Legal system regarding trade of animals and their products in the european union and spain

Abstract

Animal health and protection is an area of the common agricultural policy that has been subject to significant legal regulation. This has been so since different diseases in production animals (that is, transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, avian influenza...) triggered an important social alarm due to the possible risks involved in food security of consumers of products of animal origin. Albeit the Community rules contain many different health and animal protection measures that have been captured in the internal regulation of the Member States, this work aims to the intra-Community trade of animals with third countries due to the significant risk that the propagation of epizootic and zoonosis entails for the herds and for human health. In this regard, we will address the sanitary measures applicable to the intra-Community trade of animals and their products with third countries, as well as the animal protection techniques while they are in transit.