Veterinary Medicines 2026: New Rules for Livestock Farmers and Veterinarians

Key data

Livestock farmers and veterinarians operating in Spain and the rest of the EU face a regulatory change that directly affects how veterinary medicines can be used to prevent and control animal diseases. The Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1073, published on 13 May 2026, amends and corrects Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/361, which in turn implements the Animal Health Regulation (EU) 2016/429.

The change is significant: it affects the medication protocols permitted on livestock farms for diseases included in the EU's mandatory notification list. Those who fail to adapt may face sanctions and lose access to intra-community trade in animals and animal products.

What does this regulation establish?

Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1073 introduces amendments and corrections to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/361. The latter supplemented the Animal Health Regulation (EU) 2016/429 regarding the use of certain veterinary medicines for the prevention and control of diseases.

The changes focus on three specific areas:

• Update of usage rules for specific veterinary medicines for the prevention and control of diseases included in the EU's mandatory notification disease list.
• Modification of treatment and prophylaxis protocols permitted on livestock farms.
• Correction of errors in the previous Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/361.

The regulation is part of the EU's animal health system, which classifies certain diseases as mandatory notification due to their potential impact on animal health, public health, and the trade of animals and animal products.

Economic and operational impact

The impact of this regulation translates into concrete operational costs and commercial risks for livestock farms:

• Review of health protocols: Farms must review which medicines they are currently using to prevent and control diseases on the list, and verify whether they remain compliant with the new rules.
• Update of veterinary prescriptions: Veterinarians serving livestock farms must adapt their prescription guidelines, which may involve changes in the products used or conditions of use.
• Commercial risk from non-compliance: The regulation expressly establishes that non-compliance can result in restrictions on the trade of animals and animal products within the European single market. For farms that export or trade in other member states, this represents a direct risk to their revenue.
• Possible sanctions: In addition to trade restrictions, non-compliance can result in sanctions, the specific amount of which will depend on the national legislation of each member state.

Who does it affect?

• Livestock farmers: Must adapt their health practices and medication protocols on their farms to the new requirements.
• Veterinarians: Required to review and update their prescriptions to comply with the new rules on the use of veterinary medicines.
• Veterinary pharmaceutical industry: Manufacturers and distributors of veterinary medicines affected by the regulation may see modified conditions of use and marketing of their products.
• Animal health authorities: Responsible for supervising compliance with the regulation on farms and applying corresponding corrective or sanctioning measures.

Practical example

A pig farm in Castilla y León that currently uses a prophylaxis protocol with specific veterinary medicines to prevent a disease included in the EU's mandatory notification list must, before the entry into force of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1073, verify with its veterinarian whether that protocol remains compliant with the new rules.

If the medicine or the conditions of its use have changed with the new regulation and the farm continues to apply the previous protocol, it exposes itself to two direct consequences: sanctions from health authorities and, if it wishes to trade animals or meat products in other EU member states, restrictions that could block those commercial operations.

The concrete action: convene a meeting with the farm's veterinarian before the regulation enters into force, review the list of medicines in use, and update the health plan if necessary.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify the veterinary medicines in use for prevention and control of diseases on the EU list on your farm, to know if they are affected by the changes in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1073.
2. Consult with the veterinarian responsible for the farm to review whether current treatment and prophylaxis protocols remain compliant with the new rules.
3. Update the farm's health plan if current protocols do not meet the new requirements, before the regulation enters into force.
4. Verify the exact date of entry into force by consulting the full text of the regulation on EUR-Lex, as it has not been specified in the available publication.
5. Inform the supplying pharmaceutical industry of the changes to ensure that the medicines supplied comply with the new permitted conditions of use.
6. Review intra-community trade requirements if your farm exports animals or animal products to other member states, to avoid restrictions resulting from non-compliance.