In its ‘Notice on travelling between the EU and the United Kingdom following withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU’, issued on 13 November 2018, the Commission stated that ‘the requirements for pets accompanying travellers coming from the United Kingdom as of the withdrawal date will also depend on whether the United Kingdom is “listed”, as of that date, as a third country providing certain animal health guarantees’.
Given the high animal-health status of the United Kingdom, can the Commission confirm that it will amend Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 to list the United Kingdom, in accordance with Article 13(1) of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013, to take effect on the date of the UK’s withdrawal, thereby allowing for the continued movement of pet animals into the Union providing they are accompanied by a duly filled-in third country pet passport, the model for which has been adopted by the Commission?
A: Vice-President Katainen on behalf of the European Commission
The Commission did not consider it necessary to take contingency action in relation to the issue referred to by the Honourable Member. EU contingency measures have been put in place to avoid major disruptions for the EU27 as a consequence of a disorderly withdrawal of the United Kingdom, but cannot address all inconveniences that citizens and businesses would face in such a situation. The general principles of the EU contingency measures are set out in the Communication “Preparing for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 30 March 2019: a Contingency Action Plan”1.
Even in case of a no-deal scenario, non-commercial movements of pet animals between the European Union and the United Kingdom would be possible. The Commission has published information for travellers in a no-deal scenario, on this and other matters, on 13 November 2018 (2).
[1] COM/2018/880 final.
[2] https://ec.europa.eu/info/site...
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