European Union: The new Animal Health Law enters into force

Overall, the single, comprehensive new animal health law supports the EU livestock sector in its quest towards competitiveness and safe and smooth EU market of animals and of their products, leading to growth and jobs in this important sector:

• The huge number of legal acts are streamlined into a single law.
• Simpler and clearer rules enable authorities and those having to follow the rules to focus on key priorities: preventing and eradicating disease.
• Responsibilities are clarified for farmers, vets and others dealing with animals.
• The rules allow greater use of new technologies for animal health activities - surveillance of pathogens, electronic identification and registration of animals.
• Better early detection & control of animal diseases, including emerging diseases linked to climate change, will help to reduce the occurrence and effects of animal epidemics.
• It offers more flexibility to adjust rules to local circumstances, and to emerging issues such as climate and social change.
• It sets out a better legal basis for monitoring animal pathogens resistant to antimicrobial agents, supplementing existing rules and Regulations on veterinary medicines and on medicated feed.

The animal health law was part of a package of measures proposed by the Commission in May 2013 to strengthen the enforcement of health and safety standards for the whole agri-food chain. As such, it is closely linked to Regulation (EU) 2017/625 ("Official Controls Regulation"). The animal health law is also a key output of the Animal Health Strategy 2007-2013, "Prevention is better than cure".

Regulation (EU) 2016/429 on transmissible animal diseases ("Animal Health Law")