Medicated Feeds Legislation

Legislation in Great Britain

The Veterinary Medicines (Amendment etc.) Regulations 2024   (S.I. 2024/567) set out the controls on the marketing, manufacture, distribution, possession, and administration of veterinary medicines and medicated feed. This legislation, which modernises the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013 (VMR), applied from 17 May 2024. (Part 7 amends Schedule 5 to the 2013 Regulations (medicated feedingstuffs and specified feed additives).)

To provide stakeholders with time to ensure compliance with specific new or amended requirements, the legislation includes transitional provisions for some requirements.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate will continue to work with stakeholders to help them implement the changes and to support their compliance with the Regulations.

Updated guidance that reflects the changes is available under Veterinary Medicines Guidance on GOV.UK. This includes detailed guidance on:-

• Veterinary medicines legislation which is the legal text underpinning the regulation of manufacture, authorisation, marketing, distribution, use and post-authorisation surveillance of veterinary medicines and medicated feed;
• Manufacturing and supply of medicated feedingstuffs which is for manufacturers and distributors of intermediate and final feedingstuffs containing a medicinal premix or specified feed additives;
• Antimicrobial Resistance clarification of new elements applied from the VMR provides clarification for the interpretation of the new elements within the Veterinary Medicines Regulations (VMRs), as amended, relating to combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR). It includes a reference to in-feed antibiotic use.

For further information from the VMD on the changes to the Veterinary Medicines Regulations, please email [email protected] or visit www.vmdconnect.uk. Information can also be found on the  VMD Information Hub.

Legislation in Northern Ireland

Under the Windsor Framework, EU law on veterinary medicines and medicated feed applies in respect of Northern Ireland.

Aspects of the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/2033; VMR) still apply in NI to complement and enact certain aspects of the EU law.

The following EU Regulations with relevance for veterinary medicines and medicated feed apply in NI:

• Regulation (EU) 2019/6 (as amended) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on veterinary medicinal products and repealing Directive 2001/82/EC
• Regulation (EU) 2019/4 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the manufacture, placing on the market and use of medicated feed, amending Regulation (EC) No 183/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directive 90/167/EEC

Both Regulations are complemented by a suite of implementing (for veterinary medicines) and delegating acts (for veterinary medicines) and (for medicated feed).

• Regulation (EC) No 470/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 May 2009 laying down Community procedures for the establishment of residue limits of pharmacologically active substances in foodstuffs of animal origin, repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 2377/90 and amending Directive 2001/82/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council
• Regulation (EC) No 1950/2006 (as amended) establishing, in accordance with Directive 2001/82/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Community code relating to veterinary medicinal products, a list of substances essential for the treatment of equidae.