Certificates, documents and features

Certificates and documents

INTRA-EU trade: trade between Member States

The use of TRACES for the issuance of INTRAs by Member States is mandatory.

Commodities concerned: live animals, germinal products and certain products of animal origin and animal by-products

Initiation by operators - The economic operator prepares Part I of the official certificate (INTRA) describing the consignment to be submitted to the competent authority of the country of dispatch.

Authority decision - The competent authority of the country of dispatch processes Part II of the official certificate attesting the health requirements and validates or rejects it.

Checks - The competent authority of the country of destination or transit (in case of export) records the checks performed on the consignment on Part III of the official certificate, where undertaken.

NB: INTRA is still available in TRACES Classic. Its migration to TRACES-NT is foreseen by 21 April 2021 at the latest (date of application of the Animal health Law).

IMPORT: from non-EU countries to the EU

At non-EU countries level, TRACES is used on a voluntary basis:

Commodities concerned:

live animals, products of animal origin, germinal products, animal by-products and derived products, composite products, hay and straw from non-EU approved establishments;
certain food and feed of non-animal origin originating in non-EU countries listed in Annex II to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793.

Initiation by operators: the non-EU economic operator completes Part I of the official certificate (IMPORT) describing the consignment to be submitted for decision to the non-EU competent authority.

Authority decision: the competent authority of the non-EU country of dispatch processes Part II of the official certificate attesting the health requirements and validates or rejects it.

PHYTO: from non-EU countries to the EU

At non-EU countries level, TRACES is used on a voluntary basis:

Commodities concerned: Plants, plant products and other objects.

Initiation by operators: the non-EU economic operator completes Part I of the official certificate (PHYTO) describing the consignment to be submitted for decision to the non-EU competent authority.

Authority decision: the competent authority of the non-EU country of dispatch processes Part II of the official certificate attesting the health requirements and validates or rejects it.

CHED: common health entry documents

At EU level, the use of TRACES for the issuance of CHEDs is mandatory:

Initiation by operators - The economic operator responsible for the consignment in the EU prenotifies the arrival of the consignment by completing Part I of the common health entry document, to be submitted to the Border Control Post of entry into the EU.

Authority decision - The Border Control Post of entry into the EU processes Part II of the common health entry document. If required, a RASFF or Interception notification is submitted.

Follow-up - The competent authority of the country of final destination records in Part III of the common health entry document the checks performed at destination, confirming arrival of consignment or the measures taken on the basis of the authority’s decision.

NB: There are different Common Health Entry Documents depending on the type of consignment:

CHED-A for consignments of live animals;
CHED-P for consignments of products of animal origin, germinal products, animal by-products and derived products, composite products, and hay and straw;
CHED-PP for consignments of plants, plant products and other objects;
CHED-D for consignments of food and feed of non-animal origin;

EXPORT: from EU to non-EU countries

Commodities concerned: live animals and animal products

Initiation by operators - The economic operator completes Part I of the export certificate describing the consignment to be submitted to the competent authority of the country of dispatch.

Authority decision - The competent authority of the country of dispatch processes Part II of the export certificate.

NB: EXPORT is still available in TRACES Classic. Its migration to TRACES-NT is foreseen by 21 April 2021 at the latest together with the INTRA and DOCOM.

Please note that only export certificates negotiated between EU and non-EU countries concerning certain animals and animal products are available in TRACES.

DOCOM - Commercial Documents

Commodities concerned: Animal by-products/ derived products not intended for human consumption

Initiation by operators - The economic operator completes Part I of the Commercial Document (DOCOM) describing the consignment. This part I is available to the competent authority of the country of dispatch for checks.

Authority decision - The competent authority of the country of dispatch may process Part II of the Commercial Document (DOCOM) attesting the health requirements and validates or rejects it.

NB: DOCOM is still available in TRACES Classic. Its migration to TRACES-NT is foreseen by 21 April 2021 at the latest together with the INTRA and EXPORT.

Other key features

Management of the listing of EU and non-EU countries’ approved establishments (LMS)

TRACES manages the list of non-EU countries establishments which have to be approved to export a specific category of food of animal origin according to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004.

The list is available to the public (Non-EU Countries Authorised Establishments).

TRACES also manages the list of EU establishments and operators approved by the national competent authority.

The lists are available to the public:
- Approved Establishments
- Approved EU food establishments

Qlikview

Qlikview is the statistical tool integrated to TRACES and allowing for the extraction of valuable data regarding intra-Union trade, imports and exports. The application of available dynamic and flexible filters allows users to narrow their search to certain commodities, countries, periods, etc.

Authority users from EU and non-EU countries have access to the data relevant to their respective countries.