EU legislation
Council Directive 96/22/EC, as amended, concerning the prohibition on the use in stockfarming of certain substances having a hormonal or thyrostatic action and of beta-agonists, and repealing Directives 81/602/EEC, 88/146/EEC and 88/299/EEC.
Council Directives 96/22/EC and its amendments prohibit the use of substances having a hormonal action for growth promotion in food producing animals such as substances having oestrogenic, androgenic, gestagenic or thyrostatic action and beta-agonists.
Third countries whose legislation authorises the administration of stilbenes, stilbene derivatives, their salts and esters, or of thyrostatic substances for administering to all species of animals from which the meat and products are intended for human consumption may not appear on any of the lists of countries provided for under European Community legislation from which Member States are authorised to import farm or aquaculture animals or meat or products obtained from such animals.
Meat or products from animals to which substances having an oestrogenic, androgenic or gestagenic action or beta-agonists have been administered in accordance with the dispensatory provisions of Council Directive 96/22/EC may not be placed on the market for human consumption unless the animals in question have been treated with veterinary medicinal products complying with the requirements of Article 6 of Council Directive 96/22/EC and that the withdrawal period laid down was observed before the animals were slaughtered.
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2090 of 19 June 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and Council regarding cases of suspected or established non-compliance with Union rules applicable to the use or residues of pharmacologically active substances authorised in veterinary medicinal products or as feed additives or with Union rules applicable to the use or residues of prohibited or unauthorised pharmacologically active substances (OJ L 317, 9.12.2019, page 28).