Common Veterinary Entry Document

For other animal passports, see Animal passport.

Example of a blank CVED

The Common Veterinary Entry Document (CVED) was the official document used in all member states of the European Union (EU) to pre-notify the arrival of consignments of live animals (excluding pets), animal products, and products of animal origin intended for import into or transit through the EU from third countries. ^{[1] [2]} Introduced in 2004, the CVED was replaced by the Common Health Entry Document (CHED) on 14 December 2019 under Regulation (EU) 2017/625. ^[3]

Background

The European Union developed the CVED system to strengthen veterinary controls on imports from non-EU countries following the establishment of the single market. The regulatory framework was established by Council Directive 91/496/EEC for live animals and Council Directive 97/78/EC for products of animal origin. ^[2] The CVED served as the primary interface between importers and veterinary authorities, providing a standardized format for notification and recording of inspection outcomes across all EU member states.

Types

Two principal variants of the CVED existed:

• CVED-A (CVED for Animals): Used for live animals entering the EU, introduced by Commission Regulation (EC) No 282/2004 of 18 February 2004. ^[4]
• CVED-P (CVED for Products): Used for products of animal origin, introduced by Commission Regulation (EC) No 136/2004 of 22 January 2004. ^[5]

Structure

The CVED consisted of three parts: ^{[4] [6]}

• Part I contained details about the consignment including the consignor, consignee, country of origin, means of transport, veterinary documents, and description of the animals or products. This section was completed by the person responsible for the load (the importer or their agent) and submitted to the Border Inspection Post (BIP) at least one working day before the expected arrival of the consignment. ^[4]
• Part II recorded the results of the veterinary checks conducted at the BIP and was completed by the official veterinarian. This section documented the competent authority's decision regarding acceptance, rejection, or channeling of the consignment. ^[5]
• Part III was used for follow-up purposes, including confirmation of arrival at destination, recording of non-arrival, or noting quantitative or qualitative mismatches between the documentation and actual consignment. ^[4]

Veterinary checks

Three categories of veterinary checks were performed at Border Inspection Posts: ^{[5] [7]}

• Documentary checks: Examination of the veterinary certificates, health attestations, and other accompanying documentation to verify compliance with EU import requirements.
• Identity checks: Verification that the animals or products physically present corresponded to those described in the accompanying documentation.
• Physical checks: Inspection of the animals or products themselves, which could include examination of animal welfare conditions, sampling for laboratory analysis, and temperature monitoring for products.

Submission

A CVED could be submitted on paper or electronically through the TRACES (TRAde Control and Expert System), the EU's web-based veterinary certification system managed by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety. ^[8] TRACES was launched in April 2004, replacing the earlier ANIMO and SHIFT computer systems. From 1 January 2005, all EU member states were required to use TRACES for veterinary notifications.

Electronic CVEDs required electronic signatures from both the operator responsible for the load and the official veterinarian, along with electronic seals from the issuing competent authority and the TRACES system itself. ^[9]

Replacement by CHED

On 14 December 2019, the CVED was superseded by the Common Health Entry Document (CHED) under the Official Controls Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2017/625). ^[3] The transition also involved the replacement of Border Inspection Posts (BIPs) with Border Control Posts (BCPs) and the migration from TRACES Classic to a new version known as TRACES NT. ^[3]

The CHED system introduced four document variants to cover a broader range of goods: ^[10]

• CHED-A: For live animals
• CHED-P: For products of animal origin
• CHED-PP: For plants and plant products
• CHED-D: For feed and food of non-animal origin

References

1. "2007/275/EC: Commission Decision of 17 April 2007 concerning lists of animals and products to be subject to controls at border inspection posts under Council Directives 91/496/EEC and 97/78/EC" . Retrieved 2025-01-31.
2. "Council Directive 97/78/EC of 18 December 1997 laying down the principles governing the organisation of veterinary checks on products entering the Community from third countries" . Retrieved 2025-01-31.
3. "Changes in trade of animals and animal products from 14 December 2019". British International Freight Association. December 2019. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
4. "Commission Regulation (EC) No 282/2004 of 18 February 2004 introducing a document for the declaration of, and veterinary checks on, animals from third countries entering the Community" . Retrieved 2025-01-31.
5. "Commission Regulation (EC) No 136/2004 of 22 January 2004 laying down procedures for veterinary checks at Community border inspection posts on products imported from third countries" . Retrieved 2025-01-31.
6. "Common Veterinary Entry Document (CVED)". Single Window for Logistics, Luxembourg. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
7. "Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules" . Retrieved 2025-01-31.
8. "TRACES: TRAde Control and Expert System – Food Safety – European Commission". European Commission. 2016-10-17. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
9. "Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1714 of 30 September 2019" . Retrieved 2025-01-31.
10. "Common Health Entry Document (CHED) - Glossary". CustomsClear. Retrieved 2025-01-31.

External links

• General guidance on EU import and transit rules for live animals and animal products from third countries