Please see the general requirements
the import of aquatic animals into the European Union territory is allowed from the countries listed in Annex XXI of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404. The special conditions presented in column 7 are opened at the end of the table.
When importing aquatic animals, in addition to species-specific conditions, general import conditions must be followed.
Requirements have been set for the original holding place of aquatic animals
- The original holding must be registered by the competent authority of the country or region of origin (unique registration number)
- Consignments of aquatic animals are allowed to enter the Union only if the official veterinarian has carried out a clinical examination of the aquatic animals in question for signs of disease and excess mortality in the third country or territory or in either exporter zone or compartment within 72 hours before the consignment is loaded for dispatch to the Union.
Finland's regions have a disease free status in accordance with Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/620 regarding the following aquatic animal diseases. When importing vector- and susceptible species to these areas, the place of origin must be free from the diseases. More information on the disease free zones you can find behind this link.
Health certificate models
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2235, Chapter 28: Model of the combined animal health and official certificate for the entry into the Union of live fish, live crustaceans and products of animal origin from those animals intended for human consumption.
FISH-CRUST-HC
Model animal health certificate in accordance with Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2236 for the entry into the Union of aquatic animals intended for certain aquaculture holdings, for release into the wild or for other purposes other than human consumption.
From the abovementioned regulation, please see model
AQUA-ENTRY-ESTAB/RELEASE/OTHER
Dispatch of aquatic animals to the Union
Consignments of aquatic animals are allowed to enter the Union only if the aquatic animals in the consignment meet the following requirements:
a) they have been sent directly from their place of original holding to the Union;
b) the consignments have not been unloaded, transferred to another means of transport or unloaded from the transport covering of aquatic animals when they have been transported by air, sea, rail or road, and the transport water of aquatic animals has not been changed in a third country or territory, zone or compartment that is not listed for the species and class in question for the entry of aquatic animals into the Union;
c) aquatic animals have not been transported in conditions that would have endangered their health status, taking into account the following requirements in particular:
i) if necessary, aquatic animals have been loaded into water and transported in water that has not changed their health status;
ii) the means of transport and the transport coverings are designed in such a way that the health situation of aquatic animals is not endangered during transport;
iii) the transport cover or sump vessel has been cleaned and disinfected using a method and products approved by the competent authority of the third country or territory of origin before loading the aquatic animals for shipment to the Union, which ensures that the health status of the aquatic animals is not compromised during transport;
d) the aquatic animals have not been transported in the same water, transport cover or sump vessel with aquatic animals of a weaker health status from the time they were loaded at the original holding place to the time they arrived in the Union;
e) if it is necessary to change the water in a third country, region, zone or compartment listed for the entry of aquatic animals of that species and category into the Union, it has not endangered the health status of the transported animals and the water has been changed,
i) in the case of land transport, at water exchange points approved by the competent authority of the third country or territory where or on which the water exchange took place;
ii) in the case of hopper barge transport, at a distance of at least 10 kilometers from all aquaculture holdings located along the route between the place of origin and the place of destination in the Union.
Special transport and labelling requirements
Consignments of aquatic animals are only allowed to enter the Union if the consignment is marked with a legible label affixed to the outside of the aquatic animal transport cover or, if the consignment is carried by a bulk carrier, an entry is made in the ship's cargo list referring to the animal health certificate issued for that consignment.
The label must contain at least the following information:
a)the number of containers in the consignment;
b)the name of the species present in each container;
c)the number of animals in each container for each of the species present;
d)the purpose for which they are intended.
Exemptions for certain categories of listed species of aquatic animals
a) aquatic animals whose destination is a food facility suitable for aquatic animal disease control, where they are to be processed for human consumption;
(b) aquatic animals intended for research purposes, which are destined for such closed holdings as have been approved for this purpose by the competent authority of the Member State of destination;
c) wild aquatic animals other than those referred to in point b, if they have been quarantined in a quarantine facility approved for this purpose by the competent authority
i) in the third country of origin; or
ii) in the Union;
d) molluscs or crustaceans which have been packaged and labeled for human consumption in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 and which are no longer able to survive as live animals if they are returned to the aquatic environment;
e) molluscs or crustaceans that are packaged and labeled for human consumption in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004 and that are intended for further processing without temporary storage at the processing site;
f) live bivalve molluscs or crustaceans intended for human consumption without further processing, provided that they are packaged for retail sale in accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004.
Treatment of aquatic animals and products of animal origin derived from aquatic animals other than live aquatic animals after arrival in the Union
The operator may not release aquatic animals that have arrived in the Union into the natural waters of the Union and may not release them in any other way into the natural waters of the Union, unless the competent authority of the Member State where the release or release takes place has given permission.
The operator must treat transport water originating from shipments of aquatic animals appropriately in order to prevent pollution of the Union's natural waters.