Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/135 of 20 January 2026 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 as regards rules for entry into the Union, and the movement and handling after entry of consignments of 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 Article 234(2) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Regulation (EU) 2016/429 lays down rules for the prevention and control of animal diseases that are transmissible to animals or to humans, including, inter alia, rules for the entry of animals into the Union. In particular, Part V, Chapter I, Section 1 of that Regulation lays down the animal health requirements for the entry into the Union of animals, and the movement and handling of those animals after their entry.

(2) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 (2) supplements the animal health rules laid down in Regulation (EU) 2016/429, as regards, inter alia, the entry into the Union, and the movement and handling after entry, of consignments of certain species and categories of animals. In particular, Title 5 of Part II of that Delegated Regulation lays down the animal health requirements for the entry into the Union of dogs, cats and ferrets.

(3) Article 74 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 provides that consignments of dogs, cats and ferrets are to be permitted to enter the Union, only if each animal in the consignment is individually identified with an injectable transponder implanted in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035 (3).

(4) Article 76 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 provides that consignments of dogs, cats and ferrets are to be permitted to enter the Union, only if those animals comply with specific animal health requirements laid down in that Article. Those requirements include that the animals are vaccinated against rabies, have undergone a rabies antibody titration test with favourable results, and in the case of consignments of dogs entering Member States with disease-free status from Echinococcus multilocularis, that the dogs are properly treated against that infestation. It also lays down the conditions for dogs, cats and ferrets to derogate from the mandatory rabies antibody titration test requirement.

(5) Annex XXI to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 lays down specific requirements as regards dogs, cats and ferrets intended for entry into the Union, including the detailed requirements for the validity of the rabies antibody titration test and for the risk-mitigation measures for Echinococcus multilocularis.

(6) The technical requirements for injectable transponders, the animal health requirements concerning the validity requirements for anti-rabies vaccines, and both the rabies antibody titration test and the conditions to derogate from that test requirement, and the risk-mitigation measures for Echinococcus multilocularis, as laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692, take into account and make a number of cross-references to the rules in Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4), and in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 (5) and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/772 (6) which were adopted within the framework of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013.

(7) 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.

(8) The rules on validity requirements for anti-rabies vaccines and for the rabies antibody titration test laid down in Regulation (EU) No 576/2013, as well as the risk-mitigation measures for Echinococcus multilocularis, have proven to be effective in minimising the risk of the spread of these listed diseases through the movements of dogs, cats and ferrets. Accordingly, the main provisions of those rules should be maintained in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692, as amended by this Regulation but updated to take account of the practical experience gained by Member States in their application. Therefore, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 should be amended by this Regulation to provide detailed rules for the validity of the anti-rabies vaccination for dogs, cats, ferrets, for the rabies antibody titration test and for the measures against Echinococcus multilocularis when such animals enter the Union from third countries or territories.

(9) In addition, as the rules on the identification of dogs, cats and ferrets laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035 have been amended by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/132 (7), it is necessary to update the rules laid down in Article 74 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692.

(10) As the transitional period related to the repeal of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 is to cease 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) 2020/692

Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692 is amended as follows:

(1) in Article 74, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following: ‘1.   Consignments of dogs, cats and ferrets shall only be permitted to enter the Union if each animal in the consignment is individually identified by an implanted injectable transponder implanted by a veterinarian as referred to in Article 70, point (b)(i), of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035 and which complies with the requirements laid down in Article 70, point (a), and Article 70a, points (a) and (b), of that Delegated Regulation.’

(3) Annex XXI is replaced by the text set out in 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) 2020/692 of 30 January 2020 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards rules for entry into the Union, and the movement and handling after entry of consignments of certain animals, germinal products and products of animal origin (OJ L 174, 3.6.2020, p. 379, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2020/692/oj).

(3) 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).

(4) 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).

(5) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 of 28 June 2013 on the model identification documents for the non-commercial movement of dogs, cats and ferrets, the establishment of lists of territories and third countries and the format, layout and language requirements of the declarations attesting compliance with certain conditions provided for in Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 178, 28.6.2013, p. 109, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2013/577/oj).

(6) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/772 of 21 November 2017 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to preventive health measures for the control of Echinococcus multilocularis infection in dogs, and repealing Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1152/2011 (OJ L 130, 28.5.2018, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2018/772/oj).

(7) 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 (OJ L, 2026/132, 27.3.2026, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2026/132/oj).