Commissioner Várhelyi, in a written answer on 3 July 2026, defended the European Commission's decision not to adopt implementing acts on minimum requirements for animal health visits under the Animal Health Law, arguing that Member States' different structures and the need to avoid administrative burdens justify the current flexible approach. The answer, responding to a question by MEP Veronika Vrecionová (ECR), impacts veterinary professionals, livestock operators, and national authorities, who face continued divergence in implementation across the EU.
Vrecionová had asked how the Commission monitors Article 25 of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, which requires risk-based animal health visits by veterinarians, and what support mechanisms exist to ensure consistent application. She also raised concerns about veterinary workforce shortages in rural areas. Várhelyi's reply confirms that no implementing act has been adopted, as the Commission prioritises Member States' organisational flexibility and aims to avoid unjustified costs. He noted that visits can be combined with other purposes or counterbalanced by operators' own surveillance.
The Commission monitors implementation through audits and has launched an evaluation of the Animal Health Law, which is near completion and addresses animal health visits. However, the answer offers no new concrete measures to address workforce shortages or to harmonise practices, leaving the issue largely to Member States' discretion. The policy orientation favours subsidiarity and minimal EU intervention, with institutional follow-up expected from the evaluation's results, which may inform future guidance or non-legislative support.