Brexit training fund announced for vets

Defra has launched a £300,000 fund for vets and local authority officials to access free training to support the UK preparedness for the end of the transition period.

From 1 January 2021, an Export Health Certificate (EHC) — a document that confirms an export of live animals or animal products meets health requirements — will be needed to export to the EU.

Certification

Under the Northern Ireland Protocol, movements of live animals and animal products from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will require the same level of certification.

This also includes equines, which currently move without health certification between the UK, France and Ireland.

Export

Health documentation is certified by either OVs or food competent certifying officers (FCCOs). The new fund aims to boost the number of vets that are qualified to certify products of animal origin and equines for export.

It will also aim to increase the number of certification support officers who can support OVs and FCCOs through a range of preliminary tasks to prepare consignments for certification, but cannot sign health documentation in their own right.

Register

Once vets have completed their training, they need to register their business on EHC Online to ensure exporting businesses can use them to certify their goods from 1 January 2021.

This support is part of the Government’s commitment to ensure exporters are ready to take advantage of new free trade agreements with the world’s fastest growing economies.