News in the veterinary sector October 2025 – April 2026
New requirements for the manufacture of veterinary medicinal products
In October 2025, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2091 of Regulation (EU) 2019/6 of the European Union was adopted, establishing good manufacturing practice for veterinary medicinal products.
The Regulation sets out general quality requirements for the manufacture of veterinary medicinal products and specifies the technical and organisational conditions that must be met when manufacturing various veterinary medicinal products. It is important to note that compliance with the Regulation is not mandatory solely for manufacturers – it also applies to persons importing veterinary medicinal products into the European Union.
In addition to the general manufacturing requirements, the Regulation also contains specific requirements for a number of veterinary medicinal products and manufacturing methods. These include:
- the manufacture of sterile veterinary medicinal products;
- aseptic manufacturing;
- the manufacture of biological veterinary medicinal products;
- the manufacture of immunological veterinary medicinal products;
- the manufacture of herbal veterinary medicinal products;
- the manufacture of veterinary medicinal products intended for use in medicated feed;
- the manufacture of veterinary medicinal products for external use against ectoparasites;
- the manufacture of liquid medicines, creams and ointments;
- the manufacture of medical gases;
- the manufacture of veterinary medicinal products administered as inhalation aerosols.
The Regulation also allows for the use of alternative manufacturing or quality assurance methods in certain cases. In such cases, the manufacturer must be able to demonstrate that the alternative approach ensures an equivalent result, the quality, safety and efficacy of the veterinary medicinal product, and compliance with the conditions of the marketing authorisation.
European Medicines agency review: new veterinary medicines and vaccines
In its 2025 overview, ‘Veterinary Medicines in 2025’, the European Medicines Agency has highlighted new medicines and vaccines that have been approved. It also highlights alternative uses for veterinary medicines that are already available and approved. The English-language overview is available via the link.
Agriculture and food board seeks assistance from veterinarians
The Agriculture and Food Board (PTA) has announced that it requires the assistance of licensed veterinarians in 2026 to carry out animal disease control operations.
Veterinarians will primarily be involved in the following tasks:
- vaccinating dogs and cats against rabies;
- taking samples for transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE);
- taking brain samples from wild animals suspected of having rabies (jackals, foxes, raccoon dogs).
Invoices for services must comply with the requirements of the Accounting Act and the Value Added Tax Act, and invoices must be submitted as e-invoices.
Further information and contact details are available via the link.
Court rulings have clarified the role of veterinarians in assessing animal health
Recent court rulings emphasise the important role of veterinary expert opinions in assessing the health status of animals and in resolving animal welfare disputes.
Assessment of animal health in supervisory proceedings
In its order in Case No. 3-25-3657 of 21 November 2025, the Tallinn Circuit Court found that the assessment of animal health requires specialist knowledge.
Although the photographs taken by PTA clearly showed the animals’ emaciation and other problems, there was no evidence in the file that the animals’ condition had been assessed by a veterinarian or another person with specialist knowledge. The court noted that without such an expert assessment, it is not possible to reliably assess – even for a PTA official – the actual health status of the animals at the time of the inspection.
Furthermore, the court noted in this case that the more time that elapses since the animals were captured, the more difficult it is to reliably assess their actual condition at the time of the inspection.
Evidential value of a veterinaian’s assessment
In its judgment of 19 August 2025 (Case No. 3-24-2578), the Tallinn Administrative Court emphasised that health problems identified during a veterinary examination may be of decisive importance in establishing a breach of animal welfare requirements.
The veterinarian found that the animals in question had genuine health problems (e.g. dehydration, malnutrition, signs of infection and dental problems), which supported the conclusion that the animals were not being cared for properly. The court found, based on the veterinarians assessment, that the requirements of the Animal Protection Act had been significantly breached in this case. Consequently, the court considered the decision to remove the animals against the owner’s will to be justified and found that such a measure was lawful.
Veterinarian’s opinion in a defamation dispute
In its judgment of 12 December 2025 in Case No. 2-24-8927, Tartu County Court also relied on the veterinarian’s expert opinion in a dispute concerning defamatory allegations, in which the court assessed statements published in a Facebook group regarding the claimant and his dogs.
The claimant contested several allegations in this case, including, amongst others, the following: (i) the claimant does not look after his dogs and has left them to fend for themselves for years, and (ii) the claimant’s dogs had attacked smaller dogs on two occasions.
With regard to the first claim, the court found that the veterinarian’s assessment of the dog’s state of health, in addition to other evidence, explained why the animal could not be active and why long walks were contraindicated for it. Taking this view into account, amongst other things, the court found that the claim was unfounded, had to be dismissed, and that compensation was payable.
Regarding the second claim, the court noted that the veterinarian’s assessment that the dog had generally been of a friendly nature and the fact that it had attended puppy school did not, however, rule out the possibility that in specific situations the dog might have attacked other dogs. Consequently, the court did not consider the veterinarian’s assessment of the dog’s temperament sufficient to rebut the incidents of aggression established by other evidence.
Labor law news:
- From this year, it is possible to enter into flexible working time agreements that allow for a combination of agreed working hours and variable working hours;
- A more detailed overview of this and other changes is available on our website, in both Estonian and English
Newsletter was composed by TEGOS lawyer Laura Jaanisoo and counsel Ingeri Luik-Tamme.
