Ireland’s official gov.ie publication on EU Approved ABP Plants has been updated, offering businesses, farmers, processors and compliance teams a central reference point for regulated animal by-products facilities. The latest update from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine clarifies which plants and operators are approved or registered under EU rules, making gov.ie an essential source for anyone working across Agriculture, Food, rural enterprise and environmental compliance.
The publication explains that plants handling or processing animal by-products must be approved by the competent authority under Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009. In practice, that means a wide range of Irish facilities are covered, from intermediate plants and hide stores to rendering operations, petfood plants, composting units and biogas sites. For operators, advisers and supply chain managers, the gov.ie listing provides a practical route to verify approved establishments and understand the categories that apply.
gov.ie update on EU Approved ABP Plants in Ireland
The official listing published by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine groups approved and registered facilities into clear operational categories. These include:
- Intermediate plants, hide stores, knackeries, wool stores and plants supplying pet food
- Storage facilities for processed animal protein, rendered fat, fish oils and certain fertilisers
- Incineration, co-incineration and combustion plants, including low-capacity incinerators and tallow burners
- Rendering and biodiesel processing plants
- Oleo-chemical plants
- Biogas and anaerobic digester plants
- Composting plants
- Petfood plants
- Technical plants and operators using animal by-products outside the feed chain
This structured format on gov.ie helps users quickly locate the relevant document or register, whether they are dealing with storage, disposal, recovery, research or specialist end use.
Registered users and specialised operators
The publication also covers Section X registered users for specific purposes under Article 23 of the regulation. These include uses for diagnostic, educational and research purposes, zoo or circus animal feeding, and other special feeding purposes where applicable. In addition, readers can access details on collection centres and other registered operators, such as transporters, traders, handlers of intermediate products, and end users of organic fertilisers and soil improvers.
For businesses interacting with multiple public bodies such as the Revenue Commissioners, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Health Service Executive (HSE), or Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), having a current gov.ie source can support better record-keeping and regulatory awareness.
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Why the ABP register matters for Irish agriculture and compliance
Animal by-products regulation is a critical issue for Agriculture, Health, Climate Action and Local Government and Heritage because it touches biosecurity, traceability, waste management and environmental risk. The official gov.ie publication is especially useful for:
- Farmers and processors checking approved downstream facilities
- Exporters and suppliers validating plant status
- Consultants advising on Food Safety Authority (FSAI) and DAFM obligations
- Laboratories and technical users confirming recognised approvals
- Local operators using the knackery location map and laboratory register
Also included is the Register of DAFM Approved Laboratories for microbiological testing and Trichinella testing on relevant samples, excluding in-house Trichinella laboratories. That makes the page valuable not only for plant operators but also for testing and verification workflows linked to the wider Irish agri-food sector.
Key linked resources in the publication
Users can access downloadable lists for each plant category, as well as map-based information on the locations of knackeries, wool stores, rendering plants, composting plants and biogas plants. The result is a more usable compliance hub on gov.ie for the Irish animal by-products sector.
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What stakeholders should do next
If you operate in animal by-products handling, storage, transport, disposal or specialist use, the safest next step is to review the latest gov.ie publication and download the category-specific lists relevant to your activity. Because approvals, registrations and laboratory references can change over time, checking the current official source is essential for compliance and operational planning.
In short, the updated gov.ie EU Approved ABP Plants page is a key reference for Ireland’s regulated agri-food chain, giving stakeholders one place to verify approved facilities, registered users and related laboratory information.
Article/Image Courtesy: gov.ie
