Legislation

About the legislation

The European Parliament and the Council adopted Regulation (EU) 2016/1012 on zootechnical and genealogical conditions for the breeding, trade in and entry into the Union of purebred breeding animals, hybrid breeding pigs and the germinal products thereof (‘Animal Breeding Regulation’) on 8 June 2016. The Regulation was published in the Official Journal on 29 June 2016 and the full text is available here. The Regulation entered into force on 19 July 2016 and has been applicable since 1 November 2018.

The Animal Breeding Regulation provides a single legal framework for the rules applicable to the breeding, trade and entry into the Union of breeding animals of the bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine and equine species and their germinal products. The purpose of the Regulation is:

• to consolidate existing rules for the promotion of free trade in breeding animals and their germinal products, and to update those rules to technical advances and established practices while protecting genetic diversity;
• to promote cross-border activities of breed societies providing their services under fair competition conditions;
• to simplify the legislative framework in a single Regulation adapted to the Lisbon Treaty, which replaces eight species-specific Directives;
• to establish rules on official controls and activities following the principles of the Regulation on official controls.

The following delegated and implementing acts were adopted by the Commission to make the new rules applicable.

Horse Competitions