that fully complies with the provisions of Annex III to Regulation (EU) No 576/2013.












(9)


Belarus and Russia provided guarantees to this effect with their application for entry on the list. The repetitive non-compliances identified by national authorities at the points of entry into the Union regarding pet dogs, cats and ferrets being moved from Belarus and Russia reflect however serious deficiencies in law enforcement at their national level. Such deficiencies raise significant doubts as to the continuous application and effective implementation of the rules on prevention and control of rabies guaranteed by the competent authorities of these third countries, and also as to the accuracy of official certification issued at their level.












(10)


Considering the significant prevalence of non-compliance surrounding the anti-rabies vaccination status of the pet animals and the accuracy of its certification, the exemption for pet dogs, cats and ferrets originating from Belarus and Russia to undergo rabies antibody titration testing before entering the Union territory raises considerable concerns about the risk of introducing rabies into the Union, through the non-commercial movement of such pet animals.












(11)


In addition, the unfavourable epidemiological situation in Belarus and Russia where rabies remains present and is regularly detected in dogs and cats as attested by the information collected at international level by the World Organisation for Animal Health, contributes to further increasing the risk of introducing rabies into the Union.












(12)


To address the situation and mitigate the risk of introducing rabies through non-commercial movement of dogs, cats and ferrets being moved from Belarus and Russia, it is appropriate to reintroduce the requirement for such pet animals to undergo a rabies antibody titration test before entering the Union territory.












(13)


It is therefore necessary to update the list of territories and third countries set out in Part 2 of Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 and remove the entries for Belarus and Russia from that list.












(14)


In order to prevent any unnecessary disruptions of non-commercial movement of pet animals of the species listed in Part A of Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 from Belarus and Russia and to comply with the timeline provided in Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 for a rabies antibody titration test to be recognised as valid, this Regulation should apply from 16 September 2024.












(15)


The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,





HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:



Article 1
Part 2 of Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 is replaced by the text set out in the Annex to this Regulation.


Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
It shall apply from 16 September 2024.




This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 19 April 2024.


For the Commission


The President

Ursula VON DER LEYEN
            





(1)  
            OJ L 178, 28.6.2013, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/576/oj.

(2)  Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 of 28 June 2013 on the model identification documents for the non-commercial movement of dogs, cats and ferrets, the establishment of lists of territories and third countries and the format, layout and language requirements of the declarations attesting compliance with certain conditions provided for in Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 178, 28.6.2013, p. 109, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2013/577/oj).




ANNEX


                     ‘PART 2

List of territories and third countries referred to in Article 13(2) of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013








ISO code


Territory or third country


Included territories




AC


Ascension Island


 




AE


United Arab Emirates


 




AG


Antigua and Barbuda


 




AR


Argentina


 




AU


Australia


 




AW


Aruba


 




BA


Bosnia and Herzegovina


 




BB


Barbados


 




BH


Bahrain


 




BM


Bermuda


 




BQ


Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (the BES Islands)


 




CA


Canada


 




CL


Chile


 




CW


Curaçao


 




FJ


Fiji


 




FK


Falkland Islands


 




GB


United Kingdom (*1)



 




GG


Guernsey


 




HK


Hong Kong


 




IM


Isle of Man


 




JM


Jamaica


 




JP


Japan


 




JE


Jersey


 




KN


Saint Kitts and Nevis


 




KY


Cayman Islands


 




LC


Saint Lucia


 




MS


Montserrat


 




MK


North Macedonia


 




MU


Mauritius


 




MX


Mexico


 




MY


Malaysia


 




NC


New Caledonia


 




NZ


New Zealand


 




PF


French Polynesia


 




PM


Saint Pierre and Miquelon


 




SG


Singapore


 




SH


Saint Helena


 




SX


Sint Maarten


 




TT


Trinidad and Tobago


 




TW


Taiwan


 




US


United States of America


AS – American Samoa
GU – Guam
MP – Northern Mariana Islands
PR – Puerto Rico
VI – US Virgin Islands




VC


Saint Vincent and the Grenadines


 




VG


British Virgin Islands


 




VU


Vanuatu


 




WF


Wallis and Futuna


 







(*1)  In accordance with the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 5(4) of the Windsor Framework (see Joint Declaration No 1/2023 of the Union and the United Kingdom in the Joint Committee established by the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community (OJ L 102, 17.4.2023, p. 87)) in conjunction with Annex 2 to that Framework, for the purposes of this Annex, references to the United Kingdom do not include Northern Ireland.’
         



ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2024/1130/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)