The (Fédération Equestre Internationale) FEI has welcomed two major advances in its ongoing global campaign to improve the international movement of sport horses.

The European Commission and Chinese authorities jointly signed off amended legislation that will allow for the temporary importation of European Union (EU) horses to Shanghai for the CSI5* Longines Shanghai Masters, just days after the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) had separately passed a resolution that called for the development of new standards and guidelines for the temporary international movement of a specific subpopulation of high-health, high-performance competition horses and the establishment of disease free zones in its member countries.

The OIE resolution, tabled in direct response to what the OIE terms “the benefits and challenges posed by the worldwide expansion of equestrian events,” was passed unanimously by delegates attending the 81st OIE General Session in Paris. More than 800 participants attended the general session on May 28, including government representatives, ministers of agriculture, livestock and fisheries, and chief veterinary officers from 178 member countries.

“The OIE resolution and the recent agreement between the EU and China demonstrate a significant shift in the approach to the international movement of horses, which is being driven by the FEI’s desire to find a better system,” FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos said. “This is an ongoing process, but clearly there is a willingness from all parties for change to come about, and this is a change that will benefit our sport enormously