Name 7 organisations within government that deal with food, animal health and animal welfare.
- Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
- DAERA NI (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)
- Food Standards Agency (England and Wales)
- Food Standards Scotland
- DARD (Department for Agriculture and Rural Development)
- Meat Hygiene Service – now privatised
- Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency – now Animal and Plant Health Agency
Name 5 intergovernmental organisations.
- European union
- World health organisation of the united nations
- Food and agriculture organisation of the united nations
- World organisation for animal health
- World trade organisation
What is the common agricultural policy?
- Increase productivity by technical progress and optimum use of factors of production.
- Ensure fair standard of living for agricultural communities in member states
- Stabilise markets
- Secure availability of supplies
- Provide food at reasonable prices
How is common agricultural policy carried out?
- Import levies from outside the EU
- Import quotas from outside EU
- Internal intervention price
- Direct subsidies:
• Variable between member states
• Dependent on acreage production system and type of land - Production quotas and set aside payments
What are the 3 types of European legislation?
- EU directives – implementation by all member states with scope for national variation, less used now than regulations
- EU regulations – executed to the letter by all member states
- EU decisions – binding to the letter for all member states on specific subjects: rulings on proposed mergers or setting standard prices for vegetables
Distinguish vertical and horizontal legislation.
Vertical legislation – Specifies sector and product
Horizontal legislation – Specifies common aspects through sectors
List the areas covered in European legislation.
- Trade in live animals, animal products and live animal products (semen, ova, breeding eggs)
- Animal identification and registration
- Animal disease control and eradication
- Animal welfare during transport
- Animal welfare during slaughter
- Animal welfare on farm
- Food hygiene and safety
What is EFSA and their responsibilities?
European Food Safety Authority
- Risk Assessment and risk Communication
- Openness and transparency: Risk Management is task of European Commission
- Food Standards Agency and health Protection Agency
What is FVO and their responsibilities?
Food and veterinary office (FVO) of European commission:
- Check compliance: food safety and quality, animal health and welfare, plant health legislation, EU import requirements
- Contribute to development of food safety, animal health and welfare and plant health policy, development and implementation of effective control systems
- Inform stakeholders of outcome of audits and inspections e.g. Third Countries
What is the worst case scenario of Brexit?
- No customs union, trading as a ‘Third Country’ with EU member states: much more difficult to trade effectively due to significant import tariffs on products, and much more red tape (5000% increase)
- Trading with rest of world as ‘Third Country’ rather than as EU: will have to negotiate separate trade deals with all countries, mostly going to be same as EU agreement now or worse.
- No free movement of people (workforce issues) unless on the shortage occupation list
What is INFOSAN and their responsibilities?
International Food Safety Authorities Network:
- Exchanging routine information
- Sharing experiences
- Rapid access to information in case of food safety emergencies
What is GLEWS?
GLEWS = global early warning systems for animal and zoonotic diseases.
- Coordinate their surveillance and monitoring activities
- Coordinate responses and use of resources
Where do veterinarians fit in?
Veterinarians in all sectors: • General practitioners • Official veterinarians • Civil servants • Industry vets
Conduit and filter for implementation of legislation application of principles and guidance created by global policy pf OIE, EU, WTO, etc. none of it functions without vets.
What is the Animal (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986?
- Replaced and repealed the 1876 Cruelty to Animals Act (there were only 3 prosecutions under this act, last in 1913, none successful)
- Implements EU directive 2010/63/EU (legislation on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes)
- Protects animals used for scientific purposes and the scientist (can allow procedures that would otherwise be illegal under the Animal Welfare Act 2006).
What needed a Home Office Project Licence?
- Research carried out on protected animals
- Any living vertebrate other than man and any living cephalopod, with arguments for decapods to now be included.
- Embryonic and foetal forms of mammals, birds and reptiles are protected during the last third of their gestation/incubation period.
- Fish and amphibia are protected once they can feed independently and cephalopods when they hatch.
What is enforced about animal procedures?
“Any procedure applied toa protected animal for a qualifying purpose which may have the effect of causing teh animal a level of pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm, equivalent to or high than the introduction of a needle in accordance with good veterinary practice.”
What qualifying purposes can research be carried out under?
- An experimental or other scientific purpose, including basic, translational and applied research.
- It is applied for an educational purpose, including higher education and training of vocational skills.
- This excludes recognised veterinary, agricultural or animal husbandry practice, and certain forms of marking and killing (termed schedule 1 killing).
