For the general requirements for movements of animals within the Union, see the separate guideline.
This guideline contains additional information that complements the general requirements concerning:
- special rules on assembling animals
- movements requiring the Finnish Food Authority's consent
- controls of consignments arriving in Finland
- obligations to record and store information applicable to operators
- other legislation applicable to animal movements
A list of kept terrestrial species referred to in the Animal Health Law is provided at the end of this guideline.
Movements of production animals
In addition to authorities, industry representatives also issue instructions on the movements of production animals (cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, poultry, alpacas, lamas) and their germinal products into Finland.
Information on behalf of the industry is provided by the Animal Health Association (ETT). The Finnish Food Authority recommends that all importers of production animals contact ETT at elainten.terveys@ett.fi.
Special rules on assembling animals
- During the movement of kept ungulates or poultry from the establishment of origin to an establishment in the Member State of destination, operators shall ensure that the animals are not subjected to more than three assembly operations and that those assembly operations are carried out in establishments approved for assembly operations or in approved means of transport under the following conditions:
- each of the kept ungulates and poultry subjected to assembly operations, is moved to their final place of destination in another Member State at the latest within 20 days after the date of leaving the establishment of origin;
- The kept ungulates and poultry shall depart from the establishment approved for assembly operations in the Member State of origin at the latest within 14 days after the date of leaving the establishment of origin.
- The operator requesting an animal health certificate shall provide the movement history, including all assembly operations, of the animals forming the consignment since their departure from the establishment of origin on request by the competent authority.
- If the animals are transported by waterway or sea, the period of 20 days in paragraph 1 subparagraph (a) may be extended by the duration of the journey by waterway or sea.
Operators shall ensure that the ungulates and poultry intended to be assembled on the means of transport before being moved to another Member State, are loaded in the establishment without the means of transport entering the premises in which animals are kept.
Movements requiring the Finnish Food Authority's consent
The following movements within the Union are subject to the Finnish Food Authority's consent:
- movement of terrestrial or aquatic animals and the germinal products of terrestrial animals for scientific purposes
- movement of wild terrestrial animals
- movement of terrestrial animals to an area with disease-free status or an eradication programme allowed under a national derogation applied by another Member State
- movement with the purpose of eradicating terrestrial animal diseases
- movement of germinal products to a gene bank, or from a non-approved establishment
- movements of primates from an establishment other than a confined establishment
- non-commercial movement of pet animals which do not fully comply with the conditions laid down in article 32 of the Pets Regulation for such movements
- movement of aquatic animals in certain exceptional cases
To apply for the Finnish Food Authority's consent, use this form. (In Finnish and Swedish)
Controls of consignments arriving in Finland
The operator must check the animals and germinal products as well as their identification and accompanying documents at the place of destination immediately after their arrival in Finland. If the party conducting this check finds that the accompanying documents or identification do not meet the requirements for the movement or are incomplete, or if it is suspected that an animal might be spreading an infectious disease, the animals must be isolated in the place of destination and a municipal veterinarian must be notified immediately.
The operator may not hand over the animals to another consignee until it has been established that the animals and germinal products as well as the accompanying documents meet the requirements.
An official veterinarian may carry out checks and take samples in the place of destination. The official veterinarian also has the right to inspect the animals and documents during transport.
Obligations to record and store information applicable to operators
Intra-Union operators must keep records and store information at least on the following:
- the species, categories, quantity and identification of kept terrestrial animals in the establishment
- the movements of kept terrestrial animals to and from their establishment, including where appropriate:
- their establishment of origin or destination
- the dates of such movements
- the documents that the kept terrestrial animals must be accompanied with as they arrive or leave the establishment
- the mortality of animals in the establishment
- the biosecurity measures, surveillance, handling, test results and other relevant information, as appropriate for the following:
- the species and category of kept animals at the establishment
- the type of production
- the type and size of the establishment
- the results of animal health visits.
This information must be recorded and stored on paper or in electronic format.
The operator of the establishment must store this information at the establishment for at least three years after the movement.
Other legislation applicable to animal movements
Invasive Non-native Species
The importing, breeding, selling and other possession and releasing to the wild of invasive non-native animal species is prohibited in the EU-area. EU member states have accepted a list of invasive non-native species. Additionally Finland has issued a decree on national invasive species (Valtioneuvoston asetus 1725/2015).
The invasive non-native species relevant to the EU-area and the nationally relevant invasive species can be found here. (In Finnish)
CITES permitting
When importing rare or otherwise endangered species the convention of international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora (CITES) has to be taken into consideration. The CITES-convention requires an export and import permit or an import notification of some species.
Additional information: Finnish Environment Institute tel. +358295 251 000, cites@syke.fi or the Institute’s website.
Importation of an animal of foreign origin
According to the Game Administration Act (615/1993, amendment 1711/2015) it is prohibited to import or release to the wild bird or mammal species of foreign origin as well as game animal strains of foreign origin without the permit of the Finnish Wildlife Agency. The same principle also applies to bringing an animal from the Province of Åland to another part of Finland and releasing the animal into the wild there.
The permit can be applied from the Finnish Wildlife Agency.
The permit must be refused if significant harm may be caused by the measure to the natural environment or fauna.
Fishing Act
The import of a fish or crayfish species or their stock or gametes that do not occur naturally in Finland is prohibited for the purpose of release into natural waters or for use in aquaculture without a permission issued by the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment. (In Finnish)
Kept ungulates
In the Animal Health Law, ungulates refer to animals belonging to species in the orders ungulates (Artiodactyla), solipeds (Perissodactyla) and proboscideans (Proboscidea).
Ungulates (Artiodactyla) refer to
- the pronghorn (Antilocapra),
- camelids (Camelus ssp., Lama ssp., Vicugna ssp.),
- giraffids (Giraffa ssp., Okapia ssp.),
- chevrotains (Hyemoschus ssp., Tragulus-Moschiola ssp.),
- musk deer (Moschus ssp.),
- peccaries (Catagonus ssp., Pecari-Tayassu ssp.),
- porcine animals (Babyrousa ssp., Hylochoerus ssp., Phacochoerus ssp., Porcula ssp., Potamochoerus ssp., Sus ssp.),
- hippopotami (Hexaprotodon-Choeropsis ssp., Hippopotamus ssp.),
- cervids (Cervidae), different species
- Alces ssp., Axis-Hyelaphus ssp., Blastocerus ssp., Capreolus ssp., Cervus ssp., Dama ssp., Elaphodus ssp., Elaphurus ssp., Hippocamelus ssp., Hydropotes ssp., Mazama ssp., Megamuntiacus ssp., Muntiacus ssp., Odocoileus ssp., Ozotoceros ssp., Przewalskium ssp., Pudu ssp., Rangifer ssp., Rucervus ssp. and Rusa ssp.
- as well as bovids (Bovidae), or
- antelopes (Addax ssp., Hippotragus ssp., Oryx ssp.),
- (Alcelaphus ssp., Beatragus ssp., Connochaetes ssp., Damaliscus ssp., Sigmoceros-Alecelaphus ssp.,),
- gazelles (Ammodorcas ssp., Antidorcas ssp., Antilope ssp., Eudorcas ssp., Gazella ssp., Litocranius ssp., Nanger ssp., Procapra ssp., Saiga ssp.),
- impalas (Aepyceros ssp.),
- dwarf antelopes (Dorcatragus ssp., Madoqua ssp., Neotragus ssp., Oreotragus ssp., Ourebia ssp., Raphicerus ssp.),
- bovines (Bovinae, or the species Ammelaphus ssp., Boselaphus ssp., Tetracerus ssp., Bison ssp., Bos ssp. (including Bibos, Novibos, Poephagus), Bubalus ssp. (including Anoa), Pseudoryx ssp., Strepticeros ssp., Syncerus ssp., Taurotragus ssp., Tragelaphus ssp. (including Boocerus)),
- duikers (Cephalophus ssp., Philantomba ssp., Sylvicapra ssp.),
- water antelopes (Kobus ssp., Pelea ssp., Redunca ssp.) and
- caprine animals (Ammotragus ssp., Arabitragus ssp., Capra ssp., Hemitragus ssp., Nilgiritragus ssp., Ovis ssp., Pseudois ssp., Naemorhedus ssp. (including Naemorhedus and Capricornis), Oreamnos ssp., Rupicapra ssp., Budorcas ssp., Ovibos ssp., Pantholops ssp.)
Solipeds (Perissodactyla) refer to
- equine animals (Equus spp.),
- tapirs (Tapirus spp.) and
- rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium spp., Dicerorhinus spp., Diceros spp., Rhinoceros spp.)
Proboscideans (Proboscidea) refer to elephants (Elephas ssp., Loxodonta ssp.)
Kept poultry
Poultry means birds that are bred or kept in captivity for the production of meat, eggs for consumption or for the production of other products, the introduction of game birds into the wild or for the purpose of breeding birds for the aforementioned production types.