1st GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON VETERINARY LEGISLATION“Modernising veterinary legislation for good governance”

DJERBA, Tunisia, 7-9 December 2010

THE EU VETERINARY LEGISLATION

Dr Alberto Laddomada

Head of Unit – Animal HealthDG Health and Consumers, European Commission

The European Union

27 Member Statesover 4 million km²500 million citizens23 official languages

All the MSs have had a veterinary legislation for a long time, and their own organisation

The European Union

Internal trade Animal production First world importerHigh health statusEnlargement

The configuration of the EU led to progressive and targeted harmonisation of the veterinary legislations

A Single Market for goods (1993)

Free movement of goods, which may be restricted only in exceptional cases (e.g. animal or public health, environment, or consumer protection risks)Once allowed into the EU, goods including live animals and animal products can be traded in any Member StatesNeed for a fully harmonised legislation in animal and veterinary public health

Types of legislation

Treaty: basis for rest of EU legislation

Regulation: directly applicable by Member

States Competent Authorities

Directive: needs transposition into national

legislation

Decision: directly applicable for addressee -

administration, institution, private body

EU legal support - Harmonised legislation

“HORIZONTAL” LEGISLATION Veterinary checks in EU trade Veterinary certification for EU trade

and export Identification/registration of holdings

and animals Imports – BIP (border inspection

posts) Bilateral vet agreements with some

third countries

EU legal support - Harmonised legislation

“VERTICAL” LEGISLATION Harmonised veterinary public health

standards Harmonised approach to the

control/eradication of major animal diseases including zoonoses

Financial support to MS to ensure/improve animal health

Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health: all Member States represented

Major role in AH/PHcrisis management

(In case of emergenciesthe Commission may adopt interim measureswithout the need of a prior SCoFCAH opinion)Rapid decision making process

Example of legal architecture The Food law

• Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 = Basic law to create a general frame for global consistency and for general requirements

• Reg852/2004 - Hygiene of foodstuffs, Reg853/2004 - Hygiene for foods of animal origin

• Reg882/2004 – General rules Official controls Reg854/2004 – Specific rules Official controls

Treaty of LisbonEntry into force on 1 December 2009New distinction of secondary acts, for new basic acts or if basic acts are amended“Delegated Acts” – Article 290

Amending non essential elements of basic acts: the European Commission decides alone, after consultation of an expert group

“Implementing Acts” – Article 291For uniform rules of implementation of basic or delegated acts: the SCOFCAH is still used for decision making as the voice of the EU Member States

The future legal architecture The Animal Health law

• The main instrument to achieve the objectives of the Animal Health Strategy

• Replace the existing complex set of related acts by a single, simple and coherent legal framework

The future legal architecture The Animal Health law

• A general frame for global consistency and for general requirements gradually supplemented by a number of delegated and/or implementing acts

• Will be developed under the new Lisbon Treaty legal framework

The future legal architecture The Animal Health law

• Simplify, clarify, more coherence, suppress duplication and grey areas

• More consultation, more accessibility, more responsibility

• Less administrative burden and compliance costs

• Based on the animal health strategy: prevention, flexibility, compatibility with OIE Standards

Animal Health Law specific objectives – simplification

General issues:General issues:x x duplication

xx “grey areas”

<< administrative burdens, administrative and compliance costs

> > OIE convergence

Animal Health Law specific objectives – simplification

Specific issues:Identification and registration of animalsAnimal health conditions related to importsDefinition of epidemiological unit and holding

Animal Health Law specific objectives –prevention

Increased focus on prevention Biosecurity Surveillance system

Principles of early detection and notification system Links between preventive approaches, such as surveillance and biosecurity

Surveillance network (fully functional services in line with the OIE standards, expertise incl. labs, institutions)

Animal Health Law specific objectives –prevention

Responsibilities of different actors (keepers, operators, competent authorities)Disease control rules and their relation to trade

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_consumer/index_en.htm

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