IRELAND HAS won the right to prevent the importation of cats and dogs from continental Europe on EU “passports” which allow free movement of pets between most member states.
It lobbied with the UK, Malta and Sweden to impose its own stricter regulations including microchipping and proof vaccination has worked, before allowing pets enter the country. EU pet passports allow free movement between member states if an animal is micro-chipped and has proof of vaccination against rabies.
But Ireland, the UK and Sweden sought to have their ban on free movement extended and yesterday in the European Parliament they won an extension of the ban until December 2011. Ireland will continue to insist pets are vaccinated and subject to quarantine.