Safeguard measures - food of animal origin

A safeguard measure is an EU decision or regulation that governs the import of a specific food from a specific non-EU country. You can read more about the products and countries concerned here.

What is a safeguard measure?

A safeguard measure is a specific decision taken by the European Commission to protect human or animal health. A safeguard measure applies to certain products from a specific country.

If a certain food of animal origin from a specific non-EU country is subject to a safeguard measure, this means that there are specific requirements for border control. If a safeguard measure is in place for a food of animal origin, it takes precedence over any other import legislation.

A list of the food products and countries currently subject to safeguard measures can be found here.

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Food of animal origin from China

There are several different safeguard measures for animal products from China. The products are divided into two groups:

  • Food of animal origin that can be imported as usual with CHED-P and an official certificate. These are listed in Part I of the Annex to Decision 2002/994/EC.
  • Food of animal origin that may be imported provided they are accompanied by a declaration of residue analysis results, in addition to the usual import requirements. These are listed in Part II of the Annex to Decision 2002/994/EC.

If you do not find the food of animal origin you intend to import in Part I or II of the Annex to Decision 2002/994/EC, they are prohibited for import into the EU. These safeguard measures only apply to food of animal origin and not to composite products.

Aquaculture products from India

The Commission has extended the safeguard measures on imports of aquaculture products from India. If you intend to import aquaculture products from India, you must submit an analytical report for chloramphenicol, tetracycline, oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline and metabolites of nitrofurans. The analysis report will be checked at border control. If no analysis results are available, the product is sampled at border control. The consignment will be detained until the analysis results are available.

Half of all consignments of aquaculture products from India arriving in Sweden are randomly sampled. The importer is responsible for the cost of sampling. The consignment will be detained until the analysis results are available.

Fishery products from Albania

Fishery products from Albania are subject to safeguard measures due to an elevated risk of histamine. All consignments of fishery products of the species Scombridae, Clupeidae, Coryphaenidae, Pomatomidae and Scombraesosidae must be accompanied by an analytical report certifying that the histamine levels are below the applicable limits. If no analysis results are available, sampling takes place at border control. The consignments will be detained until the analysis results are available.

Molluscs from Turkey

Reviewed 2024-05-30