Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/132 of 20 January 2026 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035 as regards rules for the traceability of kept dogs, cats and ferrets

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to 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’) (1), and in particular the second subparagraph of Article 3(5) and Article 118(1) and (2) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Regulation (EU) 2016/429 lays down rules for the prevention and control of diseases which are transmissible to animals or humans, including, inter alia, rules for the traceability of certain kept terrestrial animals within the Union.

(2) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035 (2) lays down supplementing rules for the traceability of certain kept terrestrial animals. Part III, Title V, Chapter 1 of that Delegated Regulation lays down rules concerning the traceability of kept dogs, cats and ferrets, including obligations on operators as regards the means and methods of identification of those animals, and the type of identification document that is required to accompany those animals when being moved to another Member State.

(3) Article 70 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035 provides that operators keeping dogs, cats and ferrets are to ensure that those animals are individually identified with an injectable transponder approved by the competent authorities of the Member States. Practical experience in applying those rules has shown certain limitations in ensuring the correct identification and a sufficient level of traceability of those animals when they are moved between Member States. It is, therefore, necessary to strengthen the current system to enable the proper identification and an appropriate level of traceability of those animals by specifying the obligation for implanting injectable transponders into the identified animals, the persons who are allowed to perform such implantations, the detailed requirements for the injectable transponders, and the Member States’ obligations in that regard.

(4) Article 71 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035 provides that in order to move dogs, cats and ferrets to another Member State, those animals must be accompanied by the same identification document as required for non-commercial movements of pet animals as provided for in Article 6, point (d), of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3).

(5) Regulation (EU) No 576/2013, which lays down the rules for non-commercial movement of pet animals, was repealed by Article 270(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 as from 21 April 2021. However, Article 277 of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 provides that notwithstanding that repeal, Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 is to continue to apply until 21 April 2026 in respect of non-commercial movements of pet animals, in place of Part VI of Regulation (EU) 2016/429.

(6) The rules on the identification document for non-commercial movements of pet animals laid down in Article 6, point (d), of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 have proven to be effective in the traceability of dogs, cats and ferrets. Accordingly, the main provisions of those rules should be maintained in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035, as amended by this Regulation but updated to take account of the practical experience gained by Member States in the application of those rules. Therefore, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035 should be amended to provide specific provisions for the identification documents that are required to accompany dogs, cats and ferrets when being moved to another Member State, including the information to be included in such identification documents, their issuing and completion and the distribution of blank identification documents by the competent authority.

(7) To avoid any unnecessary disruptions in the movement of dogs, cats and ferrets between Member States, it is necessary to ensure that this Regulation provides for a smooth transition from the requirements laid down in Regulation (EU) No 576/2013.

(8) Such provisions should be made available to address legitimate expectations of operators keeping dogs, cats and ferrets, transponder manufacturers, veterinarians and Member State competent authorities and give them appropriate time to adapt to the new requirements. These provisions should be designed to prevent duly identified kept dogs, cats and ferrets from undergoing any new identification process and duly issued passports from being revoked and reissued. They do not prevent operators keeping dogs, cats and ferrets, transponder manufacturers, veterinarians and Member State competent authorities from applying the new rules before the end of the transition period.

(9) As the transitional period related to the repeal of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 is to cease to apply on 21 April 2026, this Regulation should enter into force as a matter of urgency and apply from 22 April 2026,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Amendments to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035

Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035 is amended as follows:

(6) new Annexes IV and V are added in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

Entry into force and application

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

It shall apply from 22 April 2026.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 20 January 2026.

For the Commission The President Ursula VON DER LEYEN

(1) OJ L 84, 31.3.2016, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/429/oj.

(2) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035 of 28 June 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards rules for establishments keeping terrestrial animals and hatcheries, and the traceability of certain kept terrestrial animals and hatching eggs (OJ L 314, 5.12.2019, p. 115, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2019/2035/oj).

(3) Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 2013 on the non-commercial movement of pet animals and repealing Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 (OJ L 178, 28.6.2013, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/576/oj).