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Food Safety

Aquatic animals

Introduction

Regulation (EU) 2016/429 (the “Animal Health Law”) sets out rules concerning transmissible diseases of terrestrial animals and aquatic animals.

Article 4(3) of that Regulation defines aquatic animals as follows:

“‘aquatic animals’ means animals of the following species, at all life stages, including eggs, sperm and gametes:

  1. fish belonging to the superclass Agnatha and to the classes Chondrichthyes, Sarcopterygii and Actinopterygii;
  2. aquatic molluscs belonging to the phylum Mollusca;
  3. aquatic crustaceans belonging to the subphylum Crustacea.”

Regulation (EU) 2016/429 has applied in all Member States since 21 April 2021 and is supplemented by several delegated and implementing Regulations, some of which deal with terrestrial animals, others of which deal with aquatic animals, and others again which deal with both. Details of all of these Regulations may be found in the Animal Health Law section of this website.

Regulation (EU) 2016/429, repeals Directive (EU) 2006/88/EC from 21 April 2021.

Further information