EU Export Health Certificates (EHCs): The Final Deadline Has Passed – Is Your Supply Chain Ready for Immediate Impact?

EU Old EHCs Invalid

The EU's New Regulatory Wall

For businesses exporting food products of animal origin (POAO) and composite products to the European Union, the compliance landscape just shifted dramatically. A critical, long-standing transitional period for Export Health Certificates (EHCs) has effectively ended. This isn't a future concern; it’s an immediate, present-day challenge that could lead to your valuable shipments being rejected at EU Border Control Posts (BCPs) right now.

At SLV 360, we specialize in navigating these complex international regulatory changes, and we’re issuing an urgent alert: If your latest EU-bound consignments are still using the old EHC models, they are now a significant rejection risk.

What Exactly is an Export Health Certificate (EHC)?

The foundation of the EU’s import system for food items derived from animals is the Export Health Certificate (EHC).

The Mandate and Purpose of the EHC

An EHC is a mandatory, government-to-government document that must accompany specific consignments of food entering the European Economic Area (EEA). Its purpose is twofold:

1. Animal Health: It certifies that the products and the animals they are derived from (e.g., dairy, poultry, meat) meet the EU’s high animal health standards, preventing the introduction of contagious diseases.

2. Public Health: It attests that the product was manufactured in an EU-approved establishment, has been processed correctly, and is safe for human consumption according to EU food safety regulations.

The EHC is issued and signed by an Official Veterinarian (OV) or a certifying officer in the exporting country, making it a legal guarantee of compliance that is verified upon arrival at the EU Border Control Post.

The Critical Compliance Deadline: The November 19th Cut-Off

The current crisis stems from the expiration of a grace period related to the Regulation (EU) 2025/636—a major piece of legislation that introduced new, updated models for dozens of EHCs across various product categories.

Why the Old Certificates Are Now Invalid

A generous transition period was initially provided to allow exporters and certifying authorities to switch from the old forms to the new, digitized models.

However, the crucial operational detail is:

The old EHC models could only be signed by the official certifying body (e.g., Official Veterinarian) until November 19, 2025.

As of today, November 28, 2025, any further consignment requiring an EHC must be certified using the new EHC models. Using the old paperwork is no longer an option.

EHCs Update

Who is Most Affected by this Change?

If your firm exports any of the following products to the EU, you are immediately impacted:

• Composite Products: Foods containing both processed animal products and plant products (e.g., lasagna, certain sweets, fortified drinks).

• Honey and Gelatine: Including their use as ingredients in other products.

• Processed Meat, Dairy, and Egg Products from third countries.

The Immediate and Severe Consequences for Your Exports

Ignoring this shift is not an option. The ramifications are swift and costly:

Risk of Rejection and Financial Loss

• 100% Rejection Risk: Shipments arriving at an EU Border Control Post (BCP) with the wrong EHC model will face guaranteed rejection, re-export, or destruction at the exporter’s expense.

• Logistics Disruption: Logistics, cold chain, and customs clearance will suffer immediate friction until new EHC processes are deployed correctly across the supply chain.

• Contractual Jeopardy: Failure to supply due to rejected goods exposes exporters to high financial and contractual penalties with EU distributors.

Your Urgent Action Plan: Securing Your EU Shipments Now

To secure your Q1 2026 sales and prevent immediate shipment failure, your QA, Regulatory, and Export teams must act on the following steps immediately:

1. Review Current Shipments: Immediately audit all EU-bound consignments currently in transit or awaiting dispatch. Confirm the EHC model used and the signing date.

2. Identify New EHC Models: Pinpoint the exact new EHC model numbers (e.g., COMP-8350 for composite products) that apply to each of your export SKUs. This requires careful review of the EU’s TRACES NT system.

3. Verify EU Establishment Listing: For many POAO and composite products, the exporting facility (and sometimes the intermediate storage facility) must be officially listed and approved by the EU. Confirm this status, as new EHCs require new attestations to this effect.

4. Update Internal Procedures: Train your teams and update your internal documentation processes to ensure only the new, compliant certificates are generated and that all required data for the certifying officer is ready.

How SLV 360 Ensures Flawless EU Market Access

Don't let outdated paperwork halt your market access to the EU. The time to act is now. As a one-stop solution for international marketing and export compliance, we help you navigate this critical barrier:

• Regulatory Intelligence & EHC Mapping: We provide up-to-the-minute intelligence, helping you quickly identify and implement the correct EHC models for your specific products.

• Supplier & Facility Listing Verification: Our team audits your supply chain and confirms that your production facilities meet the EU's stringent listing requirements, a common pitfall in these transitions.

• Documentation Remediation & Certification Support: We assist in structuring, preparing, and validating your export documentation to meet the precise attestations required by the new EHCs, minimizing BCP rejection risks.

• Export Process Optimization: We help streamline your internal processes, integrating these new compliance requirements efficiently into your export workflow, ensuring long-term readiness.