Through Order no. 533/2026, published in Official Gazette no. 476 of June 8, 2026, a unique and mandatory model of sanitary-veterinary certificate is introduced for any movement of production animals on the territory of Romania.
What does it stipulate?
The Order standardizes the procedure for certifying animal health before transport. Any movement of live animals (bovine, swine, ovine, poultry, etc.), whether between holdings (farms) or to a slaughterhouse, is permitted only on the basis of a new sanitary-veterinary certificate, the model of which is provided in the annex to the normative act. This document is valid for 3 days from the date of issue, requiring rigorous logistics planning.
The procedure for obtaining the certificate is clearly defined. The owner of the holding dispatching the animals must notify the designated veterinarian (official or authorized private practitioner), quarantine the animals for clinical inspection, and provide all details about the destination and transport. The veterinarian performs a clinical inspection to confirm that the animals show no signs of disease, verifies traceability documents and the sanitary-veterinary status of the origin farm, then issues or justifiably refuses certification.
The costs for issuing the certificate are borne by the economic operator (the owner of the animals), except in situations where the movement is ordered by authorities. This certificate is added to already existing documents, such as the movement document or food chain information required for slaughter. The normative act also establishes clear responsibilities for both the sender and the recipient, who is obliged to receive animals only accompanied by a valid certificate.
Specific sanctions are introduced for veterinarians who do not comply with certification obligations, such as recording untrue data or issuing the certificate in violation of the law. Sanctions can range from withdrawal of the right to certify to administrative, civil, or criminal liability, thereby increasing the level of responsibility and rigor of the entire process.
To whom does it apply?
The measures apply to all economic operators and natural persons who own, raise, and transport live production animals on the national territory, including:
- Commercial and non-professional agricultural holdings (bovine, swine, ovine, caprine, poultry, equine farms, etc.).
- Slaughterhouses that receive live animals from suppliers in Romania.
- Authorized live animal transporters, who must ensure that each transport is accompanied by complete and valid documentation.
What should you do?
- Update your internal transport planning procedure to include veterinarian notification and the animal quarantine period before loading.
- Ensure all necessary information is prepared (destination holding code, transporter details, animal identification documents) before requesting the certificate to avoid delays.
- Budget for additional costs generated by the issuance of this certificate for each animal transport you carry out.
- Instruct reception staff (at the farm or slaughterhouse) to systematically check the existence and validity of the new sanitary-veterinary certificate for each batch of animals received.
Source: Official Gazette, Part I, no. 476 of June 8, 2026.
Note: This material is strictly for informational purposes and does not constitute legal, tax, or business advice. As the interpretation and application of legal provisions can vary significantly depending on the specific circumstances of each entity, we recommend seeking specialized legal assistance before adopting any operational decisions based on these changes.