COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION (EU) 2026/132

of 20 January 2026

amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035 as regards rules for the traceability of kept dogs, cats and ferrets

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on transmissible animal diseases and amending and repealing certain acts in the area of animal health (‘Animal Health Law’) (1), and in particular the second subparagraph of Article 3(5) and Article 118(1) and (2) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)	Regulation (EU) 2016/429 lays down rules for the prevention and control of diseases which are transmissible to animals or humans, including, inter alia, rules for the traceability of certain kept terrestrial animals within the Union.

(2)

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035 (2) lays down supplementing rules for the traceability of certain kept terrestrial animals. Part III, Title V, Chapter 1 of that Delegated Regulation lays down rules concerning the traceability of kept dogs, cats and ferrets, including obligations on operators as regards the means and methods of identification of those animals, and the type of identification document that is required to accompany those animals when being moved to another Member State.

(3)

Article 70 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035 provides that operators keeping dogs, cats and ferrets are to ensure that those animals are individually identified with an injectable transponder approved by the competent authorities of the Member States. Practical experience in applying those rules has shown certain limitations in ensuring the correct identification and a sufficient level of traceability of those animals when they are moved between Member States. It is, therefore, necessary to strengthen the current system to enable the proper identification and an appropriate level of traceability of those animals by specifying the obligation for implanting injectable transponders into the identified animals, the persons who are allowed to perform such implantations, the detailed requirements for the injectable transponders, and the Member States’ obligations in that regard.

(4)

Article 71 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035 provides that in order to move dogs, cats and ferrets to another Member State, those animals must be accompanied by the same identification document as required for non-commercial movements of pet animals as provided for in Article 6, point (d), of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3).

(5)

Regulation (EU) No 576/2013, which lays down the rules for non-commercial movement of pet animals, was repealed by Article 270(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 as from 21 April 2021. However, Article 277 of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 provides that notwithstanding that repeal, Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 is to continue to apply until 21 April 2026 in respect of non-commercial movements of pet animals, in place of Part VI of Regulation (EU) 2016/429.

(6)

The rules on the identification document for non-commercial movements of pet animals laid down in Article 6, point (d), of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 have proven to be effective in the traceability of dogs, cats and ferrets. Accordingly, the main provisions of those rules should be maintained in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035, as amended by this Regulation but updated to take account of the practical experience gained by Member States in the application of those rules. Therefore, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035 should be amended to provide specific provisions for the identification documents that are required to accompany dogs, cats and ferrets when being moved to another Member State, including the information to be included in such identification documents, their issuing and completion and the distribution of blank identification documents by the competent authority.

(7)	To avoid any unnecessary disruptions in the movement of dogs, cats and ferrets between Member States, it is necessary to ensure that this Regulation provides for a smooth transition from the requirements laid down in Regulation (EU) No 576/2013.

(8)

Such provisions should be made available to address legitimate expectations of operators keeping dogs, cats and ferrets, transponder manufacturers, veterinarians and Member State competent authorities and give them appropriate time to adapt to the new requirements. These provisions should be designed to prevent duly identified kept dogs, cats and ferrets from undergoing any new identification process and duly issued passports from being revoked and reissued. They do not prevent operators keeping dogs, cats and ferrets, transponder manufacturers, veterinarians and Member State competent authorities from applying the new rules before the end of the transition period.

(9)	As the transitional period related to the repeal of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 is to cease to apply on 21 April 2026, this Regulation should enter into force as a matter of urgency and apply from 22 April 2026,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Amendments to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035

Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035 is amended as follows:

(1)

Article 70 is replaced by the following Article:

‘Article 70

Obligations on operators keeping dogs, cats and ferrets as regards the means and methods of identification of those animals, their application and use

Operators keeping dogs, cats and ferrets shall ensure that when those animals are moved to another Member State:

(a)	the animals are individually identified by an implanted injectable transponder listed in point (e) of Annex III;

(b)

the implantation of the injectable transponder, referred to in point (a) of this Article, is performed by either:

(i)	an official veterinarian or an authorised veterinarian as defined in Article 2(1) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 (*1), as decided by the competent authority, or

(ii)	a natural or legal person authorised in accordance with Article 14(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, where this is provided by a Member State.

(*1) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 of 20 January 2026 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council, as regards animal health requirements for non-commercial movement of pet animals (OJ L, 2026/131, 27.3.2026, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2026/131/oj).’;"

(2)

the following Article 70a is added:

‘Article 70a

Means of identification of kept dogs, cats and ferrets

The injectable transponders used for identifying kept dogs, cats and ferrets, provided for in Article 70, point (a) must:

(a)	comply with the technical requirements set out in Annex IV;

(b)

display an individual, non-repeatable and non-reprogrammable identification code that:

(i)	contains a unique serial number; and,

(ii)	from 1 January 2028, starts with the code of the country where the kept dogs, cats and ferrets were initially identified conforming with ISO Standard 3166;

(c)	be approved by the competent authority of the Member State where the kept dogs, cats and ferrets are initially identified.’

;

(3)

Article 71 is replaced by the following Article:

‘Article 71

Identification document of kept dogs, cats and ferrets

1. Operators keeping dogs, cats and ferrets shall ensure that each animal intended to be moved to another Member State is accompanied by an identification document in the form of a passport as set out in Annex I to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705 (*2), duly completed and issued in accordance with Article 71a.

2. The passport referred to in paragraph 1 shall contain entries for the insertion of the information set out in Annex V.

3. The passport referred to in paragraph 1 shall bear a number consisting of the ISO code of the Member State of issue in accordance with ISO 3166 standard, followed by a unique alphanumeric code.

4. The operator of the animal concerned shall be deemed to comply with this Article where a passport not in conformity with these requirements was:

(a)	drawn up in accordance with the model passport established by Commission Decision 2003/803/EC (*3) and issued before 29 December 2014; or

(b)	drawn up in accordance with the model passport set out in Annex III, Part 1 to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 (*4) and issued before 22 April 2026.’;

(*2) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705 of 20 March 2026 establishing model identification documents and model declarations for non-commercial movements of pet animals (OJ L, 2026/705, 27.3.2026, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/705/oj)."

(*3) Commission Decision 2003/803/EC of 26 November 2003 establishing a model passport for the intra-Community movements of dogs, cats and ferrets (OJ L 312, 27.11.2003, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2003/803/oj)."

(*4) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 of 28 June 2013 on the model identification documents for the non-commercial movement of dogs, cats and ferrets, the establishment of lists of territories and third countries and the format, layout and language 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 (OJ L 178, 28.6.2013, p. 109, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2013/577/oj).’;"

(4)

the following Article 71a is added:

‘Article 71a

Issuing and completion of the passport

1. Only official veterinarians or authorised veterinarians as defined in Article 2(1) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131, as decided by the competent authority, shall issue the passport referrred to in to in Article 71(1).

2. The veterinarians referred to in paragraph 1 shall only issue a passport after:

(a)	they have verified that the kept dog, cat or ferret is duly identified in accordance with Article 70;

(b)	the relevant entries of the passport have been duly completed with the information listed in Annex V, points (a) to (g);

(c)	the operator has signed the passport;

(d)

they have completed the relevant entries of the passport with the information referred to in points (j) to (n) of Annex V to this Regulation, thus certifying compliance with the conditions laid down in Article 53, points (c) and (d), of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/688 (*5), where applicable;

(e)	they have signed the passport and completed the date of issuing referred to in point (i) of Annex V.

The entry regarding the information referred to in point (l) of Annex V may also be completed and certified by a veterinarian other than those referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article.

3. When issuing the passport referred to in Article 71(1), the veterinarians referred to in paragraph 1 shall keep records of the information referred to in Article 71(3) and in points (a) to (f) of Annex V, for a minimum period to be determined by the competent authority, but which shall not be less than three years.

(*5) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/688 of 17 December 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council, as regards animal health requirements for movements within the Union of terrestrial animals and hatching eggs (OJ L 174, 3.6.2020, p. 140, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2020/688/oj).’;"

(5)

the following Article 71b is added:

‘Article 71b

Blank passports

1. The competent authority shall make available blank passports in paper form only to official veterinarians or authorised veterinarians as defined in Article 2(1) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131.

2. The authorised veterinarians to whom blank passports referred to in paragraph 1 have been made available shall not distribute those blank passports further.

3. The authorised veterinarians shall return all blank passports at their disposal to the competent authority when:

(a)	they are no longer authorised by the competent authority to issue passports; or

(b)	the respective model for those passports can no longer be used in accordance with applicable legislation.

When a model passport referred to in point (b) can no longer be used, those blank passports must be destroyed by, or under, the supervision of the competent authority.

4. The competent authority shall keep records of the names and contact information of the authorised veterinarians to whom they have made available blank passports with reference to the number referred to in Article 71(3), as well as the names and contact information of those who have returned blank passports in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article.

5. The records referred to in paragraph 4 shall be kept for a minimum period to be determined by the competent authority, but which shall not be less than three years.’

;

(6)	new Annexes IV and V are added in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

Entry into force and application

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

It shall apply from 22 April 2026.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 20 January 2026.

For the Commission

The President

Ursula VON DER LEYEN

(1) OJ L 84, 31.3.2016, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/429/oj.

(2) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035 of 28 June 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards rules for establishments keeping terrestrial animals and hatcheries, and the traceability of certain kept terrestrial animals and hatching eggs (OJ L 314, 5.12.2019, p. 115, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2019/2035/oj).

(3) Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 2013 on the non-commercial movement of pet animals and repealing Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 (OJ L 178, 28.6.2013, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/576/oj).

ANNEX

The following Annexes IV and V are added to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035:

‘ANNEX IV

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR TRANSPONDERS USED FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF DOGS, CATS AND FERRETS

Transponders used to individually identify dogs, cats and ferrets shall:

(a)	comply with the code structure and technical specifications of radio frequency identification as defined in ISO standards 11784 and 11785;

(b)	be evaluated in accordance with ISO standard 24631-1 to ensure compliance with ISO standards 11784 and 11785.

ANNEX V

INFORMATION TO BE CONTAINED IN THE PASSPORT FOR DOGS, CATS AND FERRETS

Passports for dogs, cats and ferrets shall contain the following information:

(a)	the location of the transponder, or where applicable the tattoo;

(b)	the date of application, or where applicable the date of reading of the transponder or the tattoo;

(c)	the individual identification code displayed by the transponder, or where applicable the tattoo;

(d)	the name and date of birth as stated by the operator, or where applicable the pet owner;

(e)	the species, breed, sex, colour, and any notable or discernible features or characteristics of the pet animal;

(f)	the name and contact information of the operator, or where applicable the pet owner;

(g)	the name, contact information and signature of the veterinarian issuing or completing the passport;

(h)	the signature of the operator, or where applicable the pet owner;

(i)	the date of issuing of the passport;

(j)	details of the anti-rabies vaccination;

(k)	the date of blood sampling for the rabies antibody titration test;

(l)	details of the treatment against infestation with Echinococcus multilocularis;

(m)	compliance with any risk-mitigating measures for diseases other than infection with rabies virus and infestation with Echinococcus multilocularis;

(n)	other relevant information regarding the health status of the pet animal.

’.