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.
Peste des petits ruminants in Romania
Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) has temporarily suspended the import of the following sheep and goat commodities from Romania:
- live animals
- germplasm
- raw milk and milk products
- untreated wool and hair
- fresh or chilled (untreated) skins and hides
This is due to an outbreak of peste des petits ruminants that was confirmed on 19 July 2024.
For more information, read the following lists of?EU?andEFTAcountries approved to export animals and animal products to Great Britain:
- live ungulates
- ovine and caprine ova and embryos
- ovine and caprine semen
- milk and milk products
For restrictions on untreated wool and hair and on fresh or chilled (untreated) skins and hides, the following safeguard declarations give effect to this decision. They are published on behalf of the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (England), 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 26 July 2024 and will continue to apply until they are revoked or amended.
Peste des petits ruminants in Greece
Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) has temporarily suspended the import from Greece of raw milk and raw dairy products derived from sheep and goats. This is due to anoutbreakof peste des petits ruminants in Greece that was confirmed on 11 July 2024.
The import of these products is suspended whilst the extent of thediseaseoutbreakis being understood.
Read the milk and milk products list of?EU?and?EFTA?countries approved to export animals and animal products to Great Britain for more information.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) import restrictions: Australia?
The import of the following ratite products is suspended from Australia to Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) for consignments produced on or after 22 May 2024:
- fresh ratite meat
- breeding and productive ratites
- day-old ratites
- hatching eggs of ratites
An outbreak of HPAI was confirmed in a commercial layer poultry farm in Victoria, Australia, on 22 May 2024. The suspension of affected commodities will remain in place until the UK recognises Australia as disease free for HPAI.
Read the Poultry and poultry products list of non-EU countries approved to export animals and animal products to Great Britain for more information about affected commodities.
African swine fever (ASF) import restrictions: Montenegro
From 23 January 2024, the heat treatment applied to the import of domestic and wild pig meat products from Montenegro into Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) has changed.
The heat treatment category for domestic porcine, farmed cloven-hoofed game (swine) and wild swine has changed from D (minimum temperature of 70C) to C (minimum temperature 80C).
An outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) was confirmed in wild boar in Montenegro on 14 January 2024. These measures will remain in place until Montenegro is recognised by the UKas disease free for ASF.
Read the meat products list of non-EU countries approved to export animals and animal products to Great Britain for more information about affected commodities.
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 a