This Regulation amends the rules for importing certain animal products and germinal materials into the European Union from third countries, with particular focus on changes related to bluetongue virus (BTV) cases and meat products regulations.The act introduces new testing requirements for bovine, ovine, and caprine animals in the United Kingdom and North Macedonia due to confirmed BTV cases. It also modifies the authorization for Moldova regarding meat products from poultry, establishing a new zone ‘MD-1’ that doesn’t require specific risk-mitigating treatment.The main changes include:
- New BTV testing requirements for the United Kingdom (zones GB-1 and GB-2) and North Macedonia (zone MK-0)
- Updates to Brazil’s zoning description for meat products
- Creation of new zones in Moldova (MD-1 and MD-2) with different requirements for poultry meat products
- Correction of certificate references for aquatic animals from the United States
Key provisions for implementation:
- The changes regarding animal testing requirements are immediate for affected countries
- Moldova’s new zoning system allows for different treatment requirements based on geographical areas
- The correction for US aquatic animals certificates applies retroactively from October 1, 2021
- References to the United Kingdom explicitly exclude Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework
