Section 3

In order to ensure that the competent authority for animal health has the capability to take the necessary and appropriate measures, and to carry out the activities, required by this Regulation, each Member State shall, at the appropriate administrative level, ensure that competent authority has: qualified personnel, facilities, equipment, financial resources and an effective organisation covering the whole territory of the Member State; access to laboratories with the qualified personnel, facilities, equipment and financial resources needed to ensure the rapid and accurate diagnosis and differential diagnosis of listed diseases and emerging diseases; sufficiently trained veterinarians involved in performing the activities referred to in Article 12. Member States shall encourage operators and animal professionals to acquire, maintain and develop the adequate knowledge of animal health provided for in Article 11 through relevant programmes in agricultural or aquaculture sectors or formal education. The competent authority may delegate one or more of the following activities to veterinarians other than official veterinarians: practical application of measures under the eradication programmes provided for in Article 32; supporting the competent authority in carrying out surveillance as provided for in Article 26 or in relation to surveillance programmes as provided for in Article 28; activities related to: disease awareness, preparedness and control as provided for in Part III, concerning: sampling activities and implementation of investigations and epidemiological enquiries within the framework of Article 54, points (b) to (g) of Article 55(1), and Articles 57, 73, 74, 79 and 80 in the event of the suspected presence of a disease, and any implementing and delegated acts adopted pursuant to those Articles; carrying out activities relating to disease control measures in the event of an outbreak of disease, as regards activities listed in Article 61, points (a), (b), (e), (f) and (i) of Article 65(1), Article 70(1), Articles 79 and 80, and Article 81(1) and (2), and any implementing and delegated acts adopted pursuant to those Articles; carrying out emergency vaccination in accordance with Article 69; registration, approval, traceability and movements as provided for in Part IV; issuing and completing the identification documents for pet animals as provided for in point (c) of Article 247, point (c) of Article 248(2), point (c) of Article 249(1) and point (c) of Article 250(2); the application and use of means of identification as referred to in point (a)(ii) of Article 252(1). Member States may provide for natural or legal persons to be authorised to perform activities referred to in points (a), (b) and (c)(i), (ii) and (iv) of paragraph 1 for specifically identified tasks for which those persons have sufficient specific knowledge. In that event, paragraph 1 of this Article and the responsibilities laid down in Article 12 shall apply to those persons. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 264 concerning other activities which may be delegated to veterinarians in addition to those provided for in paragraph 1, and, as appropriate, to prescribe the necessary circumstances and conditions for such delegation. The Commission shall take account of the nature of those activities and of relevant international standards when adopting those delegated acts. Where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that animals or products originating from within the Union or entering from outside the Union may present a risk, the competent authority shall take appropriate steps to inform the public of the nature of the risk and the measures which are taken or about to be taken to prevent or control that risk, taking into account the nature, seriousness and extent of that risk and the public interest in being informed.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-02 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.