Rural Payments and Services

Farmers supplying livestock to abattoirs that may export their products to the EU must now provide evidence of annual vet health visits.

What you need to do

Unless you are a member of certain farm assurance schemes (see below), you will need to provide evidence of annual health visits (veterinary attestation) to be eligible to export.

To do this you will need:

• a veterinary attestation certificate, and a
• veterinary attestation number (VAN)

Evidence of Vet Visits

Veterinary attestation

If your farm has been visited by a vet within the last 12 months before supplying livestock for slaughter, you should contact them to ask that they give you an attestation certificate for that visit.

If your farm has not been visited by a vet within the last 12 months, contact your local vet to arrange this. They will give you an attestation certificate and generate a veterinary attestation number (VAN) for your holding.

You must keep the certificate, as you may need to show this to any markets and abattoirs you supply to, or during audits.

You will need to arrange another visit within 12 months of your last visit to ensure your livestock and their products remain eligible for EU export.

Farm Assurance Schemes

If you are a member of any of the below farm assurance schemes for any species, you do not need to do anything – your membership is evidence that your farm receives annual health visits from a vet.

• Red Tractor
• Quality Meat Scotland (QMS)
• Farm Assured Welsh Livestock Beef and Lamb Scheme (FAWL) Welsh Lamb and Beef Producers Ltd (WLBP)
• Lion Quality (British Egg Industry Council)
• Poultry Health Scheme
• RSPCA Assured

How Your Information Will Be Recorded

An online export eligibility checker shows whether livestock holdings in Scotland have either:

• a farm assured status, or
• a veterinary attestation in place (your vet will add these details to the system)

Markets and abattoirs will use this to check the status of the holding that the animals last moved from.

The Export Eligibility Checker on ScotEID is now live.

Background

It is a requirement for animal products exported to the EU that they originate from animals from holdings subject to regular veterinary visits. Farmers have previously been able to self-declare that a relevant vet visit has taken place. EU import rules taking effect from 13 December 2023 have changed this. Since then, all farmers selling livestock whose products may end up in EU markets must have proof of an annual vet visit to be eligible for export.

Further enquiries should be directed to: VAN.Enquiries@gov.scot