Significant increase in EU registrations for 2005

2005 has been the second highest year for new registrations since records began at the RCVS, with a total of 1306, an increase of 97 from 2004. The only other year with more registrations for membership was 2001, due to the foot and mouth disease outbreak.

Of the 1306 new registrations, 565 were UK graduates and 503 were other EU nationals.

Registrations from EU nationals increased by 141 from 2004, which corresponds directly to the new testing scheme for BSE which DEFRA introduced to replace the Over Thirty Months rule on 7 November 2005.

Qualified veterinary surgeons from the EU have been contracted by the Meat Hygiene Service to carry out this testing role, and have therefore been required to register with the RCVS. This trend is expected to continue into 2006.