Brussels, 23 January 2018
NOTICE TO STAKEHOLDERS

WITHDRAWAL OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND EU RULES ON CERTIFICATES OF COMPETENCE PURSUANT TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF REGULATION (EC) NO 1099/2009 ON THE PROTECTION OF ANIMALS AT THE TIME OF KILLING, TO

SLAUGHTERHOUSE OPERATORS

The United Kingdom submitted on 29 March 2017 the notification of its intention to withdraw from the Union pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. This means that unless the withdrawal agreement establishes another date or the period is extended by the European Council in accordance with Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union, all Union primary and secondary law ceases to apply to the United Kingdom from 30 March 2019, 00:00h (CET) (‘the withdrawal date’). The United Kingdom will then become a ‘third country’. Preparing for the withdrawal is not just a matter for EU and national authorities but also for private parties. In view of the considerable uncertainties, in particular concerning the content of a possible withdrawal agreement, persons holding a certificate of competences pursuant to the provisions of Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing1 (later called “the Regulation”) and business operators concerned are reminded of certain legal repercussions, which need to be considered when the United Kingdom becomes a third country. . Subject to any transitional arrangement that may be contained in a possible withdrawal agreement, as of the withdrawal date, Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing no longer applies to the United Kingdom. This has, in particular, the following consequences for the certificates of competence required to perform certain operations in slaughterhouses. Certificate of competence Certificates of competence2 delivered in the United Kingdom pursuant to Article 21 of the Regulation will no longer be valid in the European Union from the moment the United Kingdom becomes a third country.

1 OJ L303, 18.11.2009, p. 1.
2 A certificate of competence is required to perform certain operations in a slaughterhouse (pursuant to Article 7(2) of the Regulation) as well as for people supervising the killing of fur animals (pursuant to Article 7(3) of the Regulation). A certificate of competence is also required for animal welfare officers (pursuant to Article 17(4) of the Regulation).

Persons who hold such a certificate of competence and want to continue their professional activities in the European Union will have to apply for a new certificate in an EU-27 Member State.
Slaughterhouse operators Slaughterhouse operators shall ensure that some operations are only carried out by persons holding a certificate of competence (cf. Article 7(2) of the Regulation). This requirement also applies to animal welfare officers who are working in a slaughterhouse (cf. Article 17(4) of the Regulation). Slaughterhouse operators are therefore invited to inform the persons concerned of the need to apply for a new certificate in an EU-27 Member State. The website of the Commission on animal welfare (https://ec.europa.eu/food/animals/welfare_en) provides general information concerning animal welfare. These pages will be updated with further information, where necessary.

European Commission Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety

This article contains European Union public sector information which is reproduced pursuant to Commission Decision of 12 December 2011 on the reuse of Commission documents (2011/833/EU)

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