Law No.8 of 1998 on Animal Health Protection.

This Law consisting of 31 articles divided in VI chapters aims at protecting livestock health and, consequently, the health of the population. It provides for: cooperation between Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Local Government to take health measures for animal welfare; measures and procedures for owners, veterinary directors, physicians and veterinary offices in the case of sick animals or suspected of having a disease. The Law also establishes measures for the discharge of the bodies or the remains of animals or sewage from stables; rules for health inspections; cases for which are expected or not compensation in case of death or illness of livestock; the value of these compensations (treatment costs are paid by the Ministry) according to the tables drawn up by a commission established by the Minister of Agriculture. Furthermore the Minister or the competent Director with the consent of the Minister has the power of announcing infected areas and disease control zones and the Law specifies procedures for declaration, revocation and measures to be taken in case of infected areas.
To protect human health from any diseases transmitted through food from animals (i) article 11 provides that the competent physician may order prohibiting the sale, transfer or circulation of any products of an infected or suspected animal; (ii) article 24 establishes that the competent veterinarian may order a ban on slaughtering sick animals or animals suspected of being infected with a disease, as well as banning their consumption and the transfer or sale of their meat or products except with written permission from the competent director.
The VI Chapters of this Law are entitled as follows: Definitions (I); Disease Control and Regulation (II); Compensation for destroyed animals (III); Announcement of affected areas (IV); Sanctions (V); General Provisions (VI).