Registration and traceability of pets

29.6.2021

Question for written answer  E-003351/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Martin Hojsík (Renew), Manuela Ripa (Verts/ALE)

Although the exact figures are unknown, it is likely that every year hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats are bred and transported in poor conditions to be illegally sold across Member States. In an abuse of the conditions laid down in Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 on the non-commercial movement of pets and circumventing those for trade and imports stipulated in Regulation (EU) 2016/429, criminals are illegally smuggling dogs and cats marked with unregistered electronic transponders (microchips), many of which are fraudulently obtained, across borders for commercial purposes.

While Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 specifies that dogs and cats must be marked with an electronic transponder and accompanied by a pet passport, it does not require the electronic transponder to be registered on a database in the country of origin, nor the passport number to be inextricably linked to the transponder code. As such, this requirement does little to ensure the traceability of dogs and cats or to detect fraudulent activity.

Does the Commission intend to make it a requirement for pets to be registered in their Member State of origin before being transported, and does it intend to establish an EU-wide system that allows the exchange of data to curb this fraudulent activity?