New rules on the cross-border transport of pets
Finland seeks to protect its natural fauna from parasites from pets belonging to tourists
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Finland will be allowed to keep its additional national requirements with regard to bringing pets into the country until the end of next year. So states the European Union’s amended rules on the movement of pet animals.
In the amendment the number of pets that can be taken from one EU country to another has been limited to five. Previously only the number of non-commercial animals brought from outside the Union was limited. The limitations apply to the animals most often travelling with their owners, in other words cats, dogs, and ferrets.
The decision to limit the number was reached because previously also animals that were meant for commercial purposes were transported as pets. In the future, anyone travelling with more than five animals has to comply with the terms of commercial importation.
Apart from the rabies vaccination, a cat or dog travelling to Finland also has to have undergone medication against cestodes. In addition to Finland, also Sweden, Great Britain, Ireland, and Malta are entitled to guard themselves against the spreading of cestodes or tapeworms.
These countries are free of the echinococcal disease or echinococcosis, which is caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm, and the idea of the additional requirement is to protect the countries' natural fauna.
If the echinococcal disease was to spread for example to foxes in Finland, one could no longer pick and eat, say, cloudberries or blueberries straight from the forest. Forest berries would have to be washed well and then boiled, as is customary in Southern Europe, so that the disease would not spread to humans.
Initially the additional requirement was to be removed by the end of this month, but the Pet Animal Act was changed in such a way that the requirement for cestode medication can be extended until the end of 2011.
“Additional requirements can be presented even after that, if criteria can be developed that prove that a country is free of cestodes”, explains Senior Veterinary Officer Seppo Kuosmanen from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
The removal of the additional requirements is looked for by travellers from other EU countries, for whom they cause additional trouble and expenses.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 15.6.2010 - TODAY |
 New rules on the cross-border transport of pets |
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