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Animal Health
EU animal health policy is built on decades of work to prevent and control transmissible animal diseases and applies to a very broad range of animals, including those kept for food production, farming, sport, companionship, entertainment and zoos, as well as wild animals and research animals where there is a risk of disease transmission to other animals or humans. The policy is designed to protect animal health, human health, animal welfare and food safety, while supporting a high health status for livestock, poultry and fish across the Union.
A central objective of EU animal health policy is to ensure the safe functioning of the internal market and the secure movement into the EU of live animals and products of animal origin, including animal by-products. This is achieved through a mix of legislative and non-legislative measures, surveillance systems, disease control actions and eradication programmes. The guiding principle of the EU framework is clear: “prevention is better than cure.”
The legal and policy framework is closely linked to the Animal Health Law, which provides the core structure for modern EU animal health rules, together with its delegated and implementing acts. The broader policy direction is also reflected in the EU Animal Health Strategy 2007–2013, which formally embedded the preventive approach into EU animal health governance.
EU animal health policy is also aligned with international standards, especially those developed by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE), and with the EU’s obligations under the WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement. In this context, the European Commission actively contributes to international standard-setting and coordinates input from Member States, helping to reduce unjustified health barriers to trade while maintaining strong sanitary protections.
Further key elements of the framework include the Animal Health Advisory Committee, the Expert Group on Animal Health, and the EU rules on veterinary medicines, which support implementation, scientific advice and the practical management of animal health risks across the Union.
A central objective of EU animal health policy is to ensure the safe functioning of the internal market and the secure movement into the EU of live animals and products of animal origin, including animal by-products. This is achieved through a mix of legislative and non-legislative measures, surveillance systems, disease control actions and eradication programmes. The guiding principle of the EU framework is clear: “prevention is better than cure.”
The legal and policy framework is closely linked to the Animal Health Law, which provides the core structure for modern EU animal health rules, together with its delegated and implementing acts. The broader policy direction is also reflected in the EU Animal Health Strategy 2007–2013, which formally embedded the preventive approach into EU animal health governance.
EU animal health policy is also aligned with international standards, especially those developed by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE), and with the EU’s obligations under the WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement. In this context, the European Commission actively contributes to international standard-setting and coordinates input from Member States, helping to reduce unjustified health barriers to trade while maintaining strong sanitary protections.
Further key elements of the framework include the Animal Health Advisory Committee, the Expert Group on Animal Health, and the EU rules on veterinary medicines, which support implementation, scientific advice and the practical management of animal health risks across the Union.
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