Prevention and Control of Foot and Mouth Disease Rules, 2025

L.N. 79 of 2025

VETERINARY SERVICES ACT

(CAP. 437)

Prevention and Control of Foot and Mouth Disease Rules, 2025

IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred by article 5 of the

Veterinary Services Act, the Minister responsible for veterinary

services, has made the following rules:-

(1) The title of these rules is the Prevention and Control

of Foot and Mouth Disease Rules, 2025.

(2)

These rules shall come into force on 2nd May 2025.

(1)

In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires

"Act" means the Veterinary Services Act;

"public activity" means any activity open to the public, of

whatever size, and shall include agricultural fairs, performances,

exhibitions, pageants, educational activities and processions with

the involvement of animals;

"Regulation (EU) 2016/429" means Regulation (EU) 2016/

429 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March

2016 on transmissible animal diseases and amending and

repealing certain acts in the area of animal health (‘Animal

Health Law’), as may be amended from time to time.

(2) Unless the context otherwise requires, words and phrases

used in these rules which are not defined herein, shall have the same

meaning as assigned to them in the Act and in Regulation (EU) 2016/

429.

(1) For the purpose of preventing and controlling foot

and mouth disease, the following restrictive measures shall apply to

any person and, or animal accordingly

(a) all entries into Malta of ruminants and swine from the

European Union shall be subject to a mandatory quarantine

period of fourteen (14) days, at the expense of the owner, before

being released into Malta;

(b) the importation into Malta of ruminants and swine

from outside the European Union shall be prohibited;

(c) for a period of fourteen (14) days from arrival into

Malta, any person who went through a protection and, or

surveillance zone shall not be allowed to enter and, or visit any

place, including farms, in which ruminants and, or swine are

held;

(d) vehicles carrying animals shall not enter Malta if they

had been through a protection zone and, or a surveillance zone

while these rules are in force;

(e) the temporary movement of ruminants and swine

within Malta is prohibited when carried out without

authorisation by the Director;

(f)

public activities shall not involve ruminants and

swine;

(g) all farms holding ruminants and, or swine shall

follow the instructions given by the Director on biosecurity

measures as may be published by the Director or given to them

directly, as applicable;

(h) products or objects derived from ruminants and, or

swine may not be introduced into Malta from protection and, or

surveillance zones for commercial and, or personal purposes;

(i) animal species not susceptible to foot and mouth

disease originating from protection and, or surveillance zones

shall be subject to specific measures such as the cleaning of

hooves and incineration of excrement;

(j) petting farms hosting ruminants and swine shall be

closed to the public while these rules remain in force;

(k) food waste or waste derived from cooking and, or all

food processing from boats, vessels, other maritime vehicles and

airplanes or other aerial vehicles may only be disposed of if they

are incinerated in approved incinerators or are not be disposed of

in Malta.

(2)

The Director may

(a) do all that is reasonably necessary so that the

restrictive measures according to sub-rule (1) are observed;

(b) seize, hold or destroy any animal involved in the

breach of restrictive measures according to sub-rule (1);

(c) grant authorisations so that, in particular cases, the

application of a restrictive measure according to sub-rule (1) is

derogated, according to conditions as he may impose in the said

authorisations, and particularly but not limited to the importation

of ruminants and, or swine from outside the European Union;

(d) seize and detain any vehicle that entered Malta or is

in Malta after having passed through a protection and, or

surveillance zone in breach of rule 1(d), at the expense of the

owner and, or the driver of the vehicle, who are liable in solidum

for said expense;

(e) seize, stop from entering, confiscate and, or destroy

any object and, or products derived from ruminants and, or swine

when said objects and, or products derived from ruminants and,

or swine come from a protection and, or surveillance zone;

(f) debit the owner, transporter and, or driver with all

expenses for anything done in accordance with these rules and

for such purpose the persons so debited shall be liable in solidum

for said expenses.

(3) All expenses and, or debit according to these rules shall

constitute a civil debt enforceable by the competent court of civil

jurisdiction in favour of the Director and shall constitute an executive

title according to law.

(4) In the exercise of his responsibilities according to these

rules, the Director may request the assistance of the Executive Police.

Without prejudice to the application of other provisions of

the Act and any other law, articles 56 and 57 of the Act shall apply to

any person who breaches these rules.

€0.27