VETERINARY SERVICES

The Veterinary Services are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment and are operating in two administrative levels. The Central Level and a Regional Level.

The Central Administrative Level is organized in two Divisions, the Animal Health and Welfare Division and the Veterinary Public Health Division, in the Veterinary Laboratories Sector and the Veterinary Medicinal Products Sector. All of them as well as the District Veterinary Officers operate under the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO).

For the time being the following staff is serving at the Veterinary Services:

71 Veterinary Officers
11 Veterinary Pharmacists
127 Veterinary Inspectors - Veterinary Assistants - Vet Clerks
29 Accounting and Clerical Staff
78 Auxiliary Staff



Veterinary Public Health Division

The Department of Veterinary Services is the Competent Authority for the Control of Food of Animal Origin and their establishments (with the exception of ice-cream and honey).

The Veterinary Public Health Division within the framework of the above competencies undertakes the following responsibilities:

• The approval and control of establishments producing food of animal origin
• The control of production, transportation , storing and placing in the market of products of animal origin
• The control of the intra-community trade
• The issuing of veterinary health certificates for exportation to third countries of foods of animal origin
• The formulation and implementation of the National Residues Monitoring program

• To prevent the introduction and spread of animal diseases into the country
• To carry out preventive and epidemiological surveillance programmes such as bovine tuberculosis, enzootic bovine leucosis etc
• To plan and implement disease control and eradication programmes such as for brucellosis, TSEs, echinococcosis, salmonellosis, etc
• To design and implement the Contingency Plans for contagious diseases
• To run and maintain the database for the identification of bovines, small ruminants, pigs and dogs
• To implement the relevant legislation of animal welfare
• To run the administration of the two Border Inspection Posts at Larnaca Airport and Limassol port

• Diagnostic and Research Labs for animal diseases

Undertaking all the necessary laboratory examinations related with the investigation and diagnosis of animal diseases. They are subdivided in :

• Virology laboratory
• Microbiology laboratory
• Laboratory for Pathological Anatomy and Parasitology
• Histopathology Laboratory

• Diagnostic and Research Labs for food products of animal origin

Undertaking all the necessary laboratory examinations related with the investigation and diagnosis of food borne diseases.

• Registration
• Control and Inspection
• Regulatory affairs
• Pharmacovigilance
• Supply and Distribution
• Co-operation and Training