Ref. Ares(2021)2728254 - 23/04/2021
Ms Stella Kyriakides
Commissioner
for
Health
and
Food
Safety
European
Commission
Rue de la Loi 200
1049
Brussels
Brussels,
10th July 2020
Re: Postponement of the application date of the AHL
Dear Commissioner,
This letter is sent on behalf of six Livestock related associations regarding the date of implementation
of the 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’).
Article 283 of the AHL sets the date of application of this Regulation and its delegated acts on 21st
April 2021. However, despite the considerable work done by the Commission services to prepare
these delegated acts, most of them were not published or adopted before June 2020, even though
Article 274 of the AHL provided that they should be adopted by 20th April 2019 at the latest.
This deadline, set in the spirit of AHL recital 1721, was intended to allow Member States and
operators sufficient time to "adapt properly to the new rules". This adaptation period would therefore
be reduced by more than a year if the deadline of 21st April 2021 were to be retained (cf. annexed
table).
Moreover, the current context linked to the Covid-19 pandemic aggravates this situation. For
example, the training sessions about AHL implementation, planned as part of the “Better training
for safer food” program, will have to be delayed.
These important delays and the huge amount of work to do within the Member States are of great
concern to the competent authorities and operators. Therefore, we ask you to study the possibility to
postpone this application date for one year.
1 The requirements set out in this Regulation should not apply until the key delegated and implementing acts have been adopted by the Commission
pursuant to this Regulation, allowing a period of 24 months from the adoption of the key acts until the date when they start to apply, thus permitting
Member States and operators to duly adapt to the new rules. In addition, it is appropriate to provide for a period of at least 36 months for the Commission
to elaborate the new rules.
Copa - Cogeca | European Farmers European Agri-Cooperatives
61, Rue de Trèves | B - 1040 Bruxelles | www.copa-cogeca.eu
EU Transparency Register Number | Copa 44856881231-49 | Cogeca 09586631237-74
With this letter we would also emphasize on the good work that has been done at European level and
the need for one set of legislation that drives Animal Health to the next phase.
We hope that this request will hold your attention. We remain at your disposal should you have any
point to clarify.
Yours faithfully,
SIGNATURES from all interested organisations
of Animal Health Europe
of AVEC
of Copa and Cogeca
of EFFAB
of FESASS
of UECBV
2 | 3
Annex
Main steps for the application of the 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’)
Main steps
Deadlines set
Effective dates
Dates of
Delays
by AHL
publication
b-a
(a)
(b)
(c)
(c-a)
Delegated
20 April 2019
25 July 2018
31 October
_
Regulation
2018
n° 2018/1629
Delegated
20 April 2019
28 June 2019
5 December
2,3 months
Regulation
2019
(7,5 months)
Adoption of
n° 2019/2035
key delegated
Delegated
20 April 2019
17 December
3 June 2020
8 months
acts
Regulation
2019
(13,5 months)
(article 274
n° 2020/686
and article
Delegated
20 April 2019
17 December
3 June 2020
8 months
275)
Regulation
2019
(13,5 months)
n° 2020/687
Delegated
20 April 2019
17 December
3 June 2020
8 months
Regulation
2019
(13,5 months)
n° 2020/688
Delegated
20 April 2019
17 December
3 June 2020
8 months
Regulation
2019
(13,5 months)
n° 2020/689
Delegated
20 April 2019
30 January
3 June 2020
9,4 months
Regulation
2020
(13,5 months)
n° 2020/691
Delegated
20 April 2019
30 January
3 June 2020
9,4 months
Regulation
2020
(13,5 months)
n° 2020/692
3 | 3
Electronically signed on 22/04/2021 12:09 (UTC+02) in accordance with article 11 of Commission Decision C(2020) 4482