Dairy

Identification and registration of animals is a key instrument to secure the health of population. Why is that so and who needs it? Why Europeans are so insisting to identify all productive animals independent of to whom they belong and for which purposes are grown?

The answer is quite simple. If the identification and registration process in the country does not work properly, the state controlling body can not be 100% sure that in case of certain animals’ disease (epizooty), all animals will be examined at the territories where the disease appeared, cured and, if necessary, destroyed. Therefore Ukraine would have risked becoming a center/source of a dangerous animals’ disease, some of which endanger the human health.

In spite of all the importance of identification, this process in Ukraine was actually blocked, since the existing legislation enabled the reimbursement of costs for identification exclusively from the state budget, while the relevant funds in the budget 2015 were not foreseen.

On 15 July 2015 the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has finally adopted the Draft Law №1484 (now Law of Ukraine №616-VIII), which amends the Law of Ukraine “On identification and registration of animals” №1445-VI. The adopted amendments allow for legal entities and individuals-animals’ owners to carry out payments for identification works by themselves. EBA Dairy Committee has been repeatedly outlining the necessity and importance of this Draft Law and facilitated its adoption and signature by the President.

The enforcement of the Law will allow unblocking the process of mandatory identification and registration of animals in Ukraine, performing timely implementation of the relevant works independent of the availability of state funds, approximating Ukraine’s legislation with the EU standards in the area of food safety and securing epizootic welfare of the state.

European Business Association welcomes the expedient adoption of necessary legislation in the area of identification and registration of animals which is one of the important steps to enable exports of Ukrainian goods of animal origin to the EU.

Legal information:

Law of Ukraine “On amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On identification and registration of animals №616-VIII of 15 July 2015 enters into force on 7 August 2015.

Among other, the Law envisages the possibility to carry out payments for identification of animals whose owner is an individual, by a third party (any legal or physical entity). In case the individual – animal’s owner – paid for identification by himself/herself, he/she has the right to claim mandatory reimbursement of these costs by the state.