Veterinary Act.

This Act provides for the protection of animal health, regulates public veterinary activities, improvement of animal reproduction, related environmental provisions, the principles of veterinary control and certain other issues related to veterinary practice. The 154 sections of the new Act are divided into 9 chapters: General provisions (1); Animal health and protection (2); Animal health prevention in production and trade (3); Veterinary protection of animals' well-being (4); Administrative provisions (5); Costs and fees (6); Inspection and control (7); Offences and penalties (8); Transitional and final provisions (9).
Part 1 sets out general provisions including definitions of animals, animal products, foodstuffs of animal origin, fish health protection, slaughterhouses, epizootic areas, animal health protection, the veterinary service etc. Part 2 deals with the protection of animal and fish health and lists the animal/fish diseases which should be reported to the competent authorities by a veterinarian. It also deals with quarantine conditions, safety measures regarding diseased animals, vaccination, animal testing and marking, transportation of animals, keeping of animals, aquaculture, rules for exhibitions, destruction of animal carcasses and by-products. The Act establishes duties of animal owners and prescribes further rules for the prevention of animal disease. There are also provisions, contained in the third Part, on inspection of animal/fish health and foodstuffs of animal origin destined for internal trade, as well as on imports. The remaining provisions regulate duties and powers of the Croatian Veterinary Chamber and other competent veterinary authorities. The system of veterinary inspection and control is divided between the national veterinary inspector, border inspectors, municipal-level inspectors and authorized inspectors. The supervision of this Act lies with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.