Electronic veterinary certificates in Russia: expecting first results

Since 2007 the Dutch NVWA has implemented an automated certification system, E-CertNL, that not only can produce official certificates on paper but also can exchange electronic official documents with other e-cert systems. Nowadays these electronic certificates are exchanged with a number countries in the world, including Belarus, China and the Russian Federation.

Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) and the General Directorate for Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of the Kingdom of The Netherlands have completed preparatory work for the launch of the third stage of the implementation of electronic veterinary certification, a trial on paperless certification. As of September 28, 2020, when delivering day-old chicks and hatching eggs to Russia from the Netherlands, only electronic veterinary certificates will be used within the framework of the bilateral cooperation on electronic certification.

The parties agreed to discuss the first results of the experiment within a month. After that, the parties will consider the possibility of using electronic veterinary certificates for other types of products. At a later stage Belarus may also be involved in the trial.

Paperless

Going paperless is for both sides an important step, a milestone, towards more digitalization and combating fraud in bilateral trade.