The European Parliament has facilitated the rules on cross-border travel for pets. The new legislation on the "non-commercial transport" of pets, already informally agreed with EU ministers, has been officially approved, with the aim of making it easier for animals to travel abroad and tightening requirements. of health.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
The European Parliament has facilitated the rules on cross-border travel of pets. The new legislation on the “non-commercial transport” of pets, already informally agreed with EU ministers, was officially approved, with the aim of making it easier for animals to travel abroad and tighten health requirements.
To begin with, before letting their pets cross borders, for example, owners should check that their rabies vaccinations are still valid. Small exception for young animals, which are between 12 and 16 weeks old: even if vaccinated against rabies, they still have to obtain immunity and will continue to be subject to travel authorization.
Under current rules, borders cannot be crossed with more than five pets in one run. This restriction is necessary to prevent or discourage abuse of the rules for commercial purposes. However, the new law says owners can be exempted if they can prove they are leaving to participate in a competition, exhibition or sporting event.
The new legislation also establishes clearer rules on "passports". The identification documents must be issued by a licensed veterinarian and must specify the animal code, details on the rabies vaccination and other information on the health of the animal. Since July 2011, the microchip is the only officially approved medium to locate dogs, cats and ferrets. However, a clearly legible tattoo applied before that date is still considered valid.
"There are 64 million cats and 66 million dogs in the EU. One in four families have a pet. In the future, there will be little administrative hassle for traveling across borders with animals. The rules have been loosened, and this should have a direct impact on citizens ", has explained the rapporteur Horst Schnellhardt, after his resolution was adopted with 592 votes in favor, 7 against and 4 abstentions. The legislation will enter into force 18 months after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Roberta Ragni
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