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Food Safety

EU logo for online sale of veterinary medicines

The EU has introduced a common logo for the sale of veterinary medicinal products by online pharmacies/retailers in EU countries. The logo vouches for the authenticity of the websites and guarantees the safety of the products.

Legal background

Art. 104 (7) of Regulation (EU) 2019/6 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on veterinary medicinal products started to apply on 28 January 2022 sets out provisions concerning the retail of veterinary medicinal products at a distance.

These provisions include the establishment of a common logo that must appear on websites offering veterinary medicinal products for sale at a distance.

The design of this new logo is set out in Commission Implementing Regulation 2021/1904.

EU logo for online sale of veterinary medicines - IE
Please note: The logo displayed is for example purposes, only.

The logo is to be displayed on every page of the website of retailers permitted to offer veterinary medicinal products for sale at a distance in each Member State. 

The logo is to include a hyperlink to the relevant Member State competent authority’s list of retailers permitted to offer these products for sale at a distance. 

The aim is to assist the public in finding out whether a website offering such products for sale at a distance is legally entitled to do so.

How does the logo work?

The logo consists of a national flag in the middle left side of the logo which corresponds to the EU country where the pharmacy or retailer is registered or authorised. Only national flags of EU countries or those of Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein feature. Therefore, a logo displaying the EU flag, for example, would not be legal.

The logo links to the website of the national competent authority listing all legally operating online pharmacies/retailers. National websites are listed with the European Medicines Agency (EMA). By simply clicking on the logo, a purchaser of the veterinary medicines online will be sent to the entry of the pharmacy on that national list.

The logo can be trusted only if after selecting, a purchaser is redirected to the entry of that pharmacy on the list of legally operating online pharmacies and retailers registered in that EU country on the national web-page.