Purpose
To inform you that Defra has reviewed the actions taken by the German Competent Authority in response to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease that was confirmed on 10 January 2025 and concluded that the area of Germany previously covered by the containment zone can be recognised as free of foot-and-mouth disease from 14 May 2025.
As a result, the suspension of import restrictions from the containment zone (as defined in the ‘Parts of Germany restricted due to FMD outbreaks’ document) have been lifted for the following affected commodities, provided all other import conditions, including all the attestations in the health certificates, can be met:
- Live (including non-domestic) ruminant and porcine animals, including wild game, and their germplasm
- Fresh meat from ruminant and porcine animals (including chilled and frozen)
- Meat products from ruminant and porcine animals that have not been subject to specific treatment D1, D, C or B (including wild game)
- Raw and pasteurised milk and raw and pasteurised milk products of FMD-susceptible animals (including colostrum)
- Certain animal by-products
- Hay and straw
Background
Germany notified WOAH of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) on 10 January 2025: WAHIS.
The UK Office for SPS Trade Assurance amended its country listings on 13 January 2025 to suspend imports of several commodities from FMD-susceptible animals from the whole territory of Germany (see OVS note 2025/02 for a full list of actions taken). The UK Office for SPS Trade Assurance further amended the fresh meat of ungulates list on 29 January 2025 to insert closing dates in Germany’s entry (please see OVS note 2025/08). Please also see OVS notes 2025/03, 2025/04, 2025/09) for further guidance on the FMD outbreak in Germany.
The UK Office for SPS Trade Assurance further amended its listings on 24 March 2025 to recognise regionalisation of Germany for the one FMD outbreak (please see OVS note 2025/23).
Defra has now reviewed the measures implemented by the German Competent Authority in response to the outbreak and concluded that the area of Germany previously covered by the containment zone (CZ) can be recognised as free of FMD from 14 May 2025.
The UK Office for SPS Trade Assurance amended its third country listings on 14 May 2025 to lift the suspension on imports of the following commodities from FMD-susceptible animals from the parts of Germany previously covered by the CZ:
- Live ruminants and swine: model certificates BOV-X, BOV-Y, OVI-X, OVI-Y, RUM, POR-X, POR-Y and SUI have been added to the area of Germany previously covered by the CZ (DE-4) in the live ungulates third country listing. In addition, footnote ‘d’ has been added to DE-4, which stipulates that ‘for certification purposes, this territory is considered to have been free of FMD from 14/05/2025’.
- Ruminant germplasm: footnote ‘b’, has been added to the area of Germany previously covered by the CZ (DE-1) in the bovine semen, bovine embryos, ovine and caprine embryos, and ovine and caprine semen third country listings, which stipulates that ‘for certification purposes, this territory is considered to have been free of FMD from 14/05/2025’.
- Porcine germplasm: footnote ‘a’ has been added to Germany’s entry in the porcine semen list, which stipulates that ‘for certification purposes, this territory is considered to have been free of FMD from 14/05/2025’.
- Fresh meat of certain domestic and non-domestic ruminants and swine: the BOV, OVI, RUF, RUW, SUF, and SUW model certificates have been added to the area of Germany previously covered by the CZ (DE-6) in the fresh meat of ungulates third country listing. Footnote ‘g’ has also been added to DE-6, which stipulates that ‘for certification purposes, this territory is considered to have been free of FMD from 14/05/2025.’
- Meat products: heat treatment ‘D1’ has been replaced by heat treatment ‘A’ in columns 3, 4, 5, 10 and 11 of the area of Germany previously covered by the CZ (DE-7) in the meat products third country listing. In addition, footnote ‘b’ has been added to DE-7 which stipulates that ‘for certification purposes, this territory is considered to have been free of FMD from 14/05/2025’.
- Raw and pasteurised milk and raw and pasteurised milk products (including colostrum): ‘0’ has been replaced by ‘+’ in column A and B of the area of Germany previously covered by the CZ (DE-1) in the milk and milk products country listing. In addition, footnote ‘e’ has been added to DE-1, which stipulates that ‘for certification purposes, this territory is considered to have been free of FMD from 14/05/2025’.
- Certain animal by-products (ABPs)
‘FMD-susceptible animals’ means a cow, bull, sheep, goat, deer, camel, llama, alpaca, guanaco, vicuna, any other ruminant, any swine (that is, a member of the suborder Suina of the order Artiodactyla) or elephant.
For bovine, ovine and caprine semen, ova and embryos certificates, the appropriate ISO code (either the area previously covered by the containment zone or the area outside the containment zone) as described in column 1 of the following lists: bovine semen, ovine and caprine semen, bovine embryos, and ovine and caprine ova and embryos should be added to Box I.8 of the relevant certificate and to the first paragraph of the animal health attestations. This provides assurance that the products originating from inside and outside of the area of Germany previously covered by the CZ comply with the relevant animal health attestations.
