European Union Report On Equine Disease Control Measures In South Africa

The EU Food and Veterinary Office report to evaluate the animal health controls in relation to the export

of registered equine animals to the European Union has been finalised and published by the European

Commission on the 9th of August 2023.

We would like to extend our thanks to the auditors for their extensive and detailed report as well as to

all the stakeholders in South Africa who have made it possible to reach this stage.

The audit was conducted between the 11th and 26th of October 2022. The first draft of the report for

comment was received by the South African veterinary authorities in March 2023 and the requested

response to the report was submitted to the EU by the SA vet authorities within the allotted time period,

in April 2023.

The professionally managed and well maintained Kenilworth Quarantine Station is a credit to Cape

Racing who have left no stone unturned in taking all the necessary steps to ensure that the KQS is a

world class facility.

The publication of the EU Report is one step further towards the finalisation of the process. The EU

member states, and the EU Commission will now review the report after which the EU Commission

will make a decision on the relisting of South Africa as an eligible country to export registered horses

directly to the EU.

This process will involve further negotiation between the EU and the South African

veterinary authorities. The report confirms that the shortcomings identified in the 2013 audit have been

addressed and makes three recommendations. The next steps will involve some improvements to the

existing system, guided by the recommendations, and taking the following summarised audit finding

into account, i.e., ‘Currently, the competent authority designated only one quarantine facility used for

export of horses, which is located in the free zone and it is used for this purpose only.

This facility is vector-proof and well managed, and this assures that horses exported from this station

do not carry any relevant disease at the time of their export outside South Africa.’

Specific timelines on this period of negotiation are not possible to commit to at this stage, although

stakeholders can be assured that the conclusion of this process is a priority for all concerned.

The report can be found at https://ec.europa.eu/food/audits-analysis/audit-report/details/4650

Media release saehp.com