Channel Racing Update

[greenlands]

Channel Racing Update "EU Animal Health Regulations" 02/02/22 You will all be aware that since the UK left the EU and following the implementation of the new EU Animal Health Laws in April 2021 we have been working with the EU to find a 'solution' that would facilitate racing from EU countries. The following is a timeline in terms of developments and links to the relevant regulations  21st April 2021 Delegated Regulation 2020/692 comes into force.   https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2020/692/oj From April 2021 pigeons moved into the EU from any country that was not in the EU (A Third Country) would require a health certificate, signed by an official veterinarian (not any veterinarian but one approved to sign health certificates) negative laboratory tests for Avian Influenza and Newcastle disease within 14 days of movement A period of quarantine prior to movement and at the country of destination. In addition the pigeons would have to come from approved establishments (lofts)      September/October 2021 Delegated Regulation 2021/1705 is published and adopted by the EU.  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32021R1705 This regulation provided Derogation's (Exemptions) for pigeons moved from a third country to the EU as part of a race. Therefore making pigeons exempt from;  Quarantine, laboratory tests, health certificates. The requirement for premises approval also moved from approval to registration. This is an important issue as the requirements of each are vastly different with the approval process requiring establishments/lofts to be under the care of an Official Veterinarian. Remaining requirements included that the pigeons were vaccinated against Newcastle disease (Paramyxo). Since its adoption we have been working with DEFRA to establish a process of registration that would meet with the requirements of the EU and also to establish if any amendments were required to the current vaccination process within the UK.        January 2022 implementing implementing regulation 2022/37 is published and adopted.  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32022R0037       Regulation 2022/37 published last month provided the paperwork required for entering the EU. You can imagine that we were all surprised to see the inclusion of an Health certificate (Annex 34a) of the regulation. Although this health certificate did not require a period of quarantine or the laboratory tests , it did require lofts to be approved rather than registered and also the signature of an official veterinarian.  In addition the health certificate is written in way that pigeons from different lofts could not be moved on the same vehicle. The requirement for a Health certificate and premises approval was surprising to me and DEFRA when considering that regulation 2022/37 states that it is based on the derogations published in regulation 2021/1705.

Developments  Since the publication of regulation 2022/37 the following actions and progress has been achieved; I met with DEFRA officials  to discuss the content of regulation 2022/37 and the impact this would have on the prospect of racing from the continent in 2022. By the time we met DEFRA had already met with EU officers to raise awareness of the issues.     There has been a number of communications direct with the DG Sante ( EU Department of Health) facilitated through a number of European friends/organisations to raise these issues directly between the RPRA and the EU.   A meeting with a UK official veterinarian has taken place to discuss processes and amendments required to facilitate racing.

The outcomes are as follows;   It seems that the health certificate is here to stay. However, the indication from the EU (including written communications direct with the RPRA) are as follows: The requirements will revert back to a registration process for lofts as opposed to the onerous approval process.    The certificate will be amended to allow pigeons from multiple lofts to be transported on the same vehicle.   The Health certificate will be required for each convoy rather than each loft.  Assuming the above amendments are agreed then I am confident we can put in place processes that will enable racing to take place from the continent in 2022. These processes will require a health certificate for the convoy. As a result we have procured an official veterinarian to advise us on processes and paperwork required and to also identify suitable veterinarians from all parts of the UK. It is envisaged that the Health certificate could be signed at the final pick up point/marking station. In the meantime we will start work on guidance/protocols in terms of the processes/paper work required (much of which you would have already have been implementing in previous years. This MAY include but MAY not be limited to; a record of all birds on the vehicle (race entry sheets),   vaccination declarations/evidence   a record of all baskets and seal numbers. Including a record of the birds within each basket/crate.   Additional paperwork may include a record of loft registration with DEFRA. The cost of a veterinary certificate will vary. However, based on the conversation with the official veterinarian this is likely to be between £300- £500 per convoy.

Timescales The EU has indicated that amendments will be published in weeks. Although this is positive we must consider that DEFRA will not be able to publish documents for premises/loft registration until these amendments have been published. Therefore, to manage expectations we must consider the workload that DEFRA will have to deal with; assuming there will be thousands of lofts requiring registration we must assume that this work will not be completed in a short period; but hopefully in advance of the start of the channel season.  I hope that you will appreciate and recognise what a difficult task this has been and therefore remain patient in the knowledge that everything that can be done will be done. It has never been as straight forward as will 'they' let us race from France etc. The French, for example, have always been willing to provide a liberation permit to UK organisations; it has been the requirements of entry that has prevented racing.  Clearly there will be changes to the processes and paperwork required to achieve racing from the continent. However, without providing any guarantees I am confidnet we will get there; there is light at the end of the tunnel. As soon as there are any developments we will publish an update.  Ian Evans CEO  Royal Pigeon Racing Association

[jbee]

Possibility of A lot of photocopying of race entry sheets before transporter leaves marking station for channel racing. At least we are getting closer to racing the channel

[REDCHEQHEN]

The transporter driver has always required a copy of the race entry sheets, even on an inland race, also a sheet signed by every member to say how many birds they have sent and to verify that the birds have been vaccinated, it has been a DEFRA requirement in England for a long time. The big if, is if they need a list of the birds specifically in each basket and not as a whole convoy ie - basket labelled with the ring numbers of the birds contained within it. There will be more to this.....