Animal gatherings and exhibitions

Do you want to gather animals from various holdings? Forf instance temporarily to an assembly centre, for exhibition purposes at fairs, markets, or exhibitions? You must keep to the regulations on animal welfare and the prevention of contagious diseases apply.

Reporting events and exhibitions

You must report animal exhibitions, events, markets, or fairs with live animals (in Dutch) in advance to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (Nederlandse Voedsel en Warenautoriteit, NVWA). This applies to events with:

• even-toed ungulates such as cattle, sheep, and goats (in Dutch). You need to notify the NVWA at least 30 days in advance.
• gallinaceous birds (for instance, chicken, turkeys, pheasants), waterfowl (such as ducks and geese), ratites (flightless birds such as ostriches), and homing pigeons (in Dutch). You need to notify the NVWA at least 8 days in advance.
• pets and other companion animals (in Dutch). You must notify the NVWA at least 2 weeks in advance. Note that for these animals the organiser is responsible for proper housing and care for the animals during the event.

You should use the Dutch-language form Kennisgeving Tentoonstellingen/Evenementen (Notification Exhibitions/Events).

Markets for gallinaceous birds, waterfowl, ratites (flightless birds), and homing pigeons are not allowed. Trading in these animals during exhibitions or (breed) inspections is not allowed either.

Do you organise racing flights with homing pigeons? You have to send an annual review to the NVWA (in Dutch).

Veterinary inspection

Owners must have their animals inspected by a veterinarian. The veterinarian must issue a health certificate (model, in Dutch). Some animals can be inspected during the exhibition. Sheep and goat are only allowed at exhibitions or inspections if they have been vaccinated against Q fever.

Animal care

Organisers are responsible for proper housing and care. Animals need among others:

• sufficient room to move
• adequate food and drink
• protection from weather conditions
• protection against disease

Keeping records

The organiser must keep records so that upon inspection it is clear which animals were present and where they went afterwards. The records must include for instance the health certificates and licence plates of the transport vehicles.

Cleaning and disinfecting

The exhibition area must provide installations for the disinfecting and cleaning of the animals’ transport vehicles. If people enter the animal enclosures, they must have the opportunity and means to disinfect their shoes.

Assembly centre

In an assembly centre (in Dutch) animals are gathered before they are taken to their destination. Often the destination is another company, abattoir (slaughterhouse), or another EU country. Several rules apply:

• You can only gather pigs, ovine, and caprine animals for slaughter, calves, and cattle.
• You must be recognised and you must keep meeting the requirements for recognition (in Dutch). You apply for recognition to the NVWA (in Dutch). The requirements can be found in article 94 of the European Animal health decree and Annex 1 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035. Assembly centres must also keep to requirements on animal welfare.
• You must keep to the construction and equipment requirements as described in the Manual for assembly centres for even-hoofed animals and the Manual for assembly centres for equine animals (in Dutch).
• You must have a protocol describing how you run the assembly centre.
• You must keep records on, among others, which animals have been present in your assembly centre.