Published: 28.04.2021.
Updated: 23.10.2025.
  1. The list of animals and products subject to veterinary checks is established by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/632 of 13 April 2021 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the lists of animals, products of animal origin, germinal products, animal by-products and derived products, composite products, and hay and straw to be subject to official controls at border control posts, and repealing Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2007 and Commission Decision 2007/275/EC
  2. Controls on live animals and products of animal origin are carried out at border control posts (BCPs) approved by the EC for specific animal species and product categories. Here are the lists of BCPs.
  3. Pre-notification must be made using the TRACES NT system 24 hours before the consignment is presented for control. More detailed information is available in the INSTRUCTIONS.
  4. In Latvia, establishment involved in the food chain (including the movement of food across the state border, storage, freezing) must be approved or registered with the Food and Veterinary Service in accordance with the Cabinet of Ministers Regulation No. 104 of 02.02.2010 "Procedures for the Recognition and Registration of Food Establishment".
  5. Customs warehouses and warehouses in free zones where operations with products of animal origin in transit through the EU from third countries for export from the EU take place must comply with Article 23 of Commission Regulation 2019/2124 and must be approved by the Food and Veterinary Service. Here you can see approved warehouses.

Border checks

Procedures for carrying out veterinary checks on products of animal origin, inspection procedures, the economic operator`s obligations and the requirements of the border inspection posts are laid down in Directive 97/78/EC.

EU hygiene legislation

The so-called “hygiene package” consists of 5 regulations:

  • Regulation No. (EC) 178/2002 - the EU “Food Law” – which lays down the principles for production and distribution of food, the procedure for dealing with emergencies and alerts, and states the responsibilities of the food business operators and the authorities respectively. It states as a general principle that food imported to the EU must fulfil the relevant requirements of the EU food legislation (art. 11)
  • Regulation No.(EC) 852/2004 – the “hygiene regulation” – which sets the hygiene provisions for food  production and distribution in general
  • Regulation No. (EC) 853/2004 – the “hygiene regulation on food of animal origin” – which sets the hygiene provisions for the production of food of animal origin. Specific production provisions for each food category are stated in annex III, sections I – XV.

The package includes 2 regulations on official control:

  • Regulation No. (EC) 854/2004 – the “control regulation on food of animal origin” – which describes the specific official control with food of animal origin
  • Regulation No. (EC) 882/2004 – the “control regulation” – which describes the general official food control.

Other important hygiene provisions, which may have to be considered, include the regulation on microbiological criteria (No. 2073/2005),  the directive on residues (No. 96/23), the regulation on chemical contaminants (No. 1881/2006) etc.

Residue plans

Each year all countries which export animal products to the EU must send their plans for analyses for residues of veterinary drugs to the EU Commission for approval along with reports of the previous year’s residue program.

If the residue plan (Decision 2011/163/EC) is not accepted for a specific product, the country cannot export that product, even though it is on the list of approved third countries and there are approved establishments for that product!

Given the necessity to maintain full knowledge of the consolidated legislation and considering the fact that any amending legislation contains in its title at least the number of the amended legislation, as a purely practical assistance for those who wish to use the Internet to obtain legislation, the following approach is recommended:

  1. Visit the following site (click on)
  2. By pressing the search button, it will be possible to perform a search using search terms. If the number of the basic legislation is typed into the search for field, after pressing the search button again, the result will provide both the basic legislation, and all its every amendments still in force ordered by date. The legislation available in .pdf format can be studied right away. Nevertheless some of the legislation can be displayed in  .html format and therefore will not be convenient to work with. Moreover such texts do not contain any tables, lists and certificates. However, even the data for this legislation will contain the reference to the Official Journal where it was published, including the relevant pages.
  3. In the latter case, having the correct reference to the publication in the Official Journal, one can either obtain the relevant copy from the addresses above or visit page Access to European Union law and after pressing the Official Journal button in the top left corner, search for and download the official version.

Data bases of legislative acts

European Commission DG Health and Consumers webpage

The procedure for the organisation of veterinary checks on animals, import and transit control procedures and requirements for the control point are laid down in Council Regulation 2017/625.

Lists of third countries, territories, or zones thereof from which animals of certain species may be imported into the European Union are laid down in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404.

Models of veterinary, veterinary/official certificates for the import of certain categories of terrestrial animals and their germinal products into the European Union from third countries are laid down in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/403.

The model of veterinary certificate for the import of aquatic animals intended for certain aquaculture facilities, release into the wild or for other purposes is laid down in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2236.

Prior notification must be made using the TRACES NT system 24 hours before the consignment is presented for control.

Animal transporters, be conscientious and comply with legislative requirements! Make timely notification to the border control point about animal consignments! Notification applies to the transportation of all species of animals - both the transportation of competition horses, and the transportation of pets (dogs, cats, ferrets) for commercial purposes, and circus animals. "

Regulatuion acts for animal health conditions and certification for certain products and transit cargo to be temporary stored in the Community you can find here.

Consignments of animal products in transit are required to meet animal health requirements. In addition consignments destined to third countries have to come from a third country whose products are not specifically prohibited entry.

Live animals physically entering the territory of the EU must always fulfil EU animal and public health import requirements, whether for import or transit! 

Special Import Conditions

Non-EU Countries Authorised Establishments