February 1, 2021

Animal health visits to be implemented in EU states by April

Official animal health visits will be implemented in all EU countries by April 2021 and aim to strengthen animal health by improving disease prevention, particularly biosecurity and detection of disease.

Article 25 of the European Union Animal Health Law, Regulation 2016/429 requires operators to make sure that establishments receive such visits from a veterinarian.

To date, no EU act has laid down the minimum requirements necessary for the uniform application of Article 25. The Federation of Veterinarias of Europe (FVE) said that, without these supporting acts, the article is in serious risk of being implemented inconsistently or insufficiently in Member States.

Regular veterinary visits have a huge potential to improve animal welfare and economic efficiency, as well as to reduce use of antibiotics and enhance sustainability. This is shown in countries that already implement regular health visits.

FVE has called on EU and national policymakers to implement these guidelines and as such, to ensure that these animal health visits reach their full potential of being a practical and meaningful tool adding value to farmers, veterinarians, consumers and society alike.

- Federation of Veterinarians of Europe