The European Union will introduce updated rules from Aug. 12 on the import of animals, products of animal origin and germinal material from third countries, Ukraine’s State Service on Food Safety and Consumer Protection said.
"From now on, a country’s inclusion on the list of states allowed to export to the EU will no longer mean automatic approval for all products. For certain goods, the European Commission may require additional research or additional documents or certificates regarding product origin, animal vaccination or other confirmations of compliance," the service said.
"For Ukrainian exporters, this means the need to review certain production processes, traceability systems and approaches to preparing documentation for exports to the European Union," the statement said.
The new EU regulation takes into account the practical application of current EU legislation, recommendations from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), as well as recent changes in food safety.
The regulation also strengthens requirements for animal identification and traceability, including wider use of electronic transponders and tags meeting international ISO standards.
Veterinary requirements for the production of meat, dairy, egg and composite products have also been updated. For meat products, controls on the origin of raw materials have been tightened, while for dairy products, requirements for processing methods have been clarified depending on the type and origin of the milk.
