Animal Plant Health Agency
This page provides details on particular issues or changes that importers and exporters may need to be aware of.
You can view all of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defras) guidance and forms for:
Defras animal disease monitoring collection covers major, notifiable or new and emerging animal disease outbreaks internationally and in the UK.
Bluetongue virus (BTV) in Europe
The bluetongue guidance covers the latest situation and advice on measures to protect against the disease.
There are mandatory requirements for imports from certain European countries to Great Britain of:
- BTV susceptible ruminants including cattle, sheep, goats and cervids (deer)
- germinal products (semen, ova and embryos) of cattle, sheep and goats
If you are moving susceptible ruminants and ruminant germinal products, contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) about the requirements.
Read APHAs imports of live animals and genetic material importer information notes for further information.
Import requirements
Imports of live ruminants from all BTV-affected countries must comply with supplementary guarantee A. This relates to certain vaccination requirements for?BTV which are outlined in the relevant health certificates.
There is currently no vaccination available for BTV serotype 3 (BTV-3). Check the certification requirements before attempting to export live ruminants from BTV-3 affected countries to Great Britain.
Ruminant germinal products imported from all BTV-affected countries must comply with the BTV testing requirements outlined in the relevant health certificates.
Read the live ungulates list of EU and EFTA countries approved to export animals and animal products to Great Britain.
Lifting of reinforced controls for beef, poultry meat and meat products from Brazil
The UK has lifted reinforced controls for consignments of beef, poultry meat and meat products and preparations exported from Brazil to Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). This follows an audit of Brazils sanitary and phytosanitary controls.
For consignments of beef, poultry meat, and products and preparations from Brazil, exports to Great Britain do not need:
- enhanced pre-export and post-import testing for salmonella
- the additional attestation attached to health certificates confirming salmonella sampling, methods of analysis used, and results
The default level of import checks now applies in accordance with retained Commission Implementing Regulation 2019/2129.
Brazil can re-list certain poultry and beef establishments for export to Great Britain, as set out in the list of establishments approved to export animals and animal products.
Find out the countries, territories and regions approved to export animals and animal products to Great Britain.
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) outside the UK
From 23 June 2023, Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and the Crown Dependencies (Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) have suspended the import of live cervids and high risk cervid products, including urine hunting lures, from countries where CWD has been reported.
In addition, fresh cervid meat cannot be imported into Great Britain from countries affected with CWD unless it complies with the supplementary guarantee in the relevant health certificate.
CWD has been reported in Norway, Finland, Sweden, Canada, USA and the Republic of Korea.
The following safeguard measures give effect to these decisions. They are published on behalf of the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (England), the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd (Wales), and the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands (Scotland).
Read the:
These special measures apply from 23 June 2023 until they are revoked or amended.
For more information about the risk of CWD being introduced into Great Britain, read the qualitative risk assessments.
Find out the countries, territories and regions approved to export animals and animal products to Great Britain.
Epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) in Europe
Epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) was recently reported for the first time in Europe and is now spreading. Outbreaks of EHD have been confirmed in:
- Italy on 8 November 2022
- Spain on 18 November 2022
- Portugal on 19 July 2023
- France on 19 September 2023
This affects animal health certification for imports into Great Britain of:
- live cattle, sheep,