Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1936

Contents

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,Having regard to Council Decision 97/132/EC of 17 December 1996 on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Community and New Zealand on sanitary measures applicable to trade in live animals and animal products^note (hereafter, ‘the Agreement’), and in particular Article 4 thereof,Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017 on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products, amending Regulations (EC) No 999/2001, (EC) No 396/2005, (EC) No 1069/2009, (EC) No 1107/2009, (EU) No 1151/2012, (EU) No 652/2014, (EU) 2016/429 and (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Regulations (EC) No 1/2005 and (EC) No 1099/2009 and Council Directives 98/58/EC, 1999/74/EC, 2007/43/EC, 2008/119/EC and 2008/120/EC, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 854/2004 and (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Directives 89/608/EEC, 89/662/EEC, 90/425/EEC, 91/496/EEC, 96/23/EC, 96/93/EC and 97/78/EC and Council Decision 92/438/EEC (Official Controls Regulation)^note, and in particular Article 126(3) thereof,Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on transmissible animal diseases and amending and repealing certain acts in the area of animal health (‘Animal Health Law’)^note, and in particular Article 238(3) thereof,Whereas:

(1)Council Decision 97/132/EC approves the Agreement between the European Community [now the European Union] and New Zealand on sanitary measures applicable to trade in live animals and animal products (the Agreement), and it provides for the adoption of guarantees for the importation of fresh meat and meat-based products from New Zealand equivalent to those laid down in Council Directive 72/462/EEC^note. Directive 72/462/EEC was repealed by Council Directive 2004/68/EC^note. The public health and official control rules which apply to meat and meat products by virtue of Directive 72/462/EEC have been replaced by those of Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council which in turn was repealed and replaced by Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council. The other rules of Directive 72/462/EEC have been replaced by Council Directive 2002/99/EC^note and by Directive 2004/68/EC, which were subsequently repealed and replaced by Regulation (EU) 2016/429.

(2)Annex V to the Agreement lists the public and animal health measures for imports into the Union of consignments of animals and animal products and identifies those animals and animal products for which ‘Yes-1’ status equivalence, as defined in the Glossary of Annex V to the Agreement, has been determined for animal or public health measures, or for both.

(3)Article 9(3) of the Agreement requires that each consignment of live animals or of animal products for which equivalence has been recognised and that is presented for import is to be accompanied, unless not required, by an official health certificate, the model attestation for which is prescribed in Annex VII to the Agreement. Section 1 of that Annex sets out the health attestations for consignments of live animals and/or animal products.

(4)In addition, Annexes V and VII to the Agreement provide that consignments of animals and animal products falling within the scope of the Agreement may be imported into the Union when additional guarantees as laid down in Chapter 28 of Section 5 of Annex V to the Agreement appear on the health certificate.

(5)Annexes V and VII to the Agreement also provide that consignments of animals and animal products for which equivalence has been determined for either animal or public health measures, but not for both, may be imported into the Union when the applicable additional non-equivalent attestations from a model animal health certificate, animal health/official certificate or official certificates set out in the relevant Union legislation for the entry into the Union of such consignments appear on the model health certificate. For reasons of clarity, it is also appropriate to list such animals and animal products in an Annex to this Implementing Decision.

(6)Annex V to the Agreement provides that consignments of animals and animal products for which equivalence has not been determined, may be imported into the Union when accompanied by an official health certificate, corresponding to the models set out in the relevant Union legislation for the entry into the Union of such consignments.

(7)Article 12 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009^note provides for health certificates accompanying meat imported from third countries to be supplemented with an attestation certifying that certain animals referred to in that Regulation have been slaughtered under conditions which offer guarantees of humane treatment, at least equivalent to those provided for in that Regulation. As such, an attestation should be provided for in the model health certificate set out in Annex I of this Decision, when required.

(8)Article 118(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/6 of the European Parliament and of the Council^note provides that operators in third countries are not to use antimicrobial medicinal products to promote growth or to increase yield and antimicrobial medicinal products containing an antimicrobial that is included in the list of antimicrobials reserved for the treatment of certain infections in humans set out in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1255^note as regards food-producing animals or products of animal origin derived therefrom intended for human consumption exported from third countries to the Union.

(9)Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/905^note supplements the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2019/6 by establishing the conditions for the entry into the Union of consignments of food-producing animals and products of animal origin derived therefrom intended for human consumption from third countries or regions thereof.

(10)Article 4 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/905 provides that consignments of food-producing animals and products of animal origin derived therefrom intended for human consumption entering the Union, are to be accompanied by an official certificate attesting compliance with the Union’s prohibition on the use of antimicrobial medicinal products for the purpose of promoting growth or to increase yield, and on use of antimicrobials that have been reserved for the treatment of certain infections in humans.

(11)An attestation concerning compliance with these Union rules should therefore be inserted in the model certificate set out in Annex I to this Decision.

(12)As provided for under ‘Certification Systems’ in Chapter 27 of Annex V to the Agreement, the health certificates may be issued after the departure of the consignments of live animals and animal products from New Zealand under certain conditions. The attestation laid down in Subsection (a) (IV) of Section 1 of Annex VII to the Agreement should be included in the model health certificate, set out in Annex I to this Decision, in such circumstances.

(13)The amendments made to Annexes V and VII to the Agreement, as approved by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/1084/EU^note establish new or revised measures on equivalence for certain live animals and animal products and provide new or updated certification requirements, such as a model attestation for equivalent commodities, and that health certificates may also be exchanged electronically through the use of TRACES, after recording the agreement of the European Union for the exclusive use of electronic certification for consignments of live animals and animal products from New Zealand either in one of the Annexes to the Agreement or by correspondence in accordance with Article 16(1) of the Agreement.

(14)Furthermore Subchapter 29.B. of Section 5 of Annex V to the Agreement establishes additional animal health measures for import into the Union of consignments of live animals and animal products in the event of the occurrence of a specific animal disease. Annexes V and VII to the Agreement provide that such consignments may be imported into the Union in such circumstances when these additional attestations are included in the health certificate.

(15)National health requirements of Member States may apply when harmonised Union rules have not been established. The model health certificate in Annex I to this Decision should also be used for the entry into the Union of such live animals and animal products and any Member State’s attestations should be included in the model health certificate in Annex I to this Decision.

(16)In case of further dispatch from the Union to third countries other than New Zealand, these third countries may require additional certification attestations, which should be included in the model health certificate in Annex I to this Decision.

(17)For the sake of consistency, the model animal health certificates, animal health/official certificates and official certificates for the entry into the Union of consignments of certain live animals and animal products intended for human consumption should be drawn up on the basis of the standard model for the animal health certificates, official certificates and animal health/official certificates for the entry into the Union of live animals, products of animal origin, composite products, germinal products, animal by-products, sprouts for human consumption and seeds intended for the production of sprouts for human consumption set out in Chapter 3 of Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2235, and completed in accordance with the notes for the completion of certificates set out in Chapter 4 of that Annex. Detailed explanatory notes for the entry into the Union of consignments of certain categories of terrestrial animals and germinal products thereof are laid down in the model animal health certificates, animal health/official certificates and official certificates set out in Annex II of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/403^note, and for aquatic animals and certain products of animal origin in the Annexes I, II or III to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2236^note. Point (e) of Section 2 of Annex VII to the Agreement permits minor modifications to the format of the model certificate, and point (f) thereof provides that official health certificates do not need to include the explanatory notes providing guidance for their completion, nor the attestations that are irrelevant to the consignment.

(18)Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/1901^note lays down certification rules and a model of health certificate for import into the Union of consignments of live animals and animal products from New Zealand. In the interest of clarity and consistency of Union legislation, Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/1901 should be repealed and replaced by this Decision.

(19)In order to avoid any disruption to trade as regards the entry into the Union of consignments of live animals and animal products from NZ, the use of certificates issued in accordance with Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/1901 should continue to be authorised for the entry into the Union during a transitional period.

(20)The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1Subject matter and scope#

This Decision lays down certification requirements for the entry into the Union of consignments of live animals and animal products from New Zealand.It also establishes a model health certificate to be used for the entry into the Union of those live animals and animal products for which equivalence has been determined under the Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand on sanitary measures applicable to trade in live animals and animal products (the Agreement).

Article 2Entry into the Union of live animals and animal products#

1.The Member States shall authorise the entry into the Union of consignments of live animals and animal products from New Zealand provided they are accompanied by a health certificate, issued before the departure of the consignment from New Zealand, and drawn up in accordance with the following models:

(a)where equivalence has been established for the animal and/or public health measures, and recorded in Annex V to the Agreement as ‘Yes-1’, the model health certificate set out in Annex I to this Decision supplemented by, where required, the relevant additional attestations in accordance with:

(i)the special conditions referred to in Chapter 28 of Section 5 of Annex V to the Agreement;

(ii)the special conditions referred to in Annex II to this Decision;

(iii)the special conditions referred to in Subchapter 29.B. of Section 5 of Annex V to the Agreement;

(iv)the guarantees of humane treatment at the time of slaughter or killing at least equivalent to those provided for in Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009;

(v)the guarantees on the use of antimicrobial medicinal products provided for in Article 3 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/905;

(b)where equivalence has not been established and certification requirements have been laid down in Union legislation, the model animal health certificate, model animal health/official certificate or model official certificate set out in the relevant Union legislation.

2.Where harmonised requirements for the entry into the Union of certain live animals or animal products have not been established, the national health requirements of the Member States shall continue to apply to the entry into the Union of such live animals and animal products.

3.By way of derogation from paragraph 1 of this Article, as regards live animals and animal products with certification systems equivalence listed in Chapter 27 of Annex V to the Agreement, the health certificates issued in accordance with the model health certificate referred to in paragraph 1, point (a), of this Article may be issued after the departure of the consignments of live animals or animal products from New Zealand, provided that the health certificates:

(a)are available when the consignments are presented for official controls at the border control post of entry into the Union; and

(b)include a reference to the appropriate Eligibility Document (ED), referred to in Chapter 27 of Annex V to the Agreement, and the date of its issuance.

4.Where the live animals or animal products are intended to be further dispatched from the Union to third countries other than New Zealand, the health certificates referred to in paragraph 1 may contain supplementary attestations required by those third countries.

Article 3General certification conditions for the entry into the Union of live animals and animal products#

1.Where a consignment of live animals or animal products is presented for an official control at the border control post of entry into the Union, the health certificate referred to in Article 2 shall:

(a)be provided in English, as well as in one of the official languages of the Member State of the border control post of entry into the Union;

(b)be available to the border control post of entry into the Union on arrival of the consignment;

(c)be issued and provided to the border control post of entry into the Union, either:

(i)as an original signed paper certificate, or

(ii)electronically through the exclusive use of electronic data transmission using E-cert and TRACES in accordance with Article 39 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1715;

(d)when issuing a paper health certificate, it shall be signed and stamped with an official seal of the competent authority, in a colour different to that of the printing.

2.The applicable animal and public health attestations may be combined in a single health certificate.

Article 4Repeal#

Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/1901 is repealed.

Article 5Transitional provisions#

The health certificates issued in accordance with the model set out in this Decision or in accordance with the model set out in Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/1901, as applicable before the application of this Decision, supplemented by the attestation on the use of antimicrobial medicinal products set out in Annex I to this Decision, shall be accepted for the entry into the Union from 3 September 2026.The health certificates issued before 3 September 2026 in accordance with the model set out in Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/1901, as applicable before the application of this Decision, shall be accepted for the entry into the Union until 2 March 2027.Only the health certificates issued in accordance with the model set out in this Decision may be accepted for the entry into the Union from 3 March 2027.

Article 6Entry into force and application#

This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Annex I · Model health certificate for the entry into the union of live animals and of animal products from new zealand

Part I: Description of consignment

COUNTRY

Certificate to the EU

I.1	Consignor/Exporter		I.2	Certificate reference	I.2a	IMSOC reference
	Name
	Address		I.3	Central Competent Authority		QR CODE

	Country	ISO country code	I.4	Local Competent Authority
I.5	Consignee/Importer		I.6	Operator responsible for the consignment
	Name			Name
	Address			Address
	Country	ISO country code		Country	ISO country code
I.7	Country of origin	NZ	I.9	Country of destination	ISO country code
I.8	Region of origin	Code	I.10	Region of destination	Code
I.11	Place of dispatch		I.12	Place of destination
	Name	Registration/Approval No		Name	Registration/Approval No
	Address			Address
	Country	ISO country code		Country	ISO country code
I.13	Place of loading	I.14	Date and time of departure

I.15	Means of transport		I.16	Entry Border Control Post
	☐ Aircraft	☐ Vessel	I.17	Accompanying documents
Type	Code
	Identification		Country	ISO country code
	Commercial document reference
I.18	Transport conditions	☐ Ambient	☐ Chilled	☐ Frozen
I.19	Container number/Seal number
	Container No	Seal No

I.20	Certified as or for
	☐ Products for human consumption	☐ Pharmaceutical use	☐ Technical use	☐ Further processing
	☐ Feedstuff	☐ Petfood	☐ Germinal products	☐ Registered equine animal
	☐ Live aquatic animals for human consumption		☐ Other
I.21	☐ For transit	I.22	☐ For internal market
	Third country	ISO country code	I.23	☐ For re-entry

I.24

Total number of packages

I.25

Total quantity

I.26

Total net weight/gross weight (kg)

I.27	Description of consignment
CN code	Species	Subspecies/Category	Sex	Identification system	Identification number	Age	Quantity
Type	Cold store	Identification mark	Type of packaging	Net weight	Slaughterhouse	Treatment type
Nature of commodity	Number of packages	Batch No	Final consumer	Date of collection/production	Manufacturing plant	Approval or registration number of plant/establishment/centre	Test

Part II: Certification

COUNTRY	Certificate model
	II.Health information	II.a	Certificate reference	II.b	IMSOC reference

(1) [II.2The live animals or animal products of the consignment described in Part I complies(y) with:

(1)(5) either[the following national health requirements of … [insert Member State(s)] … [insert relevant attestation].]

(1)(6) and/or[the relevant certification requirements for further dispatch … [insert relevant attestation].]]

(1)(7) [II.3.I, the undersigned, certify this consignment on the basis of Eligibility Document(s) (ED) … issued on /__/__/__ (dd/mm/yyyy), which was/were ascertained by me and issued before the departure of the consignment.]

II.1.The live animal(s) or animal product(s) of the consignment described in Part I [complies(y) with the relevant New Zealand standards and requirements that have been recognised as equivalent to the European Union standards and requirements as prescribed in the European Union-New Zealand Agreement on sanitary measures (Council Decision 97/132/EC)] ⁽¹⁾ [and] ⁽¹⁾:

(1) (2) and/or[are derived from animals that have been handled in the slaughterhouse before and at the time of slaughter or killing under conditions at least equivalent to the Union standards and requirements laid down in Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009;]

(1) (3) and/or[has/have not been administered antimicrobial medicinal products for growth promotion or yield increase or antimicrobial medicinal products containing an antimicrobial that is included in the list of antimicrobials reserved for the treatment of certain infections in humans laid down in the Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1255, as set out in Article 3 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/905;]

(1) (4) and/or[was/were produced in accordance with the relevant requirements of Article 118 of Regulation (EU) 2019/6 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/905, and in particular, the animals from which the animal product(s) is/are derived have not been administered antimicrobial medicinal products for growth promotion or yield increase or antimicrobial medicinal products containing an antimicrobial that is included in the list of antimicrobials reserved for the treatment of certain infections in humans laid down in the Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1255, as set out in Article 3 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/905 and originate from a country or region thereof listed in accordance with Article 5(2) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/905.]

(1) and/or[complies(y) with the relevant certification provisions laid down in Annex II to Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1936: … [insert relevant attestation];]

(1) and/or[complies(y) with the additional conditions laid down in Chapter 29.B. of Section 5 of Annex V to Decision 97/132/EC in the event of the occurrence of a specific disease: … [insert relevant attestation];]

(1) either[complies(y) with the relevant special conditions laid down in Chapter 28 of Section 5 of Annex V to Decision 97/132/EC: … [insert relevant attestation];]

Notes:

In accordance with the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 5(4) of the Windsor Framework (see Joint Declaration No 1/2023 of the Union and the United Kingdom in the Joint Committee established by the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community of 24 March 2023, OJ L 102, 17.4.2023, p. 87) in conjunction with Annex 2 to that Framework, references to the Union in this animal health/official certificate include the United Kingdom in respect of Northern Ireland.

This health certificate is for veterinary purposes only.

In the case of consignments of live animals, the health certificate shall be issued within the last 10 days prior to the date of arrival of the consignment at the border control post; in the case of transport by sea, the period may be extended by an additional period corresponding to the duration of the journey by sea.

Part I:

Box reference I.6Indicate the name and address, country and ISO country code, of the natural or legal person in the Member State in charge of the consignment when presented at the Border Control Post (BCP) who makes the necessary declarations to the competent authorities as the importer or on behalf of the importer in case of import, or on behalf of the transporter in case of transit.This operator may be the same as indicated in box I.5.For animal products in transit through the Union to a third country: this box is compulsory.For certain animals: this box is compulsory, if required by the relevant Union legislation.For animals and animal products for the placing on the market: this box is optional.Box reference I.8‘Region of origin’: Enter, if applicable, otherwise cross out. For live animals or animal products affected by the regionalisation measures in accordance with Union legislation: Indicate the code(s) of the approved regions, zones or compartments as published in the Official Journal of the European Union.Box reference I.12In the case of transit, complete only if the goods are being stored: Indicate the name and address and the approval or registration number of the warehouse in a free zone, the customs warehouse or the ship supplier.Box reference I.14For live animals: Indicate the date and the time at which the animals are scheduled to leave in their means of transport (aircraft, vessel, railway or road vehicle).For animal products: Indicate the date of departure of the means of transport (aircraft, vessel, railway or road vehicle).Box reference I.18Complete only in the case of animal products. Indicate the category of required temperature during transport of the animal products (ambient, chilled, frozen).Box reference I.19Where applicable, indicate the container number and seal number (more than one possible).The container number shall be provided if the live animals or animal products are transported in closed containers.Only the official seal number shall be stated. An official seal shall be applied if a seal is affixed to the container, truck or rail wagon under the supervision of the competent authority issuing the health certificate.Box reference I.20Select the purpose of the movement of live animals or intended use of animal products or the category as specified in the relevant Union legislation (the available options will vary in accordance with the specific certificate in the relevant Union legislation).Box reference I.21Tick this box for the transit of live animals or animal products through the Union from one third country to another third country or from one part of a third country to another part of the same third country.Indicate the name and ISO country code of the third country of destination.Box reference I.22Tick this box where consignments are intended to be placed on the Union market.Box reference I.23Tick only in the case of of registered equine animals intended for competition or races, or invited for specific cultural events, and authorised for re-entering the Union after their temporary export.Box reference I.27‘CN code’: Indicate the appropriate Harmonised System (HS) code(s) of the World Customs Organisation as referred to in Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87^note. This customs description shall be supplemented, if necessary, by an additional information required to classify the animals or the products in veterinary terms. In addition, state any specific requirements relating to the animals or to the nature/processing of the products as laid down in the relevant Union legislation.For live animals: Indicate the species, the category, the identification number, the age, the sex, the quantity or net weight, and the test if required.For semen, oocytes or embryos intended for artificial reproduction: Indicate the type (semen, in vivo derived embryos, in vivo derived oocytes, in vitro produced embryos or micromanipulated embryos), the collection or production date, the approval number of the establishment of collection or production (semen collection centre, embryo collection or production team, germinal product processing establishment, germinal product storage centre or confined establishment), the identification mark on the straw or other packaging, the quantity, the species, the subspecies (for animals from confined establishments, if needed) and identification number of the donor animal(s).For animal products: Indicate the species, the type of treatment, the nature of commodity, the approval number of establishment(s), when applicable, togehther with ISO country code (such as slaughterhouse, manufacturing plant, cold store), the number of packages, the type of packages, the batch number, the net weight (the available options will vary in accordance with the specific model animal health, animal health/offcial or offcial certificate set out in the relevant Union legislation). Tick ‘final consumer’ where products are packaged for final consumers. Those products may, in accordance with the entry ‘Re-exports of imported animal products’ of Chapter 27 of Annex V to Decision 97/132/EC, come from establishments located in third countries other than New Zealand or in European Union Member States.

Titles and entries of the boxes may be aligned to the specific model animal health, animal health/offcial or offcial certificate set out in the relevant Union legislation.

Part II:⁽¹⁾Delete if not applicable.⁽²⁾Only for animal products derived from animals covered by Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009.⁽³⁾Only for live animals covered by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/905.⁽⁴⁾Only for animal products derived from animals covered by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/905.⁽⁵⁾Health requirements of Member States only to be completed in the case where harmonised requirements for the entry into the Union have not been established.⁽⁶⁾Supplementary attestation(s) required by third countries in the case of further dispatch from the Union to third countries other than New Zealand. Not required for entry into the Union.⁽⁷⁾Only to be completed when the health certificate is issued after the departure of the consignment. Reference of the appropriate Eligibility Document(s) and its date of issuance shall be indicated.

Certifying officer
Name (in capital letters)
Date		Qualification and title
Stamp		Signature

Annex II · List of live animals and of animal products for the entry into the union from new zealand for which equivalence has been determined for animal or public health measures, but not for both, in annex V to the agreement

Commodity^notespecies^note/form^note	Chapter^note	Certification^note
Animal health	Public health	Special certification conditions
Farmed game meatratites fresh meat	4.C	Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2235^note	Equivalence model health attestation	The non-equivalence attestations to be included in the model health certificate set out in Annex I
Wild game meatother wild land mammals fresh meat, excluding offal	4.D	Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2235	Equivalence model health attestation	The non-equivalence attestations to be included in the model health certificate set out in Annex I
Farmed game meatratites meat preparations	5.C	Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2235	Equivalence model health attestation	The non-equivalence attestations to be included in the model health certificate set out in Annex I
Farmed game productsratites meat products	6.C	Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2235	Equivalence model health attestation	The non-equivalence attestations to be included in the model health certificate set out in Annex I