Veterinary Protection Act.

The present Act focuses on municipal and private veterinary protection and related supervision and management. The following Acts are also applicable: (a) The Animal Diseases Act (55/1980); (b) The Animal Protection Act (91/1971); (c) The Meat Inspection Act (160/1960); and (d) The Milk Control Act (558/1946).
Veterinary protection is defined as animal health and disease care, including veterinary aid, meat inspection, milk control, checking and supervision of hygienic conditions of primary production of foodstuffs and keeping of animals, fighting and prevention of animal diseases and animal protection (General Provisions, chapter 1). Supervision of veterinary protection and planning is the duty of each County Council for its respective area. General supervision and planning duties lie with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, to which the County Councils are subordinated. If not otherwise decided by the municipality, implementation and administration of municipal veterinary protection is carried out by the Public Health Protection Council (Administration, chapter 20). The municipality shall: (a) organize a basic veterinary service and health care for livestock; (b) arrange for and supervise hygienic conditions in primary animal foodstuffs production and animal keeping in order to fight the spreading of infections; (c) carry out municipal meat inspection and milk control.
A municipality may have various veterinary services and several municipalities may operate a common veterinary service. A private veterinarian may not perform tasks resulting from the Act relating to Animal Diseases and Municipal Veterinary Protection. Sections 13 to 16 contain provisions concerning fees and remuneration, State financial participation in social and health care and compensation by municipalities of certain veterinary aid costs of livestock owners (Municipal Veterinary Protection, chapter 3). A privately organized veterinary service shall give notice to the local Public Health Council and County Council before commencing a practice. Each private practice shall be managed by a person admitted to the Finnish veterinary profession. Furthermore, the Act sets out, in very general terms, the requirements for practice rooms and equipment. In case of inadequacy or mismanagement, the activities of a private veterinary service may be suspended by the Veterinary Office of the Ministry (Private Veterinary Protection, chapter 4).
The Ministry and County Councils may issue further directives and instructions concerning matters other than municipal veterinary protection. The Veterinary Office of the Ministry may delegate tasks to municipal veterinary services. Municipalities may conclude an agreement with the Veterinary College on instruction of municipal veterinaries. The Ministry may transfer certain of its veterinary protection duties or its Veterinary Office to the County Councils (Special Provisions, chapter 5).