EU Pet Travel Law to change - 4 years from today

[maz]

On 21 April 2026 good old EU Regulation 576/2013 (which governs the non-commercial movement of pet animals into the EU) will be replaced with EU Regulation 2016/429.

EU Regulation 2016/429

This Regulation is briefly summarised on the European Commission website under the heading ‘Animal Health Law’.

Animal Health Law

This is a BIG regulation covering lots of bases. Within it, the section that refers to pet travel is known as Part VI which includes Articles 244-256. Although this Regulation was introduced in 2016, a long transitional period was incorporated during which EU Reg 576/2013 will continue to apply instead.

I have glanced through Reg 2016/429 a couple of times and the good news is that I have not spotted any reference to a residency requirement for an EU Pet Passport. However, the bad news is that nor have I spotted any direct equivalent to Article 27 of Reg 576/2013. Article 27 is the one that makes provision for EU Pet Passports to be used for entry from a third country.

At the moment I don’t have the inclination to wade through Reg 2016/429 trying to make sense of all the legal terminology. If someone with more legal expertise than me would like to do so, please feel free.

I know April 2026 is a long way off but I believe in forewarned is forearmed. In April 2026 my dog will be 15 years old (if she is still with us) and she will be my last dog, so personally I am not going to be much affected by any changes to pet travel caused by this new regulation. However, it seems to me that our government has 4 years in which to sort out Part 1 listing for the UK so that we can start issuing our own Pet Passports again. If not, Animal Health Certificates may prove to be the only option for British travellers.

I would be interested to hear anyone’s thoughts on the new Regulation and how they believe it should be interpreted.

 

[xsparks]

I'd like to see reciprocal agreements, tit for tat as it were. Still as you say 4yrs time I might well of had enough by then.

 

[599]

Brussel red tape rubbish THATS why the uk voted to leave

 

[maz]

I'd like to see reciprocal agreements, tit for tat as it were. Still as you say 4yrs time I might well of had enough by then.

I think the easiest way would be for the UK government to agree to comply with EU animal health standards. That is what non-EU countries like Norway and Switzerland have done in order to become Part 1 listed.

 

[Motörhead Fun]

By 2026 we could well have a change in government and be heading towards Single Market membership.

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[maz]

By 2026 we could well have a change in government and be heading towards Single Market membership.

Who knows? But at least Funsters now have a heads-up as to what will be the actual law affecting pet travel further down the line.

 

[Southdowners]

I think the easiest way would be for the UK government to agree to comply with EU animal health standards. That is what non-EU countries like Norway and Switzerland have done in order to become Part 1 listed.

The UK has the highest standard in the world… above that of EU countries.

In 2014, World Animal Protection's Animal Protection Index (API), a ranking of countries on their commitment to protect animals in their legislation, improve animal welfare and recognise animal sentience, scored the UK the highest possible score (A) for legislation protecting farm animal welfare.

 

[maz]

The UK has the highest standard in the world… above that of EU countries.

So you would think there should be no difficulty about agreeing to the EU requirements for Part 1 listing ……..

I started this thread to inform Funsters of future changes to pet travel law and ask for their interpretations of it. I would prefer it to stay that way rather than descending into a UK vs EU point scoring competition. Thank you.

 

[Southdowners]

You asked for comments which is why I replied.

We already have animal welfare standards higher than the EU I can’t see how compliance could be an issue. It’s nothing to do with ‘point scoring’ it is a fact.

 

[maz]

You asked for comments which is why I replied.

We already have animal welfare standards higher than the EU I can’t see how compliance could be an issue. It’s nothing to do with ‘point scoring’ it is a fact.

Without an actual commitment to adhere to the EU standards we will not achieve Part 1 listing. Which is why we are currently Part 2 listed.

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