“After January 1, 2022, it will be prohibited to run a business if no license is obtained,” explained Maksim Tsukanov, the Deputy Head of the State Veterinary Supervision Department of Rosselkhoznadzor to Veterinary Medicine and Life.
He stressed that the information on new licensing requirements was published back in 2018. Therefore, the organizations had enough time to modernize their businesses in order to comply with the requirements on use and maintenance of animals set in the government regulation No. 1937.
147 organizations have been granted licenses by the end of December.
“In particular, among the licensees are Nikulin’s Circus in Moscow, Rosgostsirk, the Great Moscow State Circus on Prospect Vernadskogo, the Kuklachev Cat Theater, the Peterhof State Museum-Reserve (St. Petersburg), Moskvarium, Museum of the World Ocean (Kaliningrad)," said the spokesperson for Rosselkhoznadzor.
The regulator added that 52 applicants were denied a license for incompliance with the licensing requirements. Also, the application packages were returned to 14 applicants for completion of the required information.
According to Rosselkhoznadzor, there are about 600 organizations that keep and use animals for cultural and entertainment purposes (in accordance with OKVED, the Russian classifier of economic activity). At the same time, there are around 500 organizations (which fall under the other subgroups of OKVED) that keep and use animals for entrepreneurial activities in the field of culture, sports, leisure and entertainment. These organizations must also apply for a license, pointed out the regulator.
The spokesperson for Rosselkhoznadzor noted that the majority of license applications were filed at the end of the year. However, owners of small zoological gardens and petting farms often avoid from complying with compulsory licensing requirements, the regulator said in a statement.
Rosselkhoznadzor reminded that under current legislation, the organizations that keep and use animals for cultural and entertainment purposes without a license will face a fine of up to RUB 4,000 - 5,000. Legal entities will be imposed a penalty fine of RUB 40,000-50,000.
Apart from that, the State Duma introduced a draft bill which aims to impose a tougher penalty up to RUB 200,000 on zoos, circuses and other organizations for operating without a valid license.
Other new legislation and veterinary regulations coming into force in 2022 are available for readers on the website of Veterinary Medicine and Life.
