EU vote to delay the Export Heath Certification compliance requirement supporting GB supply of products of animal origin, from 21st August to 15th January, 2022

BY:

Gail Leeson
11 August 2021

SHARE:

DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) have contacted GB traders to advise of a change in the EHC requirement needed to support GB exports of products of animal origin.

Seafish, the public body that supports the UK seafood industry, confirmed via their website that they had received communication from DEFRA confirming the delay in the EHC implementation date for GB exporters.

Background

A change earlier in the year to the EU Animal Health Regulation (AHR) required that an Export Health Certificate, signed by competent authority (a Vet), would be necessary for all goods subject to the regulation for export from 21st August, 2021.
The EU have voted to delay that regulatory requirement until 15th January, 2022, which will be very welcome news to British food producers, retailers and farmers involved in the GB to EU food supply chain. 

In effect, the change would mean that any EHC signed before 15th January, 2022 would be valid until 15th March, 2022. A very welcome breathing space.

Exports affected will include all products of animal origin, live animals, germinal products, and composite products, the latter affecting the movement of GB origin sausages as an example 

To date there is no available information on the Gov.UK website, but it is anticipated that the information will be for general publication in due course



OneCall™ Email assistance as and when required; A one-call solution for all your import, export and customs enquiries. Export help. Import help. Customs help.

Stay informed about customs and international trade matters by subscribing to our OneCall™ service. This comprehensive offering includes a dedicated email helpline for support, timely practical updates direct to your inbox (Did You Know?), monthly UK Customs & Trade Briefings and access to an interactive members' area with an exclusive community for our subscribers.

Subscribe Today ➝

International Trade Updates & Spotlight Newsletter

Subscribe to our free information emails covering international trade topics...

Subscribe to our newsletter ➝

MORE INDUSTRY INSIGHTS...

by Gail Leeson 10 June 2026
HMRC have published a service update confirming the launch of a new Online Tariff Tool Developer Portal, enabling the management of Application Programming Interfaces, or APIs, for those that use direct data access to the UK Trade Tariff.
by Andy Baker 10 June 2026
CDS 5.2.0 for release on the 4 th July 2026. During this period, please note that any pre-lodged declarations affected by the changes should be amended before the goods arrive. If customs declarations are not correct prior to arrival, they will be rejected.
by Andy Baker 5 June 2026
On the 2 nd of June 2026, the USTR (Office of the United States Trade Representative) updated its Section 301 investigation into the tariffs under the Trade Act of 1974 regarding forced labour.
Show More