Romania seeks EU approval to resume sheep and goat exports from unaffected zones

Romania takes export plan to Brussels

Romania has formalized its attempt to restart exports of sheep and goats after outbreaks of peste des petits ruminants and sheep and goat pox prompted European restrictions. According to Jurnalul.ro, Romanian authorities have completed a strategic action plan that will be submitted to the European Commission with the aim of lifting the restrictions.

The proposal focuses on permitting exports from areas not affected by the outbreaks. Such an approach would allow animal-health controls to remain in place around disease zones while potentially reopening commercial routes for livestock originating elsewhere in Romania. The European Commission must still assess and approve the Romanian plan, and no date for a decision or resumption of trade has been announced.

Interim Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tánczos Barna and Alexandru Bociu, president of Romania’s National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority, or ANSVSA, met in Brussels on Friday with Francisco Reviriego Gordejo. He heads the Animal Health unit within the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, DG SANTE. Romania’s Agriculture Ministry announced the meeting on Monday.

Technical discussions address conditions for reopening

The Brussels discussions covered the conditions and procedural steps required for Romanian sheep and goat exports to resume. Participants examined the action plan prepared by ANSVSA and clarified the remaining issues before Romania formally presents the document for approval.

Barna said concrete prospects for unlocking exports had been identified. He added that officials discussed ANSVSA’s short- and medium-term action plan and settled the final details ahead of its formal submission. His comments indicate that technical preparation has advanced, although they do not amount to an EU authorization or a confirmed reopening date.

The European Commission imposed restrictions on the movement and export of sheep and goats following outbreaks of peste des petits ruminants and sheep and goat pox. The measures affect the ability to move live animals through established commercial channels and require Romanian authorities to demonstrate that trade can restart without undermining disease controls.

Farmers await a decision on market access

Since the restrictions were introduced, Romanian authorities have consulted farmers, livestock-sector organizations, ANSVSA and European Commission representatives. The Agriculture Ministry said the discussions were intended to identify measures that could enable exports to resume while meeting the Commission’s animal-health requirements.

Approval for shipments from unaffected zones would be significant for producers and livestock traders whose operations are outside outbreak areas but remain exposed to broader movement restrictions. It could restore access selectively rather than waiting for every disease-related measure to be removed nationwide. The plan’s commercial effect, however, will depend on the geographic scope, veterinary conditions and implementation stages ultimately accepted by Brussels.

For regional livestock markets, the immediate issue is whether the Commission considers Romania’s controls sufficient to separate eligible animals from restricted areas. Until approval is granted, exporters cannot treat the technical progress reported in Brussels as a reopening. The next decisive step is Romania’s formal presentation of the completed plan and the Commission’s assessment of whether exports can resume under the proposed safeguards.