Which objective(s) does the Commission pursue?

This Regulation is removing some burdensome administrative procedures, such as compulsory approval by the Commission of national contingency plans for certain animal diseases or surveillance programmes for poultry establishments.

It also reduces administrative burdens by making use of new technological tools and removing unnecessary administrative obligations where the health risks involved permit (identification and movement of animals, registration and approval procedures).

Specific administrative burden reduction which can possibly be laid down in delegated and implementing acts:

• removal of the requirement for movement certificates for low-risk movements (e.g. movements for direct slaughter);

• reduction of administrative obligations if increased biosecurity and surveillance measures are implemented;

• possibilities for Member States to no longer require approval for certain low-risk operators or transporters;

• possibilities for certain operators to derogate from registration and record keeping obligations.

On a more general note, the proposal:

• establishes a modern, single framework providing for a consistent animal health policy and proportionate, sound and efficient animal health rules to ensure a safe and smooth functioning of the internal market for live animals and animal products;

• is a legislative simplification (39 legal acts to be streamlined into one basic act);

• puts emphasis on prevention in order to improve the animal health status in the Union, to reduce disease-related losses for farmers, other operators and national and Union budgets, and to possibly reduce the use of antimicrobials in animals;

• offers better tools to deal with traditional and emerging transmissible animal diseases, reducing the damage they may cause, including to human health and the environment;

• provides more flexible and risk based measures, including prioritisation of the EU intervention, depending on available resources (e.g. animal disease prioritisation and categorisation).

The Regulation provides the general framework. Specific objectives are addressed through subsequent delegated and implementing acts. Some of these have already been adopted, while others, including some of those relevant to administrative burden reduction, are under development.

Estimated savings and benefits

Possible annual savings achieved by removing the requirement for animal health certificates for the movement of animals for direct slaughter were, according to the Impact Assessment estimated up to EUR 7 mio for bovine animals, EUR 19 mio for pigs and EUR 13 mio for poultry.

The Commission has in 2016, in view of preparation of a delegated act, launched a study providing more precise economic analysis of possible benefits that can be achieved by removing the requirement for animal health certificates for animals being moved between Member States for direct slaughter and for the movements of day-old chicks. This study estimated the annual savings at EU level to be approximately EUR 2.8 mio for bovine animals, EUR 8.9 mio for pigs, EUR 8.9 mio for poultry, EUR 0.9 mio for ovine and caprine animals, EUR 0.2 mio for equidae and EUR 0.7 mio for the movements of day-old chicks.

Outcome of Legislative Procedure

All the main objectives and details of the original proposal have been preserved.

Possibilities and exemptions, enabling to release burdens and costs for registering and record keeping for some small scale and low risk operators, as well as for intra-EU trade certification of certain commodities were in the negotiation successfully preserved.

The request from European Parliament to introduce compulsory registration of dogs and cats was not retained. According to the Regulation, the Commission now has the possibility, but is not obliged to adopt such measure (by delegated act).

Estimated savings and benefits

The original provisions were fully preserved.

A number of subsequent delegated and implementing acts have been adopted that supplement Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and provide for simplification:

In relation to removal of the requirement for movement certificates for certain low-risk movements of certain categories of animals (e.g. for equidae)

• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/688 of 17 December 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council, as regards animal health requirements for movements within the Union of terrestrial animals and hatching eggs, OJ L 174, 3.6.2020, p. 140

In relation to the possibilities for Member States to no longer require approval for certain low-risk operators or transporters

• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/691 of 30 January 2020 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of Council as regards rules for aquaculture establishments and transporters of aquatic animals, OJ L 174, 3.6.2020, p. 345

In relation to possibilities for certain operators to derogate from registration and record keeping obligations

• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1345 of 01 August 2022 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to registration and approval of establishments keeping terrestrial animals.

• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2037 of 22 November 2021 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to exemptions from the registration of aquaculture establishments and record keeping of operators.

In relation to: a) removing movement requirements for germinal products of dogs and cats between Member States, b) reducing routine testing for classical swine fever in semen collection centres, c) removing an obligation of adding antibiotics to semen or semen diluents and movements of semen donors between semen collection centres of different Member States.

• Draft Commission Delegated Regulation amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/686 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the approval of germinal product establishments and the traceability and animal health requirements for movements within the Union of germinal products of certain kept terrestrial animals