Countries authorised to export animals and animal products to the EU: public health list 2025 update

Draft Commission Implementing Regulation amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/405 as regards the lists of third countries with an approved control plan and the lists of third countries authorised for the entry into the Union of certain fishery products [scroll down to download]

Draft Annex [scroll down to download]

Update

The European Commission has launched a consultation on proposed changes to the list of non-EU countries allowed to export specific animal products to the EU (Regulation 2021/405). The proposed changes are:

New countries added (Annex -I): Brazil (eggs), Kazakhstan (honey), Thailand (eggs).

Countries removed (Annex -I): Belize, Brunei, Costa Rica, Cuba, Honduras, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Tunisia (composite products containing milk or eggs); Tanzania (farmed crustaceans).

Aquaculture approval (Annex IX): Armenia (approved to export aquaculture products due to meeting EU safety standards).

Stakeholders can submit their comments on the draft Regulation via the European Commission’s Have your say platform until 26 December 2024 (midnight).

Impacted Products

Aquaculture products, composite products, crustaceans, eggs, finfish, milk, honey

What is changing?

The European Union is updating its rules about which countries can export animal products to the EU.

Authorisation process

• To export certain animal products to the EU, countries must have a residue control plan validated by the European Commission.
• Authorised countries are listed in Annex -I of Regulation 2021/405.

Countries being added

It is proposed to add the following countries to the list (Annex -I):

• Brazil: for exporting eggs.
• Kazakhstan: for exporting honey.
• Thailand: for exporting eggs.

Countries being removed

It is proposed that the following countries will be removed from the list (Annex -I) for various reasons:

• Belize, Cuba, Honduras, Nigeria, and Tunisia: for exporting composite products containing milk and egg ingredients (that are imported from the EU or other approved/listed non-EU countries). The removed countries have not guaranteed the traceability of imported milk and egg ingredients in composite products.
• Brunei and Costa Rica: for composite products containing milk or eggs. These countries have told the Commission they no longer intend to export these products.
• Tanzania: for exporting farmed crustaceans. No residue plan has been implemented as the country no longer produces such products. Tanzania is also being removed for composite products containing milk and egg ingredients.

New additions for aquaculture (fish)

• Armenia: as Armenia has demonstrated that its food safety systems meet EU requirements, it will be added to the list of countries allowed to export aquaculture: finfish and finfish products (caviar and roes) (Annex IX of Regulation 2021/405).

Other countries also covered by the draft Regulation that are outside the remit of the AGRINFO programme are not included in this summary.

Why?

The EU updates its list of authorised non-EU countries once or twice a year. Authorised countries must have food safety systems and residue control plans (for pesticides, contaminants, and veterinary medicines) that are at least equivalent to and as strict as those within the EU .

To remain approved, non-EU countries must send their updated residue control plan for each animal product category every year by 31 March.

Timeline

The Regulation is expected to be published in early 2025 and will apply 20 days after its publication.

What are the major implications for exporting countries?

When the new Regulation applies, Brazil and Thailand will be able to export eggs produced in their own country, or composite products containing those eggs, to the EU. Armenia will be able to export its aquaculture finfish, caviar, and roes; and Kazakhstan will be able to export honey to the EU.

Tanzania will no longer be able to export farmed crustaceans to the EU.

Belize, Brunei, Costa Rica, Cuba, Honduras, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Tunisia will no longer be able to export composite products containing milk or eggs.

Recommended Actions

Interested stakeholders can submit feedback to the European Commission’s Have your say platform until 26 December 2024 (midnight).

Background

The EU has stringent rules on the public health requirements for products of animal origin entering the European Union.

The Official Controls Regulation (EU) 2017/625 lays down the framework for the official controls that competent authorities have to perform at any stage of production, processing, and distribution.

Regulation (EU) 2022/2292 supplements the Official Controls Regulation regarding the public health requirements for exports to the EU. Countries wishing to export animal products to the EU must comply with the EU public health requirements.

Non-EU exporting countries must be authorised under Regulation 2021/405 for each commodity to be exported to the EU (Annex -I for control plans; other Annexes for food safety where relevant).

Exporting countries must also comply with the animal health requirements, and for most animal products they must be listed in Regulation (EU) 2021/404.

Around mid-2026, non-EU countries will also need to be listed regarding their compliance with rules on antimicrobials: see List of non-EU countries compliant with new EU antimicrobial requirements.

Resources

Sources