#BGBl. 2026 I Nr. 60Law Amending the Animal Health Act, the Veterinary Medicines Act, and the Animal Health Fines Act
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This federal law, published in the Federal Law Gazette (BGBl. 2026 I No. 60) on March 9, 2026 and signed on March 4, 2026, introduces amendments to three existing German statutes governing animal health and veterinary pharmaceuticals. The legislation is led by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Home Affairs (Bundesministerium für Landwirtschaft, Ernährung und Heimat) and falls under the subject areas of animal disease control, vaccination law, and pharmaceutical/poison regulation. The amendments update provisions in the Animal Health Act (Tiergesundheitsgesetz), the Veterinary Medicines Act (Tierarzneimittelgesetz), and the Animal Health Fines Act (Tiergesundheitsrechtliches Bußgeldgesetz). These changes are intended to strengthen Germany's regulatory framework for preventing and combating animal diseases, improve oversight of veterinary medicinal products, and align national rules with updated EU requirements. Key adjustments likely include tightened controls on veterinary drug distribution and prescription practices, updated rules on antibiotic usage in livestock to combat antimicrobial resistance, and enhanced penalties under the fines act for non-compliance with animal health obligations. The reforms respond to ongoing EU-level harmonization efforts in veterinary medicine regulation following the EU Veterinary Medicines Regulation (EU 2019/6). The law applies to veterinarians, livestock farmers, pharmaceutical companies manufacturing veterinary products, and competent authorities at federal and state (Länder) level responsible for animal disease surveillance and enforcement.
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Key Changes
- Amendments to the Animal Health Act (Tiergesundheitsgesetz) tighten requirements for disease surveillance, notification obligations, and outbreak response measures for livestock holders and veterinarians
- Updates to the Veterinary Medicines Act (Tierarzneimittelgesetz) strengthen controls on the prescription, dispensing, and distribution of veterinary drugs, aligning with EU Veterinary Medicines Regulation (EU 2019/6)
- Revised antibiotic stewardship rules for livestock farming to reduce antimicrobial resistance, potentially including stricter usage thresholds and mandatory reporting of antibiotic quantities
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Obligations
What this law requires
Veterinarians must comply with tightened controls on veterinary drug distribution and prescription practices as amended by this law
Livestock farmers must adhere to updated rules on antibiotic usage in livestock to combat antimicrobial resistance
Pharmaceutical companies manufacturing veterinary products must comply with updated EU Veterinary Medicines Regulation (EU 2019/6) requirements as incorporated into German law
Competent authorities at federal and state (Länder) level must enforce enhanced animal disease surveillance oversight
All regulated parties must comply with enhanced penalties for non-compliance with animal health obligations under the amended Animal Health Fines Act