Pet Travel Scheme (Amendment) (Jersey) Regulations 201-

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A decision made 17 September 2014:

Decision Reference: MD-PE-2014-0074
Decision Summary Title:	Pet Travel Scheme (Amendment) (Jersey) Regulations 201-			Date of Decision Summary:	10 September 2014
Decision Summary Author (Job Title):	States Veterinary Assistant			Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written			Person Giving Oral Report:
Written Report Title:	Pet Travel Scheme (Amendment) (Jersey) Regulations 201-			Date of Written Report:	10 September 2014
Written Report Author (Job Title):	States Veterinary Assistant			Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: Pet Travel Scheme (Amendment) (Jersey) Regulations 201-
Decision(s): The Minister approved the Pet Travel Scheme (Amendment) (Jersey) Regulations 201- and requests that the States Assembly debate as soon as possible before 28 December 2014.
Reason(s) for Decision: These draft regulations amend the Pet Travel Scheme (Jersey) Regulations 2011, to give effect in Jersey to recent changes to the European Union Legislation which created the Scheme. Introduction is required to enforce the new rules, coming into effect on 29 December 2014.
Resource Implications: No additional resources are required.
Action required: Request the Greffier of the States to arrange for the lodging ‘au Greffe’ of the draft Regulations for debate by the States Assembly on 25 November 2014.
Signature: R C Duhamel			Position: Minister for Planning and Environment
Date Signed:		Initials	Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

Pet Travel Scheme (Amendment) (Jersey) Regulations 201-

DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT

Pet Travel Scheme (Amendment) (Jersey) Regulations 201-

(Public)

Purpose of the Report

To introduce Pet Travel Scheme (Amendment) (Jersey) Regulations 201- on the animal health requirements applicable to the non-commercial movement of Pet Animals (dogs, cat and ferrets) entering Jersey:

Background

Council Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 harmonises the animal health controls applicable to the non-commercial movement of pet animals (dogs, cats and ferrets) between Member States and from Third Countries and repeals Regulation (EC) No 998/2003.

The EU Regulation covers the identification and rabies vaccination of pet animals and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1152/2011 of the 14 July 2011 requires preventative health measures for the control of Echinococcus multilocularis infection in dogs. Dogs entering Jersey require treatment at least 24 hours and not more than 120 hours prior to scheduled arrival. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 of 28 June 2013 prescribes the forms of pet passport to be adopted for the purposes of pet travel under the amended scheme, the establishment of lists of territories and third countries and the format requirements of the declarations attesting compliance with certain conditions provided for in Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council. Jersey adopted the Pet Travel Scheme in line with UK to enable continued free movement of dogs and cats between the island and UK.

Pet animals that do not meet the entry requirements must be licensed by the Minister before entry into Jersey and must be detained in an approved quarantine unit until compliant with the Regulation. No approved commercial quarantine unit is available in Jersey. Commercial import of dogs, cats and ferrets (animals imported for rehoming or for sale) must comply with the Diseases of Animals (Rabies) (Importation of Mammals) (Jersey) Order 2011.

Since the introduction of the UK Pet Travel Scheme in 2000 and the subsequent enactment of the Council Regulation, Europe has continued with an effective vaccination program to reduce rabies in the domestic and wild animal populations in Member States. There has not been one reported case of rabies in the EU associated with the legal movement of pets under EU pet movement system since it was introduced in 2004.

Details to the changes to be introduced to the Pet Travel Scheme

Jersey, in line with the UK, implemented the harmonised EU pet travel scheme on 1 January 2012, making it cheaper and easier for pet owners to travel with their pet dogs, cats and ferrets and return to Jersey. The EU pet travel scheme places requirements on pet owners travelling with pets to keep Jersey free of diseases, specifically rabies and Echinococcus multilocularis tapeworm. Pets have to travel to Jersey with an approved carrier. All requirements have to be officially certified.

The animal health preparations required for travel under the revised EU pet travel regime will remain largely the same, however the new Regulation will:

• Consolidate EU legislation governing pet travel and enhance the requirements for EU countries to make information on pet travel available to their citizens.

• Tackle abuse of the pet travel regime by introducing a more secure pet passport, tightening eligibility requirements and strengthening enforcement activity.

List of changes Relevant article in Regulation 576/2013	Details of changes introduced
Maximum number of pet animals allowed to travel (Article 5)	The current Regulation permits more than 5 pets to travel with 1 owner provided they are accompanied by a health certificate. Under the new Regulation the maximum number of pets allowed to travel will be 5. Where an owner wishes to travel with more than 5 pets after 29 December 2014 they must comply with the rules governing commercial import. Pets travelling to attend a show, sporting event or training for such an event will be exempt from this requirement and able to continue to travel under the pet travel scheme providing they are aged over 6 months. Anyone wishing to make use of this derogation must provide written evidence of their attendance to the authorised pet checker.
Derogation to allow movement of unvaccinated pets between rabies free member states (Article 8)	This derogation allows 2 rabies free member states to enter into a bilateral agreement, authorised by the EU Commission, to allow the direct movement of unvaccinated pets.
Military and search-and-rescue dogs (Article 10)	Under the new Regulation member states will be able to authorise the movement of military and search-and-rescue dogs into the country at a point of entry other than a travellers’ point of entry provided that a permit has been issued in advance and the dogs undergo the necessary compliance checks.
Implantation of microchips (Article 18)	The new Regulation requires that any member state permitting non-veterinarians to implant microchips (this measure applies to microchips inserted as part of the preparation necessary for pet travel) must lay down the minimum standards of training this person must have received.
Introduction of new pet passport (Article 21)		Pet passports issued after 29 December 2014 will conform to the format laid down in Commission Implementing Regulation 577/2013 and include a number of improved security and traceability features.
Veterinary record keeping (Article 22)		Official Veterinarians authorised to issue pet passports must keep a record of the information entered into the passport for at least 3 years.
Quarantine (Article 32)		In exceptional circumstances the new Regulation permits the movement of non-compliant pets directly into quarantine. This measure will enable pet owners who need to leave a country quickly to arrange for their pets to travel and enter quarantine upon arrival. These pets must remain in quarantine until they are compliant. No unit for elective quarantine is available in Jersey.
Checks on intra-EU movements (Article 33)		All EU member states are required, from 29 December 2014, to carry out some non-discriminatory compliance checks on pet movements.
Checking of movements from third countries (Article 34)		The competent authority is required to keep a record of the total number of checks carried out on movements into the UK from third countries and clearly indicate in the third country certificate that a check has been carried out on this documentation.
Information provisions (Article 37)		The new Regulation increases the requirements for member states to make information available to the public. Each country needs to provide information on minimum qualifications for the implantation of microchips and a list of approved rabies vaccinations.

Clearer definition of cat, dog and ferret

(Annex I)

The new Regulation explicitly includes the Latin species names for domestic cats, dogs and ferrets and restricts the pet travel regime to the movement of these animals. This may have an impact on owners of hybrid pets.

Minimum age for vaccination (Annex III)

All pets vaccinated for the purposes of pet travel after 29 December 2014 must be at least 12 weeks old at the time of vaccination. This requirement introduces a new compliance check by authorised pet checkers confirming the date of first vaccination was at least 12 weeks after the declared date of birth.

Tighter definition of ‘non- commercial movement’ (Commission Implementing Regulation 577/2013)

Pets entering the EU from third countries by air are only considered accompanied (and therefore eligible to travel under the pet travel scheme) if their movement is not separated from the movement of their owner or an authorised person by more than 5 days. If pet owners (or an authorised person) are not able to travel within 5 days of the pet’s movement then the commercial import regime must be followed.

Financial and Staffing Implications

The Minister may, by Order prescribe fees for the issue of approvals, certificates and functions. There are no staffing implications associated with the proposed amendment because Jersey has been carrying out compliance checks on a percentage of imported pets, since the inception of the Pet Travel Scheme.

Conclusion

To ensure Jersey’s continued protection against rabies and the tapeworm E multilocularis, compliance with EU legislation controlling the non-commercial movement of pet animals is necessary and will be achieved by adoption of the Pet Travel Scheme (Amendment) (Jersey) Regulations 201- .

Recommendation

To lodge the Regulation au Greffe

_________________________________________

Written by: States Veterinary Assistant

Approved by: Director of Environment

Attachments:

Pet Travel Scheme (Jersey) Regulations 201-

Ministerial Decision ref: MD-PE-2014-XXXX

10 September 2014