In the global pet economy, the European market occupies a pivotal position. In recent years, the scale of the European pet market has continued to expand and has a rapid growth momentum. According to a report released by the European Pet Food Association (FEDIAF), the number of European pet-owning households has climbed to 166 million, the pet ownership rate exceeds 50%, and the total number of pets has exceeded 352 million. Among them, the annual sales of pet food reached 29.2 billion euros, and the market size of related services and products (accessories and services) also reached 24.6 billion euros.

To ChinaPet ProductsFor enterprises, the European market is undoubtedly a blue ocean full of potential, attracting many companies to explore opportunities.Export to EuropeThe specific process and certification regulations and other relevant requirements.

Export Process

Business Registration

• Customs registration：Enterprises apply for registration with the local customs, submit the application form for inspection and quarantine registration of export feed production, processing and storage enterprises, relevant approval documents of the national feed authority, production process flow chart, plant floor plan and photos or videos of key areas, list of products and raw materials for registration, etc. If there is any change in the enterprise, it should submit a written application to the local customs within 30 days after the change and submit relevant materials. Enterprises that have obtained registration must apply for renewal 3 months before the expiration of the validity period. Enterprises that are no longer engaged in export feed business should go through the cancellation procedures with the customs.
• EU Registration：The General Administration of Customs sends recommended enterprise information to the EU through the EU trace system. After official review and confirmation by the EU, the list of enterprises that have obtained EU registration qualifications will be published on its official website. Enterprises can check their review status through a specific website.

Product quality control

• Requirements for manufacturers: Establish a quality control system that complies with HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points).
• Requirements for raw materials: Must comply with (EC) 1069/2009 and (EU) 142/2011 regulations.
• Process requirements：For example, heat-dried products must be processed with a core temperature of no less than 90°C, and pet canned food must be processed with an F0 value of no less than 3. The finished product must meet the requirements of microbiological indicators after processing.
• Health certificate： Each batch of goods must be accompanied by a health certificate. The certificate sample can be found in (EU)142/2011.

Certification and testing

• CE certification：Complete CE certification, RoHS certification, etc. according to product type. For example, pet smart electrical appliances need to pass CE certification to prove compliance with relevant EU directives; electronic products must meet the RoHS certification regulations on the restriction of hazardous substances.

Export declaration and transportation

• Export declaration：Enterprises prepare commercial invoices, packing lists, bills of lading and other relevant documents and submit export declarations to the customs. The customs will review the declaration content and check whether the goods are consistent with the declaration and whether they meet the relevant regulatory requirements.
• Pay taxes: Depending on the type and value of the pet product, customs duties and other taxes shall be paid in accordance with relevant EU regulations.
• Shipping and Delivery: Choose a suitable mode of transportation, such as sea transport, air transport, etc., to transport the goods to the designated port or airport in Europe. After the goods arrive in Europe, the consignee or his agent needs to go through customs clearance procedures, pick up the goods and deliver them to the end customer.

Relevant regulations and certification

Pet Food

1. Health and safety regulations

• Regulation (EC) 1069/2009: Detailed provisions on the hygiene requirements for animal-derived foods, including the procurement, processing, storage and transportation of raw materials and auxiliary materials, to ensure the safety and traceability of pet food.
• Regulation (EU) 142/2011: specifies the hygiene requirements for pet food of non-animal origin, as well as the requirements for labeling, identification and health certificates of pet food.
• (EU) Regulation 2018/848: This is a regulation on organic production and organic product labeling, which imposes strict requirements on the production, processing and labeling of organic pet food.

2. Quality Control Standards

• HACCP system: requires companies to establish a hazard analysis and critical control point system to conduct risk assessment and control at all stages of the pet food production process to ensure product quality and safety.
• Microbiological standards: There are strict requirements on the limit of microorganisms such as Salmonella and Enterobacteriaceae. For example, Salmonella must not be detected in 25g of product.

animal supplies

1. Toys

• Toy Safety Directive (2009/48/EC): Ensures the physical, mechanical and chemical safety of products. Pet toys that may be touched by children in terms of appearance, etc. must comply with this directive.
• REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006): If pet toy materials contain substances of very high concern (SVHC) and the content exceeds 0.1%, the manufacturer must provide consumers with information on the ingredients and report it to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).
• ROHS Directive: If pet toys have electronic components, such as sound-generating devices, they must comply with this directive to limit the content of harmful substances such as lead, mercury, and cadmium.

2. Electronics and electrical appliances

• CE certification: Pet smart appliances must have the CE mark to enter the EU market, and usually need to comply with electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), electrical and electronic safety (LVD) and wireless requirements (RED), etc.
• REACH Regulation: Control the chemical substances in products to ensure the non-toxicity and environmental friendliness of materials in electronic and electrical products. Companies are also required to declare substances of very high concern.
• ROHS Directive: strictly limits the content of harmful substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium, etc. in electronic components to ensure the environmental friendliness of the product in terms of electronic components.

3. Other supplies

• LFGB certification: For pet tableware, water containers and other items that may come into contact with food, LFGB certification is usually required. It is an important regulation in German food hygiene management, which stipulates the safety requirements for materials and products that come into contact with food, ensuring that these products will not release harmful substances during use and cause harm to the health of pets.

Packaging label

Pet Food

1. Basic information label

• Brand name: Clearly indicate the product brand name on the formal page of the packaging.
• Product name: must include the animal species and age stage for which the product is suitable, and indicate whether it is a complete food or a supplementary food.
• Net content: solid products are marked in g/kg, and liquid products are marked in l/ml. There are also requirements for the character size: net content>1000g/ml is 6mm; 200ml/g＜net content≤1000g/ml is 4mm; 50ml/g＜net content≤200g/ml is 3mm; net content≥50ml/g is 2mm.
• Raw material composition: Use "composition" as the guide word and label according to the category name used in regulations. For dehydrated and dried ingredients, the specific physical properties should be indicated.
• Additive composition: With "additives" as the guide word, additives with statutory maximum limits must be labeled with the name and amount of additives; others without statutory maximum limits may be labeled optionally.
• Guaranteed value of product ingredient analysis: Complete pet food must be labeled with crude protein, crude fiber, crude fat, moisture (>14%), crude ash, calcium, sodium, and phosphorus; mineral supplement feed must be labeled with calcium, sodium, phosphorus, and moisture.

2. Instructions for use

• Feeding Guide: It is usually labeled in the form of "animal weight + feeding amount", and dry food must be marked with "always have clean water nearby".
• Storage method: Eat wet food labeled at room temperature and refrigerate the remaining portion; after the dry food label is opened, reseal it and store it in a cool and dry place.

animal supplies

1. Toys

• Instructions for use and safety warnings: For pet toys that may pose risks, the applicable age, safety tips, etc. must be clearly marked on the instructions or packaging to avoid misuse by pets and children.
• Label information: It must comply with EU labeling regulations and clearly indicate manufacturer information, product information and CE mark on the label to ensure that consumers can identify the compliance and source of the product.

2. Electronics and electrical appliances

• CE mark: The CE mark affixed to the product indicates that the product meets the EU market access standards.
• Safety warning: There may be specific safety warning signs, such as protection against electric shock, protection against high temperatures, etc., depending on the characteristics of the product.

3. Other supplies

• Material identification: Products that may come into contact with food, such as pet tableware and water containers, must be labeled with relevant information that complies with LFGB certification to explain the safety of the materials.
• Environmental protection label: The packaging may need to have environmental protection related labels, such as recyclable labels, etc. Different EU countries have different packaging recycling mark requirements, such as Germany's green dot label and France's Triman label.

Conclusion

The broad prospects of the European pet market have brought rare development opportunities to Chinese pet product companies, but to successfully enter and gain a foothold, companies need to fully and deeply understand and strictly follow the export process, certification requirements and regulations. I hope the above will be helpful to partners engaged in the export of pet products. Finally, if you have other questions or need more support, please contact us!