CHAPTER IV: PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

The competent authority may appoint only veterinarians who have passed a test meeting the requirements of paragraph 2 as official veterinarians. The competent authority must make arrangements for the test. The test is to confirm knowledge of the following subjects to the extent necessary depending on the veterinarian's background and qualifications: national and Community legislation on veterinary public health, food safety, animal health, animal welfare and pharmaceutical substances; principles of the Common Agricultural Policy, market measures, export refunds and fraud detection (including the global context: WTO, SPS, Codex Alimentarius, OIE); (c essentials of food processing and food technology; principles, concepts and methods of good manufacturing practice and quality management; pre-harvest quality management (good farming practices); promotion and use of food hygiene, food related safety (good hygiene practices); principles, concepts and methods of risk-analysis; principles, concepts and methods of HACCP, use of HACCP throughout the food production food chain; prevention and control of food-borne hazards related to human health; population dynamics of infection and intoxication; diagnostic epidemiology; monitoring and surveillance systems; auditing and regulatory assessment of food safety management systems; principles and diagnostic applications of modern testing methods; information and communication technology as related to veterinary public health; data-handling and applications of biostatistics; investigations of outbreaks of food-borne diseases in humans; relevant aspects concerning TSEs; animal welfare at the level of production, transport and slaughter; environmental issues related to food production (including waste management); precautionary principle and consumer concerns; and principles of training of personnel working in the production chain. Candidates may acquire the required knowledge as part of their basic veterinary training, or through training undertaken, or professional experience acquired, after qualifying as veterinarians. The competent authority may arrange for different tests to take account of candidates' background. However, when the competent authority is satisfied that a candidate has acquired all the required knowledge as part of a university degree, or through continuing education resulting in a post-graduate qualification, it may waive the requirement for a test. The veterinarian is to have aptitude for multidisciplinary cooperation. In addition, each official veterinarian is to undergo practical training for a probationary period of at least 200 hours before starting to work independently. During this period the probationer is to work under the supervision of existing official veterinarians in slaughterhouses, cutting plants, inspection posts for fresh meat and on holdings. The training is to concern the auditing of food safety management systems in particular. The official veterinarian is to maintain up-to-date knowledge and to keep abreast of new developments through regular continuing education activities and professional literature. The official veterinarian is, wherever possible, to undertake annual continuing education activities. Veterinarians already appointed as official veterinarians must have adequate knowledge of the subjects mentioned in paragraph 2. Where necessary, they are to acquire this knowledge through continuing education activities. The competent authority is to make adequate provision in this regard. Notwithstanding paragraphs 1 to 6, Member States may lay down specific rules for official veterinarians working on a part-time basis who are responsible for inspecting small businesses The competent authority may appoint as official auxiliaries only persons who have undergone training and passed a test in accordance with the following requirements. The competent authority must make arrangements for such tests. To be eligible for these tests, candidates must prove that they have received: at least 500 hours of theoretical training and at least 400 hours of practical training, covering the areas specified in paragraph 5; and such additional training as is required to enable official auxiliaries to undertake their duties competently. The practical training referred to in paragraph 2(a) is to take place in slaughterhouses and cutting plants, under the supervision of an official veterinarian, and on holdings and in other relevant establishments. Training and tests are to concern principally red meat or poultry meat. However, persons who undergo training for one of the two categories and passed the test, need only undergo abridged training to pass the test for the other category. Training and test should cover wild game, farmed game and lagomorphs, where appropriate. Training for official auxiliaries is to cover, and tests are to confirm knowledge of, the following subjects: in relation to holdings: theoretical part: familiarity with the farming industry organisation, production methods, international trade etc., good livestock husbandry practices, basic knowledge of diseases, in particular zoonoses-viruses, bacteria, parasites etc., monitoring for disease, use of medicines and vaccines, residue testing, hygiene and health inspection, animal welfare on the farm and during transport, environmental requirements - in buildings, on farms and in general, relevant laws, regulations and administrative provisions, consumer concerns and quality control; practical part: visits to holdings of different types and using different rearing methods, visits to production establishments, observation of the loading and unloading of animals, laboratory demonstrations, veterinary checks, documentation; in relation to slaughterhouses and cutting plants: theoretical part: familiarity with the meat industry organisation, production methods, international trade and slaughter and cutting technology, basic knowledge of hygiene and good hygienic practices, and in particular industrial hygiene, slaughter, cutting and storage hygiene, hygiene of work, HACCP and the audit of HACCP-based procedures, animal welfare on unloading after transport and at the slaughterhouse, basic knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of slaughtered animals, basic knowledge of the pathology of slaughtered animals, basic knowledge of the pathological anatomy of slaughtered animals, relevant knowledge concerning TSEs and other important zoonoses and zoonotic agents, knowledge of methods and procedures for the slaughter, inspection, preparation, wrapping, packaging and transport of fresh meat, basic knowledge of microbiology, ante-mortem inspection, examination for trichinosis, post-mortem inspection, administrative tasks, knowledge of the relevant laws, regulations and administrative provisions, sampling procedure, fraud aspects; practical part: animal identification, age checks, inspection and assessment of slaughtered animals, post-mortem inspection in a slaughterhouse, examination for trichinosis, identification of animal species by examination of typical parts of the animal, identifying and commenting on parts of slaughtered animals in which changes have occurred, hygiene control, including the audit of the good hygiene practices and the HACCP-based procedures, recording the results of ante-mortem inspection, sampling, traceability of meat, documentation. Official auxiliaries are to maintain up-to-date knowledge and to keep abreast of new developments through regular continuing education activities and professional literature. The official auxiliary is, wherever possible, to undertake annual continuing education activities. Persons already appointed as official auxiliaries must have adequate knowledge of the subjects mentioned in paragraph 5. Where necessary, they are to acquire this knowledge through continuing education activities. The competent authority is to make adequate provision in this regard. However, when official auxiliaries carry out only sampling and analysis in connection with examinations for trichinosis, the competent authority need only ensure that they receive training appropriate to these tasks.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-04 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.