February 8, 2013
Netherlands enforces Animal Act effective January 2013
Effective January 1, 2013, the Netherlands has entered into force the Animals Act together with several new measures.
The Animals Act is framework legislation. This means that the act itself sets out a limited number of rules and also offers the option to arrange all sorts of matters about and for animals in General Administrative Measures (GAMs) and ministerial recommendations. Several of these new measures also entered into force on January 1, 2013.
The first decisions under this new law were the Decree on Veterinary Medicinal Products and the Regulation on Veterinary Medicinal Products. Their main aim is to lay down rules for manufacturers and distributors and also (temporarily) for the use of veterinary medicinal products by the veterinarian and livestock owner. This is an interim measure whilst the Decree on veterinary medicinal products and the Regulation on veterinary medicinal products are pending.
In addition, a number of promised measures will be implemented with regard to the policy on the use of antibiotics. A licence system will be implemented for the possession and marketing of raw materials for veterinary medicinal products.
Veterinarians must be in possession of a licence for the dispensing of medicinal products. This licence can be linked to certain conditions.
The free sale of antibiotics in animal shops will be prohibited. There are only a few exceptions for existing products until July 1, 2013 and January 1, 2014. It will become punishable by law to offer animals for slaughter to the abattoir if they contain too much residue of antibiotics. Antibiotics that are important for human health care may only be used on animals as a last resource. A test must be performed prior to their use.
As of January 1, 2013, animal feedsthat are imported from countries outside the EU do not all need to be registered. The registration is limited to specific high-risk products. This brings the way in which the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority handles the importation of animal feeds in line with food products. This results in reducing the administrative burden. In addition, the levy on importation of animal feeds is removed. This will result in a saving of approximately EUR400,000 (US$536,000) per year.