25 March 2025
DEFRA has released an important update regarding the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak in Germany, which was first confirmed on 10 January 2025. The UK has now recognised regionalisation for this outbreak, allowing trade to resume for affected commodities from areas outside the designated containment zone, provided that all other import conditions are met.
Key Updates:
- Trade Resumption: Exports from areas outside the containment zone can now proceed as long as all necessary certification and health requirements are satisfied.
- Containment Zone Restrictions: The UK will continue to restrict trade from within the containment zone in line with safeguard declarations.
- FMD-Free Assurance: For certification purposes, Great Britain considers the areas outside the containment zone to have been free of FMD for at least 24 months.
- Ongoing Import Restrictions: Existing trade restrictions remain in place for other diseases, including Bluetongue and African Swine Fever.
Certification Requirements:
For bovine, ovine, and caprine semen, ova, and embryos, exporters must include the appropriate ISO code in certification documents:
– Add the code to Box I.8 of the relevant certificate
– Include the code in the first paragraph of the animal health attestations
This requirement ensures that products originate from animals outside the containment zone, providing essential health and safety assurances for trade.
For more details and the latest government declarations, visit gov.uk or get in touch with VARTAN:
Written by Corinne Robinson
Corinne brings the team together and is the main point of contact for clients and colleagues alike.
With a passion for customer service and over thirty years experience in managing businesses and streamlining processes in a variety of industries, Corinne knows what good service looks like and she takes pride in putting processes in place to ensure the team provides excellent customer service whilst managing customer expectations.