Changes

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry received an official report of an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Germany. On 10 January 2025, Germany notified the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) of an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease.

Ruminant reproductive material collected in Germany on or after 14 November 2024 will be unable to meet Australia’s import conditions for FMD, which requires a veterinary health certificate that includes a declaration that semen and/or embryos were collected from a donor resident in a country recognised by the Australian Government and WOAH as FMD-free without vaccination. In response to the outbreak, the department has amended the veterinary health certificate requirements for bovine, caprine and ovine semen and embryos from the European Union to include a declaration that semen and/or embryos were not collected from donors resident in Germany from and including 14 November 2024.

This means that bovine, caprine and ovine semen and embryos collected in Germany on or after 14 November 2024 do not meet the veterinary health certificate requirements. However, semen and embryos collected from donors resident in Germany before 14 November 2024 may still be eligible for import to Australia if all import conditions and veterinary health certificate requirements can be met.

More information will be made available via BICON alerts, industry advice notices and other official communication channels if the situation changes or Germany regains its status as FMD-free without vaccination.

Who does this notice affect:
Importers of ruminant reproductive material from the European Union, Veterinary and Export Meat Branch, Brokers.

Further information:
Please contact Horse, Livestock and Bird Imports at reproimports@aff.gov.au or by phone on 1800 900 090 (Prompt 1, then Prompt 1, and ask for the Horse, Livestock and Bird Imports section).