Phone Number

+353 45 877 543

Email

office@itba.ie

Address

ITBA HQ, Greenhills, Kill, Kildare, Ireland. W91 FY62

DAFM Equine Liaison Meeting

DAFM Equine Liaison Meeting

ITBA Veterinary Consultant Dr Des Leadon attended a recent DAFM Equine Liaison Meeting where the following agenda items were discussed

  1. Equine Liaison Group (ELG) renewal invitations will be issued by DAM in the next few weeks.
  2. Disease updates – The EU Commission referred discussions on the potential listing of EHV as a notifiable Disease, to the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA). The meeting today was advised of the formation of the International Sports Horse Confederation (ISHC) Task Force on EHV infections. DL is to represent the breeding industry on this Task Force. The Thoroughbred industry and DAFM will be opposing any move to make EHV infections Notifiable, because of the very significant adverse impacts on international movements of horses.
  3. ID and ePassports – The new EU Animal Health Laws will allow “Validation marks” on Passports that will extend the duration of EU movement certificates from 10 days to 30 days. The response rate to date on establishing “Habitual residence of horses” is some 44%. ePassports will not replace paper passports. Legislative change will be required to change from paper passports to ePassports. DAFM and its counterparts do not want multiple passport systems. Weatherby’s ePassport is not yet written into the DAFM database – this will require an “Approval process” which has not yet commenced. DAFM were requested to initiate this “approval process” at the earliest opportunity.
  4. Revised High Health movements – The Bipartite arrangements between IRL and FR and IRL and NI since the forfeiture of the TPA after Brexit, have both been in operation for the last year. The EU Commission want this BPA between IRL and FR to be open to all EU Member states, but have accepted that this must not jeopardise existing High Health status countries like IRL and FR. IRL have been allowed to continue their dialogue to resolve this conundrum and FR may seek to extend its bi-laterals to include some Nordic countries. IRL may await the outcome of the new BPA with FR before seeking to revisit the BPA with NI. These discussions with the EU Commission did not extend to the inclusion of the International Codes of Practice as the basis for BPA’s. DAFM were advised that the ITBA would be pleased to provide any assistance in the recognition of International Code of Practice compliance – which was welcomed by DAFM. However, Competent Authorities will need to have evidence of the levels of control over Codes of Practice compliance. (The industry has the data to provide this reassurance). The EU will allow the current system of DOCOM’s, which had been questioned, to continue, at least for the foreseeable future. The industry and DAFM have been fearful of the post Brexit introduction of Border Inspection Control Posts at Holyhead. Pembroke and Farnborough. Mercifully, no such BIPS have yet been built.
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