Ref. Ares(2020)1096584 - 20/02/2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1 SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................2 1 ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS OF REGULATION (EU) 2017/625...........................................3 Designation of competent authorities ..........................................................................3 Organisation and implementation of official controls ...............................................15 Enforcement measures...............................................................................................17 Verification and review of official controls and procedures .....................................17 Multi-annual National Control Plan (MANCP).........................................................19 2. COMPETENT AUTHORITIES AND DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES IN RELATION TO INDIVIDUAL CONTROL SYSTEMS .................................................................................................................21 2.1 Control system for animal health.....................................................................21 2.2. Control system for food of animal origin ........................................................27 2.3 Control system for imports of animals and food of animal origin...................30 2.4 Control system for feedingstuffs and animal nutrition ....................................33 2.5 Control system for TSE, Animal By-Products (ABP) and feed ban................36 2.6 Control system for veterinary medicines and residues ....................................40 2.7 Control system for general food hygiene.........................................................43 2.8 Control system for imports of food of plant origin..........................................46 2.9 Control system for plant protection products (PPP) and residues ...................48 2.10 Control system for animal welfare...................................................................52 2.11 Control system for plant health........................................................................54 2.12 Control system for quality labelling ................................................................59 ANNEX I – ACRONYMS, ABBREVIATIONS AND SPECIAL TERMS .....................64 i DG(SANTE) 2019-6840 Version January 2020 INTRODUCTION This overview has been drawn up by the Health and Food Audits and Analysis (HFAA), a Directorate of the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety of the European Commission based on information supplied by Estonia. The aim is to present, in summary form, the latest information on how control systems for food and feed safety, animal health, animal welfare, animal by-products, plant health, plant protection products, organic agriculture and quality labelling are organised in Estonia. Chapter 1 describes the overall organisation of the Estonian authorities and the respective responsibilities of the ministries and government agencies in relation to the different components of the control system. A chart is used to help the reader better understand the inter-relationships between the responsibilities of the different bodies. Chapter 2 gives a more detailed description of the main responsibilities for each of the eleven separate systems that form the complete range of control systems in Estonia, covering the whole chain of plant, animal and food production. As in Chapter 1, organisation charts are used to help the reader. This overview has been updated during general follow-up desk audit in December 2019 and will be updated at regular intervals based on relevant information received by the Commission from the Estonian authorities. Acronyms are used extensively throughout this overview for the sake of brevity. A list of acronyms, abbreviations and special terms is given in Annex I as a guide for the reader. 1 DG(SANTE) 2019-6840 Version January 2020 SUMMARY The Veterinary and Food Board (VFB), under the aegis of the Ministry of Rural Affairs (MRA), is responsible for official controls in the majority of sectors. The Agricultural Board (AB) under the aegis of the MRA is responsible for plant health, plant protection products and organic farming. The Health Board (HB) has responsibility for drinking water safety, including natural mineral water, surveillance and control of communicable disease and health related events preparedness. The Environmental Board (EB), Environmental Inspection (EI) and Environmental Agency (EA) under the aegis of the Ministry of Environment (ME) are involved in plant health surveys and controls of forestry pests and eradication measures. Estonia has four levels of administration for food, feed, animal health and welfare, animal by- products, plant health, plant protection products and quality labelling controls. These levels are the Ministries, central administrative bodies or agencies, the regional/county levels and the districts/establishment/farm level. It is the responsibility of the Ministries to develop legislation. Central administrations are in charge of planning, co-ordination, and implementation of controls through the regional/county level structures. The latest version of the Estonian Multi-Annual National Control Plan (MANCP) covers the period 2019-2022. The MANCP and the Annual Reports on the implementation of the MANCP are available on the VFB website: https://vet.agri.ee/et/kontakt-ametist/kontaktid/mitmeaastane-kontrollikava. 2 DG(SANTE) 2019-6840 Version January 2020 1 ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS OF REGULATION (EU) 2017/625 Designation of competent authorities In Estonia, executive power functions are divided into areas of government managed by Ministries. The Government of the Republic, comprising the Prime Minister and 14 Ministers, exercises executive power either directly or through government agencies. Estonia has four levels of administration for food, feed, animal health and welfare and plant health controls. These levels are Ministries, central administrative bodies or agencies, the regional/county levels and the districts/establishment/farm level. It is the responsibility of the Ministries to develop the legislation. Central administrations of competent authorities are in charge of planning, co-ordination, and implementation of controls through the regional/county level structures. The MRA has the main responsibility for legislation and policies regarding the food and feed chain, plant health and plant protection products. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications (MEA), Ministry of Environment (ME) and Ministry of Finance (MF) are also involved according to their areas of responsibility. The VFB of the MRA is responsible for official control of all food (including processing, wholesale, storage, retail and catering businesses), quality labelling, animal health and welfare, animal by-products and feed. The AB of the MRA is responsible for plant health surveys and controls, authorisation and control of marketing and use of plant protection products and equipment, as well as approval and control of organic farming for organic production and certification. The EB and EA of the ME are involved in official control of forestry pests for AB. The EI of the ME is responsible for implementing the eradication measures in forests. Organigram of Main Ministries and Implementing Bodies dealing with Food, Feed, Animal Health and Welfare and Plant Health Controls Government of Estonia Ministry of Ministry of Ministry of the Ministry of Ministry Ministry Rural Affairs Social Environment Economic of Finance of the Affairs Affairs and Interior Communica- Environmental tions Board Agricultural Health Tax and Police and Board Board Environmental Consumer Customs Border Inspection Protection Board Guard Board Veterinary and State Agency and Food Board of Medicines Environmental Technical Agency Regulatory Authority 3 DG(SANTE) 2019-6840 Version January 2020 Ministry of Rural Affairs The Ministry establishes the conditions for the sustainable and diverse development of Estonian rural areas, agriculture, and the fishing industry, to ensure the safety of food and feed, and a high level of animal health and welfare, plant health and protection on usage of plant protection products. The MRA is responsible for creating Estonian national agricultural policy by drafting development plans, strategies and legislative acts, and co-ordinating the financing, strategies and legislation. The responsible departments of the MRA in the areas of animal health and welfare, food and feed, animal by-products, quality labelling, plant health and plant protection products are Food Safety Department (FSD), Agricultural Policy Department (APD) and Plant Health Department. The FSD is responsible for drafting legislation and setting policy for implementing measures in the fields of food safety, feed safety, animal health, animal welfare and farm animal breeding. Additionally, the MRA is responsible for the communication related to the international food standards programme Codex Alimentarius in Estonia and co-ordinates co- operation with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Commission and the food supervisory authority of the Member States of the European Union. The FSD has 3 offices: General Food Law Office which drafts general legislation for food safety, as legislation for