EU approves Romania's plan to lift restrictions on sheep and goat exports

Romania's National Authority for Veterinary Sanitary and Food Safety reported that the European Commission has approved its Action Plan to unblock sheep and goat exports, with a vaccination program limited to Tulcea and Constanța counties. The scheme protects carcass and dairy product exports by keeping the rest of the country classified as disease-free. Concurrently, six third-country markets - Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Israel and Libya - have been secured through international treaties that require full vaccination.

The strategic document was accepted without amendment by all 27 EU member state representatives in the Commission’s specialist committee. Implementation will follow a new EU legal act designating the high-risk zones and confirming the rest of Romania as disease-free, after which trade agreements will be validated by the partner countries. The plan also outlines compensation mechanisms for farmers affected by outbreaks and warns against illegal animal movements that could delay the EU decision.