EUROPEAN COMMISSION HEALTH AND CONSUMERS DIRECTORATE-GENERAL

Transcription

1 EUROPEAN COMMISSION HEALTH AND CONSUMERS DIRECTORATE-GENERAL Directorate F - Food and Veterinary Office DG (SANCO)/7701/ CP Final FINAL COUNTRY PROFILE OF LATVIA ON FOOD AND FEED SAFETY, ANIMAL HEALTH, ANIMAL WELFARE AND PLANT HEALTH

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...3 INTRODUCTION COMPETENT AUTHORITIES AND OVERALL DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES COMPETENT AUTHORITIES AND DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES IN RELATION TO INDIVIDUAL CONTROL SYSTEMS Control system for animal health Control system for food of animal origin Control system for imports of animals and food of animal origin Control system for feedingstuff and animal nutrition Control system for TSE and Animal By-Products (ABP) Control system for veterinary medicines and residues Control system for foodstuff and food hygiene Control system for imports of food of plant origin Control system for plant protection products (PPP) Control system for animal welfare Control system for plant health FOLLOW-UP OF FVO INSPECTIONS Animal health Food of animal origin Imports of animals and food of animal origin Feedingstuff and animal nutrition TSE/ABP Veterinary medicines and residues Foodstuffs and food hygiene Imports of food of plant origin Pesticides Animal welfare Plant health Overview of more recent inspections...74 ANNEX I ACRONYMS, ABBREVIATIONS AND SPECIAL TERMS...75 ANNEX II OVERVIEW OF STAFF RESOURCES...77 ANNEX III TRAINING SYSTEMS

3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Overview The Food Council (FC), comprised of representatives from several ministries and other services and reporting to the Cabinet of Ministers, is responsible for co-ordinating the drafting of State policy on supervision and control of food circulation. The Ministry of Agriculture is the lead ministry involved in the food chain. The Veterinary and Food Departments of the Ministry have overall responsibility for supervising the development and implementation of policy and for drafting legislation. The Food and Veterinary Service (FVS) of the Ministry is the Central Competent Authority with overall responsibility in relation to food and feed safety, animal health and animal welfare. The State Plant Protection Service (SPPS) is the responsible authority for plant health and plant protection products. Official controls at local level are carried out by 27 FVS Territorial Structural Units (TSU) and by 7 SPPS Regional Divisions. The Border Inspection Posts (BIP) of the Sanitary Border Inspection (SBI), under the FVS, carry out controls of imports of animals, food of animal and plant origin and plants. The Ministry of Health is responsible for veterinary medicinal products in relation to control at manufacture and wholesale levels. The Board of Crisis Management has responsibility for the operational management of major emergency situations at national level. The National Diagnostic Centre (NDC) of FVS carries out animal disease diagnosis and food control, while the National Plant Health Laboratory is responsible for carrying out tests on plants and plant products. Almost 2,200 staff are involved in controls, with most of them allocated to the TSU, BIP and SPPS Regional Offices. These include some 600 official veterinarians, over 700 State authorised veterinarians and some 450 staff in laboratories. Multi-annual National Control Plan (MANCP) The MANCP covering the period has been submitted in two separate parts for the FVS and SPPS. The first General Audit by the FVO in Latvia is planned for Audit Systems The FVS, SBI, NDC and SPPS each has an internal audit unit responsible for auditing their activities at all levels. All audits are conducted in accordance with the Latvian Internal Audit Law and the various ISO standards to which most control bodies are accredited. External control is done by the accreditation bodies. Sanctions Each of the control bodies has developed systems for imposing sanctions for noncompliances, in accordance with the laws and procedures in place. 3

4 Inspections in Latvia by the Food and Veterinary Office Since 2003, the FVO has carried out 28 inspections and two general review missions to Latvia. The following table gives an overview of the main sectors, by year, covered by these missions. SECTOR Total per Sector* Animal Health Food of Animal Origin Imports of animal and food of animal origin Feedingstuffs and animal nutrition 1* 1 2 TSE/ABP 1 2* 3 Veterinary medicines and residues Foodstuffs and food hygiene Imports of food of plant origin 1 1 Pesticides 1 1 Animal Welfare Plant Health 2 2 General Review Total Sectors per Year 8 5 8* * One mission covered two sectors Animal Nutrition and TSE in Total Total Missions per year Progress on FVO recommendations For 27 of the 28 inspections to Latvia, final reports have been issued and action plans received from the Latvian authorities setting out how they have responded or intend to respond to the FVO's recommendations. All of these action plans have been assessed by the FVO to determine whether sufficient progress is being made by the Latvian authorities to deal with the weaknesses in control systems identified. Of the 278 recommendations made in these reports, 232 have been definitively closed. Of the remainder, 34 were followed up in the most recent general review mission to Latvia in March 2008 and 12 cases were followed up in the hygiene package inspection 7936/2008 in May

5 The following table summarises the outturn of the most recent general review mission to Latvia in March 2008: Action taken / No longer relevant/covered by inspection 7936/2008 Outstanding / Action still required Pre-General review mission 2008 Post-General review mission For verification / In progress 34 7 Total number of recommendations The main weaknesses in control systems in Latvia identified in FVO missions include: certain deficiencies which could jeopardise the effectiveness of the rabies vaccination campaigns; Recent FVO missions that have not reached final assessment stage Hygiene package inspection 7936/2008 of 20 May 2008, for which the draft report has been sent to the Latvian authorities. This mission assessed progress made on the delivery of the action plan of inspection 8206/2006 covering the same subject. While some improvement was seen, there are still problems relating to controls in this sector, such as: approval of establishments; compliance of FBO with their obligations; efficiency of official controls; certain elements of certification. Future FVO inspections No further inspections are planned for Latvia in

6 INTRODUCTION This country profile has been drawn up by the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO), a directorate of the Directorate-General for Health and Consumers of the European Commission. The aim is to present in summary form the latest information available to the FVO on how control systems for food and feed safety, animal health, animal welfare and plant health are organised in Latvia. The information in the country profile has been compiled from: recent written submissions and background documentation from the Latvian authorities detailing how control systems are organised; the results of missions to Latvia carried out in recent years by inspection teams from the FVO and, in particular, a general review mission in Latvia in March 2008 to evaluate the full range of control systems for food and feed safety, animal health, animal welfare and plant health. The country profile is presented in three parts: Part 1 describes the overall organisation of the Latvian authorities and the respective responsibilities of Competent Authorities in relation to the different components of the control system. A chart is used to help the reader better understand the responsibilities of the different bodies; Part 2 gives a more detailed description of each of the eleven separate systems that form the complete range of control systems in Latvia, covering the whole chain of plant, animal and food production. Flow charts are used to help the reader; Part 3 contains an overview of the missions carried out by the FVO to Latvia since 2003 and, for each control system, the findings and the assessment in relation to specific recommendations identified for further follow up in the context of the general review mission of March The country profile will be updated at regular intervals, based on the results of future FVO missions and other relevant information received by the Commission from the Latvian authorities. Acronyms, abbreviations and special terms are used extensively throughout this report for the sake of brevity. A list of acronyms, abbreviations and special terms is given in Annex I to the country profile as a guide for the reader. 6

7 1. COMPETENT AUTHORITIES AND OVERALL DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES Latvia is an independent democratic republic with 26 districts, in addition to Riga. The Food Council (FC), comprised of representatives from several ministries and other services and reporting to the Cabinet of Ministers, is responsible for co-ordinating the drafting of State policy on supervision and control of food circulation. The Ministry of Agriculture (MA) is the leading ministry involved in the food chain. Within the Ministry, the Veterinary Department and the Food Department have overall responsibility for supervising the development and implementation of policy and for drafting legislation. The Food and Veterinary Service (FVS) within the Ministry is the Central Competent Authority (CCA) with overall responsibilities in relation to food and feed safety, animal health and animal welfare. The State Plant Protection Service (SPPS) of the Ministry is the CCA for plant health and plant protection products. Official controls at local level are carried out by 27 FVS Territorial Structural Units (TSU) and by 7 SPPS Regional Divisions. The Border Inspection Posts (BIP) of the Sanitary Border Inspection (SBI), under the FVS, carry out controls on imports of animals, food of animal and plant origin and plants. These services report directly to the central levels of the FVS, SPPS and SBI respectively. The Ministry of Health is responsible for veterinary medicinal products in relation to control at manufacture and wholesale levels. The Board of Crisis Management has responsibility for the operational management of major emergency situations at national level. The National Diagnostic Centre (NDC) of FVS carries out the functions of State Veterinary Diagnostic Centre with responsibility for animal diseases diagnosis and food control, while the National Plant Health Laboratory is responsible for carrying out tests on plants and plant products. The following table lists the relevant authorities with responsibility for animal health, feed and food safety, animal welfare and plant health in Latvia. Where available, links to internet web pages are also given. The structure of each authority is further described below. Data on staff resources is summarised in Annex II. Competent Authorities National level Website (if available) CM Cabinet of Ministers FC Food Council MA Ministry of Agriculture FD Food Department VD Veterinary Department ADC Agricultural Data Centre FVS Food and Veterinary Service 7

8 National level Website (if available) FCe Food Centre SBI Sanitary Border Inspection SPPS State Plant Protection Service MH Ministry of Health SAM State Agency of Medicine SHI State Health Inspection BCM Board of Crisis Management District/local Level TSU Territorial Structural Units BIP SPPS Border Inspection Posts Regional Divisions Laboratories NDC National Diagnostic Centre NPL National Plant Health Laboratory Other Bodies LATAK National Accreditation Body Cabinet of Ministers (CM) Food Council (FC) This is a coordinating and consultative institution, set up and governed by the Law of 6 March 1998 (as amended) on Supervision of Food Circulation. It is approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. Its members include representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture, Economy, Environment, Finance and Welfare, together with the Director- General of FVS and the Director of the Food Centre. Its main tasks are: to prepare proposals regarding the priorities of the State policy on food safety; to promote the co-ordination of State policy on food safety and development of food processing; to co-ordinate the development and implementation of policy for State control on food safety; to evaluate the annual food control plan; to evaluate the financing of the FVS; to prepare proposals on international aspects of food safety. 8

9 Ministry of Agriculture (MA) Veterinary Department (VD) and Food Department (FD) The former Veterinary and Food Department has split into two separate departments, one for veterinary matters and one for food. The overall functions have not, however, changed and co-operation and co-ordination between the two departments continues as before. They are responsible, inter alia, for - developing the Ministry s policy on the chain of safe and reliable food, as well as for organising and co-ordinating implementation of this policy; - developing legislation in the area of food safety and quality, animal health and welfare, veterinary medicinal products and animal nutrition; - transposing EU legislation. Agriculture Data Centre (ADC) This is a state agency supervised by MA which maintains the central database of holdings and animals. The database is also used for: recording the results of veterinary inspections; monitoring follow-up inspections; identifying at-risk holdings; and setting priorities for future inspections. It is undergoing continuous development and updating. Food and Veterinary Service (FVS) FVS is a state administrative institution supervised by MA and is the CCA with overall responsibilities for food and veterinary control. The functions of FVS are specified in national legislation, such as the Pharmaceutical Law of 24 April 1997 (as amended), the Law of 6 March 1998 on the Supervision of the Handling of Food (as amended), the Law of 29 December 1999 on Animal Protection (as amended) and the Law of 16 May 2001 on Veterinary Medicine (as amended). It operates in accordance with Cabinet of Ministers Regulation No 142 By-law of the Food and Veterinary Service (adopted 22 February 2005). FVS consists of: The Central Office, including: o Food Surveillance Department (FSD) o Veterinary Surveillance Department (VSD) o Information Department o Quality Department o Internal Audit and Control Division o Administrative Department Territorial Structural Units (TSU) Food Centre Sanitary Border Inspection (SBI), including Border Inspection Posts (BIP) National Diagnostic Centre (NDC). The FVS is staffed by officials who may be veterinary inspectors or food inspectors, and state authorised veterinarians (SAV). 9

10 Veterinary inspectors carry out supervision and control in relation to animal health, animal welfare, feed establishments, including controls on holdings, farm registration, animal identification and the use of medicine at farm level. Food inspectors carry out supervision and control in food establishments, including those of animal or non-animal origin, retail outlets, restaurants, cafés, and in slaughterhouses in relation to animal welfare. State authorised veterinarians perform permanent controls delegated to them in slaughterhouses and cutting plants. With regard to animal disease control, these veterinarians are contracted by the TSU to carry out certain functions in relation to animal infectious disease control plans, such as sample taking and mandatory vaccination. Their activities are governed by the Law on Veterinary Medicine. Central Office Food Surveillance Department (FSD) includes the following divisions: Risk Management; International Projects Management; Products of Plant Origin; Beverages and Organic Farming Control; Animal Origin Foodstuffs Production Control; Food Distribution Control; and International Trade. The FSD plans, organises and co-ordinates official controls on compliance with requirements laid down in legislation governing food of animal and non-animal origin, and compliance of food products with consumer health criteria. It also: approves establishments; drafts guidelines, instruction and procedures; evaluates inspection and sampling results; and organises the follow-up of corrective actions. FVS approved 21 new sets of guidelines for inspectors in During the same year, FSD developed a new risk-based control system. Using historical data, a group of leading experts categorised all establishments by type of activity, risks associated with this type of activity and risks associated with the products. A points system allowed for the categorisation of the establishments into four risk groups: high; medium; low; and very low. The information is fed into a database, which automatically calculates the frequency of controls and signals the next inspection date. In 2008, it is planned to further develop the risk evaluation, taking account of the reliability of own control and production capacity. FSD carries out analysis of the control results and determines the main priorities for its activities. Its Risk Management Division is the national contact point for food for the EU Rapid Alert System for Feed and Food (RASFF). Supervision of the performance of official controls is carried out according to the FVS procedure Control of professional operation of TSU inspectors (No KR.02.P.002). Heads/Deputy Heads of TSU are responsible for supervising their own inspectors. The TSU Heads/Deputy Heads are in turn supervised by a nominated senior food inspector, known as a Technical Manager, from the Central Office, who may also include control of professional operation of TSU inspectors. The results of supervision activities are summarised in a report and submitted to the Director General. FSD food control system was accredited in accordance with ISO by LATAK (Latvian Accreditation Body) in

11 Veterinary Surveillance Department (VSD) includes the following divisions: Risk Management; International Projects Management; Animal Protection Control; Animal Infectious Diseases; Veterinary Medicinal Products; Animal Feed Control and International Trade. The department promotes veterinary protection measures for the prevention and eradication of contagious and other animal diseases, as well as animal husbandry and welfare. Its tasks include: drafting guidelines; carrying out analyses of the epizootic situation; setting down and co-ordinating the functions of veterinary inspectors and evaluating their performance; risk analysis in relation to animal health; and identification and registration of herds. Some twenty risk factors are taken into account in determining the control programme, and each is expressed as a risk index number. The cumulative total determines the frequency of controls on a particular holding. The 15% of holdings controlled annually takes into account repeat visits where non-compliances are discovered. Non-performing farms are given particular attention. A system of supervision similar to that of FSD is in place. VSD is preparing for accreditation to ISO and expects to make its application to LATAK by the end of Information Department maintains the main FVS database used for food safety information, such as lists of establishments, results of controls and tests. Quality Department includes the following relevant divisions: - Quality Audit Division: see under Competent Authority Audit Systems; - Quality Management Division responsible for implementation of a quality system within FVS according to ISO 9001 and ISO 17020, as well as developing and maintaining the quality system s documentation; - Division of Approval and Registration of Establishments responsible for registration and organisation of approval of food and feed establishments and for maintenance of the relevant database; - Training Division: see Annex III; Territorial Structural Units (TSU): The 27 TSU (26 + Riga) covering the territory of Latvia are managed by senior food or veterinary inspectors and controlled by FVS Central Office. Within each TSU, responsibilities are divided between food surveillance and veterinary surveillance. The inspectors and State authorised veterinarians within the TSU are responsible for a wide range of control tasks linked to the various food and veterinary control systems. Inspectors are allocated to a TSU in proportion to the number of establishments in their region. Co-ordination and exchange of information between the Central Office and TSU take place by means of: orders, procedures and instructions issued and approved by the FVS; intranet and website of the FVS; monthly meetings between the FVS and Heads of TSU; and six-monthly reporting meetings. Food Centre set up in 2006 has as its main functions: development and maintenance of the list of food supplements produced and registered in the EU; collecting and analysing scientific and technical data; promoting the development of methods and procedures of uniform risk assessment; national contact point for EFSA on risk assessment issues, such 11

12 as GMO, novel food, food contact materials and food consumption data collection; and information exchange. Sanitary Border Inspection (SBI) performs controls at the Border Inspection Posts (BIP) on: live animals and animal products; plant material; food and feed safety, covering all food and feed products; and non-food product safety, covering medicines for human and animal consumption, materials and products intended to be in contact with food products.. The SBI, both at central level and at the BIP, is accredited in accordance with Standard LVS EN ISO/IEC and its Quality Management System has been certified in accordance with the requirements of the management system Standard ISO 9001:2000. All inspectors are qualified to university degree level. Senior sanitary border inspectors are responsible for the organisation of controls at the BIP. National Diagnostic Centre (NDC): See Laboratory Services. State Plant Protection Service (SPPS) SPPS was established pursuant to Plant Protection Law adopted by Parliament on 17 December 1988 as a state institution supervised by MA. The functions of SPPS are specified in the Law on Plant Protection, the Law of 7 October 1999 (as amended) on Seed Circulation, and the Law of 2 May 2002 (as amended) on Plant Varieties Protection. It operates in accordance with Cabinet of Ministers Regulation No 944 By-law of the State Plant Protection Service, adopted 24 November, SPPS has a Central Office consisting of five main departments: Plant Health; Plant Protection; Seed Control; Plant Variety Testing; and Strategy and Methodology. It also has divisions covering Finance and Accounting, Procurement, Information, Internal Audit and General Supervision. Seven Regional Divisions carry out implementation in the field. SPPS performs official control and surveillance of: PPP; fertilisers; plants and plant products; plant varieties; seeds; and planting material. It collaborates with international organisations and provides an exchange of information with other countries on issues of plant protection, plant quarantine, movement of seeds and variety protection rights. Ministry of Health (MH) The Ministry's role, in the context of the food safety system, is limited to the control system for veterinary medicinal products and residues, and developing safety norms for certain food products, such as drinking water. The State Medicines Agency (SAM) is responsible for registration of veterinary medicines. The State Health Inspectorate (SHI) is responsible for health-related inspections, covering producers and wholesalers of drugs. Board of Crisis Management (BCM) This Board is responsible for the operational management of major emergency situations at national level, through the involvement of state institutions, municipalities and other relevant bodies, such as civil protection, army and fire service. It is chaired by the Prime Minister. Its members include ministers of the main ministries, with input by senior officials, such as the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO), as the need arises. 12

13 Laboratory Services National Diagnostic Centre (NDC) works on animal disease diagnosis and food control, and is also active in human diseases diagnosis and environmental analysis, previously covered by the Public Health Agency of MH. The network comprises: three central laboratories, including the animal diseases diagnostic laboratory, food and environment investigation laboratory and laboratory of clinicalmicrobiological investigation; four regional laboratories; and associated branch laboratories in towns and regions. The main tasks of the NDC include: laboratory analyses; methodological guidance of the work of the regional laboratories and meat plants and consultations concerning the training, attestation and work of specialists; quality control of food products, plant-growing, apicultural and fish farming products; development and approval of laboratory and diagnosis methods, and their introduction in the work of the regional laboratories. One of the tasks of the Reference Division of the NDC is the organisation of proficiency tests, including inter-laboratory comparison testing. Regional laboratories and their branches also participate in inter-laboratory comparison tests. National Plant Health Laboratory (NPL) is responsible for: carrying out tests on plants, plant products, soil and pests; carrying out analyses on the risk of the spread of plant quarantine organisms; and establishing procedures for research and trials of harmful organisms, genetically modified organisms and plant protection products. Multi-Annual National Control Plan (MANCP) The MANCP has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 on official controls and has been submitted to the Commission in two separate parts, covering the responsibilities of the FVS and SPPS. The planning period for the MANCP is from 2007 to The MANCP covers all functions and tasks of FVS in food and feed control, animal health, animal welfare, veterinary drug control and sanitary border control, as well as national laboratory service. It includes information on the structure and organization of FVS, its resources and an overview of its control systems. It provides details of the roles and responsibilities of the different FVS bodies involved in controls, and gives an overview of how these bodies meet the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004. It sets strategic goals and targets in different sectors of food and veterinary surveillance. Competent Authority Audit Systems The FVS, SBI, NDC and SPPS each has an internal audit unit, responsible for auditing their activities at all levels. All audits are conducted in accordance with the Latvian Internal Audit Law and the various ISO standards to which most control bodies are accredited. External control is implemented by the accreditation bodies. 13

14 Quality Audit Division (QAD) of the FVS is responsible for implementation of internal audits required under article 4 (6) of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004. It is staffed by a Head of Division, supported by some thirty trained volunteer auditors from TSU, both food and veterinary inspectors, who are appointed by the Director General of the FVS. The competence of auditors is evaluated every second year. These auditors are independent of their own TSU when working in this capacity and do not audit their own area of work. Audit teams generally consist of leading auditor and one or two auditors. The Head of Quality Audit Division has developed a five year audit plan covering ISO and Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 requirements. The annual audit plans contain several audit programmes, each of which covers a series of internal audits with the same scope and objectives. Audits are based on documentation controls, together with on-the spot surveillance of inspectors. The lead auditor prepares the audit report and submits it to the Head of QAD and the audited TSU. The Head of QAD reviews each individual audit report and draws up a summary final report of each programme, which is submitted to Director General and taken into account for management review twice annually. Where audit findings indicate operational deficiencies or non-compliances, the auditee and audit team agree on necessary corrective action to be taken. The Head of QAD maintains a database on non-compliances and corresponding corrective actions, and is responsible for follow-up. SBI Quality Management Division (QMD) performs audits at the SBI administration units and BIP. Each BIP is audited annually, based on ISO and Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 requirements. NDC has its own Internal Audit Sector, within the Quality Management Division, whose task is to improve quality management and internal control systems. Internal audits are subdivided into quality system audits and state administration audits, regulated by law. Internal audits are conducted according to an annual programme. SPPS Internal Audit Unit carries out audits of the control system at all levels and stages and assists in the preparation of procedures and checklists for use by inspectors. It operates a five-year plan and determines the audit frequency based on risk analysis. It is currently staffed by one auditor. National accreditation bodies All the laboratories are accredited to ISO by the Latvian accreditation body LATAK. The food and environment investigation laboratory and the animal diseases diagnostic laboratory are also accredited by the German accreditation body DAP. Furthermore, for contractual reasons the food and environment investigation laboratory is accredited to Russian standards by the Russian accreditation body RUSTEST. Accreditation comprises more than 300 methods with LATAK and RUSTEST and approximately 115 methods with DAP. 14

15 The following chart gives an overview of the distribution of responsibilities in relation to control systems and operational levels. Sector Policy co-ordination Co-ordination of controls Implementation of controls Laboratories Risk assessment, scientific advice 1. Animal Health MA(VFD)/FVS FVS (VSD) TSU NDC NDC 2. Food of Animal Origin 3. Imports of animal and food of animal origin 4. Feedingstuffs and animal nutrition MA(VFD)/FVS, FOOD COUNCIL FVS (FSD) TSU NDC FCe MA(VFD)/FVS/SBI SBI(VJVBCD) BIP NDC NDC MA(VFD)/FVS FVS(VSD/AFSD TSU NDC NDC 5. TSEs/ABP MA(VFD)/FVS FVS (VSD+FSD) SBI TSU/BIP NDC NDC 6. Veterinary medicines - authorisation, marketing &distribution Veterinary medicines - residues 7. Food hygiene MA(VFD)/FVS/FOOD COUNCIL MA(VFD)/FVSMH FVS(VSD),/SAM/SHI TSU/SAM/SPI NDC NDC MA(VFD)/FVS FVS(VSD+FSD) TSU NDC NDC FVS(VSD(AFSD) TSU NDC FCe GMO MA(VFD)/FVS/SPPS/SBI FVS/SPPS/SBI TSU/SPPS/BIP NDC+NPL FCe 8. Imports of food of plant origin 9. Plant protection products - authorisation, marketing and use Plant protection products - residues MA(VFD)/FVS/SBI SBI(NFPSJ) BIP NDC NDC MA(VFD)/SPPS/FVS/SBI SPPS/SBI SPPS/BIP NDC NDC MA(VFD)/FVS FVS(FSD) TSU/BIP NDC NDC 10. Animal Welfare MA(VFD)/FVS FVS(VSD/APSD) TSU NDC NDC 11. Plant Health MA(VFD)/SPPS SPPS(PQD/GSD) SPPS Regional Divisions/BIP More detailed descriptions of the allocation of responsibilities between authorities in relation to each control system are given in the following chapters. NPL NPL 15

16 2. COMPETENT AUTHORITIES AND DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES IN RELATION TO INDIVIDUAL CONTROL SYSTEMS 2.1. Control system for animal health MA Ministry of Agriculture VD Veterinary Department FVS Food and Veterinary Service QAD Quality Audit Division ADC Agricultural Data Centre VSD Veterinary Surveillance Department NDCC National Disease Control Centre NDC National Diagnostic Centre TSU Territorial Structural Unit LDCC Local Disease Control Centre VI Veterinary Inspector SAV State Authorised Veterinarian Competent Authorities The CCA for controls on animal health is the FVS. Within the FVS, all responsibilities for animal health fall under the VSD. 16

17 Official controls are carried out by veterinary inspectors working in the 27 TSU. State authorised veterinarians are contracted by the TSU to carry out certain functions in relation to animal infectious disease control plans, such as sample taking Holding registration, animal identification and movement controls The ADC is responsible for the production of ear tags and animal passports and their distribution to farmers. It also gathers and registers information concerning the identification and movement of bovines, sheep, goats, and pigs. ADC is also responsible for the registration of all animal holdings for relevant species in the central database. Bovine animals are identified with a unique identification number. The tagging takes place before the age of twenty days and a further seven days are allowed for notification. In case of re-tagging, the new tag is identical to the old one, but the event is registered in the database. Imported animals are re-tagged if the national requirements for tagging are not met. Pigs in commercial herds must be identified, normally by the herd number, at the latest when they leave the holding. A slap mark is accepted as identification for pigs sent to slaughterhouses. Sows and boars are individually identified with a tag bearing the herd number and an individual serial number. ADC maintains information on movement of pigs in the central database. Pigs that are not moved are not identified, although breeding animals are tagged. The identification system for herds of sheep and goats is similar to the system used for bovine animals. Herd registers are in place for all herds. Notification and control of animal movements is based on "movement declarations". Animal owners are responsible for movement notification. In addition, passports are mandatory for bovine and equine animals. The system requires both seller and buyer to notify movements to the database. The prescribed time period for notification of birth, death and movement of bovine animals is seven days. ADC sends a monthly information update to each TSU in relation to deficiencies in animal movements detected by the database. The TSU carry out inspections on the spot to monitor compliance with registration and identification regulations. Animal Health Controls A National Control Plan for Infectious Diseases of Animals is issued every year by the FVS, providing the estimated number of animals to be tested according to the current epidemiological situation. The plan is then adapted and implemented at regional level by the TSU. Under the Inspection Plan for Holdings of Productive Animals, a minimum of 15% of holdings are inspected each year. Depending on the potential impact on public and animal health, a repeat inspection is carried out in at least 50% of holdings where noncompliances are discovered during planned inspections. Selection of holdings for inspection is made on a risk analysis basis, using twenty risk factors. During an inspection, a veterinary inspector will cover all animal-related areas. 17

18 The TSU employ state authorised veterinarians to carry out testing on holdings. Samples are sent directly to the diagnostic laboratory, supported by documents automatically generated by the software system of the ADC central database of holdings and animals. Eradication programmes in Latvia have been in place for many years. While no cases of bovine tuberculosis (TB), bovine brucellosis or ovine brucellosis have been notified over a lengthy period, herds have not been declared officially free. TB and Bovine brucellosis All animals over 6 months of age for TB and over 24 months of age for brucellosis must be tested annually in 20% of bovine holdings. The holdings to be tested are selected by the TSU according to criteria set out in the national guidelines and taking into account that over a five year period all holdings in the region must be tested. Enzootic Bovine Leucosis (EBL) All bovine animals from 24 months old have to be tested in all holdings without EBL officially free status and in one third of holdings with EBL officially free status. Animals found positive are slaughtered. As at the end of March 2008, almost 90% of the cattle holdings were free from EBL. The EBL monitoring programme is due to end in Classical Swine Fever (CSF) A control plan is in place for domestic pigs and wild boars. The number of animals to be tested per year is established in the national control plan and implemented by the TSU. Rabies The State Forest Service (SFS) under MA deals with the evaluation of the wildlife population and organisation of hunting, including the issue of hunting licences. The current eradication strategy (based on oral vaccination of wildlife twice a year) applies nationwide, and is complemented by manual distribution close to or in urban areas. Other New surveillance programmes for chronic wasting disease for cervidae and salmonella in slaughter pigs were introduced in 2006/2007. Contingency Plans (CP) CP prepared by the national authorities for FMD, CSF, AI and ND have been approved by Commission Decisions. CP have also been prepared for Blue Tongue, African Horse Sickness and Swine Vesicular Disease. All these CP are implemented by TSU and updated with relevant local information as necessary. The CP for CSF, FMD, AI and ND are based on a national template comprising three sections: a general part detailing the structure and organisation of all the bodies involved, as well as contact lists of persons and institutions involved in outbreaks at regional and district level, and lists of equipment; a manual, which provides instructions on notification of diseases, the forms to be used and guidelines on disinfection and humane killing; and a disease specific part. 18

19 The National Disease Control Centre (NDCC) is located at the central office of the FVS and is chaired by the CVO, who decides on disease eradication measures, co-ordination of activities and establishment of protection and surveillance zones. A Local Disease Control Centre (LDCC) is located at each TSU and is chaired by the TSU Head or Deputy Head, whichever is the senior veterinary inspector. The LDCC is responsible for notification of outbreaks, organisation of sampling, epidemiological investigations and restriction on holdings. The BCM is responsible for the operational management of major emergency situations at national level. Laboratories The NDC leads a network of nine regional laboratories involved in animal health tasks and is the only institution authorised to examine former list A infectious animal diseases. Serological and virological tests are carried out in compliance with the relevant Office International des Epizooties (O.I.E.) standards. 19

20 2.2. Control system for food of animal origin MA (VFD) FVS QAD Policy, legislation, approval of control plan FVS Database Control plan FVS (FSD) Coordination of control plan FC Maintenance of CDB, processing results of controls internal audit NDC Policy implementation, co-ordination, supervision, planning, reporting, approval/registration of establishments Analysis/results TSU Implementation of controls, sample taking, reporting FI Supervise Contracted SAV Control Control ante/post mortem Food establishments Slaughterhouses MA VFD FVS FSD QAD FC NDC TSU FI SAV Ministry of Agriculture Veterinary and Departments Food and Veterinary Service Food Surveillance Department Quality Audit Division Food Council National Diagnostic Centre Territorial Structural Unit Food Inspector State Authorised Veterinarian Competent Authorities The CCA for controls on food of animal origin is the FVS. Within the FVS, all responsibilities for controls on food of animal origin fall under the FSD. Official food control is regulated by the Law on Veterinary Medicine and the Law on Supervision of Handling of Food. 20

21 Official controls are carried out by food inspectors and state authorised veterinarians working in the TSU, in accordance with the relevant national legislation and the approved control plan. Registration and approval of establishments This is organised by the Division of Approval and Registration of Establishments. Approvals are given by the food inspectors from FVS Central Office and TSU. Registration of establishments This is covered by FVS procedure No KR.10.P.001 Registration of food establishments. An application is sent by the Food Business Operator (FBO) to the FVS, which takes a decision for registration, records the decision in the FVS central database and issues the registration certificate. Approval of establishments The FVS procedures which regulate the approval of establishments include: No KR.10.P.130 Approval of operations of registered food establishments, for re-approval of previously approved establishments; No KR.10.P.138 Approval of operations of newly opened food establishments ; No KR.10.P.162 on establishments under veterinary surveillance; and No KR.10.P.142 on feed establishments. An application is sent by the FBO to the FVS. A team of FVS specialists from regions other than where the establishment is located carries out an evaluation of the establishment. A draft decision on the approval of the establishment is prepared by the FVS Central Office and the decision is made by Director-General. The database is updated and an approval certificate issued. Lists of approved establishments are available on the FVS website. Official controls and inspections of establishments The FVS prepares an annual control plan for all the establishments under its responsibility, covering: establishments producing food of animal origin; warehouses; open markets; and establishments producing food of non-animal origin. This control plan includes, inter alia: reference to the legal basis for inspection activities; guidance on the frequency of controls; action to take in cases of non-compliance; resources available; sampling methods; the laboratory control programme; and results of the previous year's controls. The annual control plan is transmitted to MA for approval, after evaluation by the FC. Some scope is allowed in the control plan to cover unforeseen events. Under Articles 22 and 23 of the Law on Supervision of Handling of Food, the functions of food inspectors cover, inter alia: control of food establishments, including suspension of operations or distribution of food; HACCP controls; foodstuffs labelling controls; and imposition of sanctions, as appropriate. Food inspectors also carry out supervision and control in slaughterhouses and cutting plants at a frequency set in FVS regulations, which is currently once per quarter. State authorised veterinarians work mainly in slaughterhouses and cutting plants, on a permanent basis. Their controls cover: ante- and post-mortem; animal welfare; Trichinella; hygiene of premises, equipment, personnel; and transport to slaughterhouse. They certify the use of meat for human consumption and apply the meat health mark. 21

22 Detailed, standardised checklists have been developed to facilitate the performance and consistency of official controls. A report must be prepared after each inspection and the relevant data introduced within five days to the central database, including corrective actions specifying deadlines where appropriate. The database is accessible at regional and central level. Results of inspections of establishments are summarised in monthly reports at regional and central levels. Supervision of the performance of food inspectors and state authorised veterinarians is carried out in accordance with the FVS procedure Control of professional operation of inspectors of TSU (No KR.02.P.002). Official controls on identification mark and traceability A central database for all holdings of cattle, sheep, goat, pigs and poultry is in place. The traceability system also consists of records, farm registers and movement documents. Geographical co-ordinates are assigned to holdings. FVS can trace fishery products back from the retail level to the individual fishing vessel, while the link to the catch area is available in the Integrated Control and Information System (ICIS) database. All fresh and frozen fish is labelled in retail outlets. 22

23 2.3. Control system for imports of animals and food of animal origin SBI Sanitary Border Inspection QMD Quality Management Division MA Ministry of Agriculture VFD Veterinary and Food Departments FVS Food and Veterinary Service VJ Veterinary Jurisdiction VBCD Veterinary Border Control Division NDC National Diagnostic Centre BIP Border Inspection Post Competent Authorities The CCA for import controls of animals and food of animal origin is the SBI. The FVS has overall responsibility for co-ordinating the activities of the SBI and for compiling annual data on import controls. The head of the SBI is responsible for approving the annual sampling plans, which are drafted by the SBI, along with MA, FVS and SPPS. Under a BIP supervisory plan, two regular inspections of each one are carried out annually by SBI central authorities. Internal audits are carried out by the QMD of SBI. At SBI central level, the Deputy Head of Veterinary Jurisdiction (VJ) together with Veterinary Border Control Division (VBCD) have responsibility for organising and co- 23

24 ordinating the official control activities at the points of entry and for implementing Commission Decisions applicable to imports. They are assisted by a number of other units, notably the Risk Management Division. Two full time veterinarians are responsible for BIP and import / transit matters at central level. The SBI is responsible for approval and supervision of customs warehouses, free warehouses or warehouses in the free zone approved under Art. 12(4) of Directive 97/78/EC, as well as ship suppliers authorised under Art. 13 of this Directive. Internal communication is assured through monthly meetings of inspectors in each BIP and between Heads of BIP and the central authorities. Customs do not play an active role in food control, but are responsible for final release of the imported consignments onto the market. Co-operation agreements exist at central and local level between SBI and Customs and inter-service meetings are organised. At central level, agreements on co-operation have been updated in relation to technology and information exchange. An agreement between SBI and the central Customs office signed on 30 August 2007 gives SBI access to the Customs database. This will in due course allow SBI to identify consignments using both Customs and the CVED codes. At present, it is only possible to select consignments manually and by customs code or vehicle registration number. It is expected to have automatic selection for all codes when the testing phase is completed, by the end of Port BIP staff have access to the Port Authorities information system, which contains general information, such as arrival date, time, ship name and the area in the port. Import controls Details of listed BIP can be found in Commission Decision 2008/387/EC of 30 April 2008 (Official Journal of the European Communities L 136 of 24 May 2008) at: The system for identification and selection of the consignments relies upon the person responsible for the load, the forwarding agent, or the individual customs officer. The Veterinary Border Control Manual which lists all the checking procedures and duties of border veterinarians. It is part of the SBI quality assurance system. Brochures and information concerning the private importation of pets and foodstuffs into Latvia from third countries are available to the public on the internet. 24

25 2.4. Control system for feedingstuff and animal nutrition FVS QAD MA (VD) Policy, legislation internal audit FVS (VSD/AFSD) FVS (SBI) NDC Policy implementation Control and Sampling Plan, supervision, reporting, approval/registration of E/I Co-ordination, supervision Analysis / Results TSU BIP Implementation of controls, sample taking, reporting Implementation of controls, sample taking, reporting Implementation of controls, sample taking, reporting Establishments / Intermediaries Holdings Imports FVS Food and Veterinary Service QAD Quality Audit Division MA Ministry of Agriculture VFD Veterinary and Food Departments FVS Food and Veterinary Service VSD Veterinary Surveillance Department AFSD Animal Feed Surveillance Division SBI Sanitary Border Inspection NDC National Diagnostic Centre TSU Territorial Structural Unit BIP Border Inspection Post 25

26 Competent Authorities The CCA for controls on feedingstuffs is the FVS. The Animal Feed Surveillance Division (AFSD) of the VSD has overall responsibility. At regional level, a designated inspector is nominated by the Head of the TSU as the contact point for matters relating to feedingstuffs. Detailed information and instructions from the FVS to TSU are given by written procedures and by orders of the CVO. In addition, there is regular consultation with experts from the FVS Central Office and monthly meetings are organised for Heads of the TSU. The SBI is responsible for implementing the national rules on import controls and for supervising the import of feedingstuffs. Registration and approval of establishments and intermediaries The procedure for registration and approval of establishments and intermediaries is laid down in Cabinet of Ministers Regulation No 557 of 14 August 2007, which implements Regulation (EC) No. 183/2005. They are inspected by a TSU inspector in the case of registrations and by a specialist of FVS Animal Feed Surveillance Division in the case of approvals. Most of the establishments already approved or registered under Directive 95/68/EC have been re-approved or re-registered. Comprehensive guidelines and checklists for registration and approval and for control of establishments and intermediaries are in place. A list of officially approved and registered establishments and intermediaries is maintained by the ADC and published on the official FVS website. Official controls An inspection plan is drawn up by the VSD. It establishes the minimum frequency of visits for each group or type of establishments, based on risk analysis, and leaves scope for adjusting the frequency based on the veterinary inspector's opinion, experience, or specific targeted situations. During on-farm inspections, other topics are checked, such as the use of veterinary drugs, animal identification, herd registration, animal welfare and health. The control plan covers the feed ban and checks on undesirable substances, unauthorised antibiotics, feed quality aspects and GMO. For each type of operator inspected, a specific checklist has to be completed. A separate programme for sampling is designed at national level, setting out a monthly calendar for each TSU with the type and number of samples to take. It takes into account the type of establishments in the TSU and previous results obtained, and allows for additional sampling in suspect cases or following RASFF notifications. Laboratory testing is provided by the NDC. Where it does not have sufficient capacity, testing is carried out in accredited laboratories in other Member States. TSU report monthly to the FVS Central Office on the implementation of the sampling plan and the inspections. All consignments of imported feedingstuffs are entered in a database SR-Doc. The CCA has access to the relevant data on arriving consignments. The SBI performs all checks provided for in article 5 of Directive 95/53/EC. 26