Supplying Feed into the EU from Outside: What Regulation 183/2005 Confirms and What You Still Need to Check

Short answer: EU Regulation 183/2005 lets feed businesses import feed from third countries only if the country and establishment of dispatch are on the relevant lists and the feed meets EU feed law or recognised equivalent conditions. Until those lists exist, an interim rule keeps the Directive 98/51/EC requirement that, for the products it covers, the establishment has an EU representative. Check product coverage, border controls and labelling before quoting.

Buying feed or ingredients for an EU site? Submit a qualified RFQ with product, specification, documents, volume and delivery terms.

What import conditions does Regulation 183/2005 state?

Article 23 of the feed hygiene regulation (consolidated text of 28 Jan 2022) says feed business operators importing feed from third countries must ensure that: the third country appears on a list of countries from which feed imports are permitted; the establishment of dispatch appears on a list kept by that country; the feed was produced by a listed establishment or in the EU; and the feed meets the regulation and other EU feed legislation, or conditions recognised as at least equivalent, or a specific agreement (Regulation (EC) No 183/2005).

The interim rule: when is an EU representative needed?

Article 24 says that, pending those lists, imports continue under Article 6 of Directive 98/51/EC (Art. 24). Article 6 lets Member States authorise imports of the products it covers only from establishments with a representative established in the EU; the representative declares commitments to the competent authority and keeps a register of products placed on the market (Directive 98/51/EC). Whether your product is in scope must be checked against that directive and with the Member State authority.

Registration, approval and HACCP

The European Commission summarises the regulation as introducing compulsory registration of all feed business operators, approval of establishments working with more sensitive substances such as certain feed additives, premixtures and compound feed, and HACCP principles for operators beyond primary production (European Commission). Its Feed Import Operators page links each Member State's lists of EU representatives, feed importers and third-country establishments with a representative (European Commission).

Supplier readiness checklist for the EU route

• [ ] Product category checked against Directive 98/51/EC (is an EU representative required?)
• [ ] Named EU representative or EU importer, and the Member State where it is listed
• [ ] Evidence the feed meets EU feed legislation (or recognised equivalent conditions)
• [ ] Hazard analysis (HACCP-based) documentation at the producing site
• [ ] Certificates of analysis per lot, with method and laboratory
• [ ] Label and documents prepared for the EU buyer's review
• [ ] Capacity, lead time and minimum order stated in writing

What still needs checking?

• Product scope: which categories Directive 98/51/EC covers for your product.
• Border controls: official controls at EU entry, especially for feed of animal origin, are not summarised here.
• Other EU feed law: marketing and labelling, additive authorisation and undesirable-substance limits apply under Article 23(d); check each for your product.
• Member State practice: contact the competent authority where the importer or representative is established.
• Tariffs and classification: ask a licensed customs adviser.

How to turn this into a qualified RFQ

List the product and specification, the documents above, who acts as EU importer or representative, volume per shipment and per year, packaging and labelling, Incoterm and EU delivery point. Submit the RFQ; a person reviews it before any supplier is contacted, and responses are presented through FeedMatch. Feed purchases have no minimum. Read the market-entry checklist, use the landed-cost calculator and check the regulation register.

Sources

• Regulation (EC) No 183/2005 on feed hygiene (consolidated text) — dated 2022-01-28
• Commission Directive 98/51/EC (Article 6, EU representative) — dated 1998-07-09
• European Commission — Feed hygiene — undated page, read 2026-10-25
• European Commission — Feed Import Operators (Member State lists) — undated page, read 2026-10-25

Read on 25 October 2026. General information, not legal advice. FeedMatch is not a government body, regulator, importer, EU representative or certifier; importers and suppliers remain responsible for compliance.