The EU Food and Veterinary Office report to evaluate the animal health controls in relation to the export of registered equine animals to the European Union has been finalised and published by the European Commission on 9 August 2023.
The SAEHP has extended thanks to the auditors for their extensive and detailed report as well as to all the stakeholders in South Africa who have made it possible to reach this stage.
The audit was conducted between the 11th and 26th of October 2022.
The first draft of the report for comment was received by the South African veterinary authorities in March 2023 and the requested response to the report was submitted to the EU by the SA vet authorities within the allotted time period, in April 2023.
The professionally managed and well maintained Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Quarantine Station is a credit to Cape Racing who have left no stone unturned in taking all the necessary steps to ensure that the KQS is a world class facility.
The publication of the EU Report is one step further towards the finalisation of the process.
The EU member states, and the EU Commission will now review the report after which the EU Commission will make a decision on the relisting of South Africa as an eligible country to export registered horses directly to the EU. This process will involve further negotiation between the EU and the South African veterinary authorities.
The report confirms that the shortcomings identified in the 2013 audit have been addressed and makes three recommendations.
The next steps will involve some improvements to the existing system, guided by the recommendations, and taking the following summarised audit finding into account, i.e., ‘Currently, the competent authority designated only one quarantine facility used for export of horses, which is located in the free zone and it is used for this purpose only.This facility is vector-proof and well managed, and this assures that horses exported from this station do not carry any relevant disease at the time of their export outside South Africa.’
Specific timelines on this period of negotiation are not possible to commit to at this stage, although stakeholders can be assured that the conclusion of this process is a priority for all concerned.
The report can be found at https://ec.europa.eu/food/audits-analysis/audit-report/details/4650.
- Media release by SAEHP on Thursday 10 August 2023.
