LAW

 

OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA

 

Adopted on 21 June 2014

 

ON VETERINARY MEDICINE

 

CHAPTER 1

 

GENERAL PROVISIONS

 

Article 1.

Subject matter and scope of this Law

 

1. This Law shall regulate the relations pertaining to implementation and management of the veterinary medicine sector in the Republic of Armenia.

2. This Law shall extend to all entities involved in relations having arisen in the veterinary medicine sector, including persons performing activities in the veterinary medicine sector.

 

Article 2.

Veterinary medicine sector

 

1. The veterinary medicine sector shall cover the application of veterinary requirements targeted at:

(1) animal health protection and animal welfare;

(2) prevention and eradication of outbreaks of infectious animal diseases, infectious diseases common both to animals and human being, maintenance of a stable epizootic situation and safety;

(3) production, processing, storage, transportation, trade and (or) sales, import, export of animals, raw materials and products of animal origin;

(4) production, storage, transportation, trade and (or) sales, import, export of fertility and veterinary drugs;

(5) disposal and storage of animal by-products;

(6) veterinary activities, veterinary education and science, laboratory activities, veterinary-sanitary expert examination;

(7) protection of the environment from harmful effects arising from implementation of activities in the veterinary medicine sector.

2. The veterinary medicine sector shall also cover state veterinary control targeted at compliance with veterinary requirements.

3. Within the scope of state control, the provisions of the procedures for veterinary-sanitary expert examination established by the Government shall extend to the relations pertaining to state veterinary-sanitary expert examination conducted by the authorised body.

(Article 2 supplemented by HO-256-N of 8 December 2017, amended by HO-288-N of 23 March 2018)

 

Article 3.

Main concepts

 

1. The following main concepts shall be used in this Law:

(1) authorised body — Food Safety Inspection Body;

(2) veterinary medicine — prevention, diagnosis, treatment of animal diseases, measures aimed at their eradication, protection of animals and animal welfare, control over the production, processing, transportation, sales of products and raw materials of animal origin, over the production of veterinary drugs and veterinary supplies, feed, feed additives, their import and export, protection of the territory of the Republic of Armenia from the penetration of infectious animal diseases;

(3) veterinary activities — professional activities of natural and legal persons targeted at the prevention, diagnosis, treatment of animal diseases, diseases common both to animals and human being, protection of animal health and welfare, prevention and eradication of epizootic situations, production of safe raw materials, animal products and animal by-products;

(4) veterinary service — performance of veterinary medicine by natural and legal persons;

(5) community veterinarian — a veterinarian performing veterinary activities and serving the community in one or more communities;

(6) commodities subject to veterinary control — animals or fertilisers thereof (hatching egg, sperm, egg cell, zygote, embryo), animal products, raw materials of animal origin, animal by-products, feed, feed additives, feed mixtures, supplementary feed, veterinary drugs;

(7) accompanying veterinary document — record-registered forms used in the veterinary medicine sector (certifying document, statement of information, certificate), attesting the health condition of animals imported into the territory of the Republic of Armenia, exported from the territory of the Republic of Armenia and transported across the territory of the Republic of Armenia, origin — from animal infectious disease-free areas — of fertilisers, products and raw materials of animal origin, animal by-products, feedstuffs, applicability, from the veterinary-sanitary viewpoint, of products and raw materials of animal origin, feedstuffs, fertilisers, veterinary drugs;

(8) veterinary-sanitary expert examination — a study of raw materials and products of animal origin, feedstuffs, animal fertilisers, conducted for the purpose of veterinary-sanitary evaluation;

(9) veterinary supplies - clothes, devices, tools, equipment, accessories for animal care and raising, special veterinary transport, machinery required for veterinary activities;

(10) veterinary drug — a substance or combination of substances used in the veterinary medicine sector (biological products — vaccines, kits and preparations for the diagnosis and identification of pathogens, immune and hyperimmune sera, immunoglobulins, blood fractions, therapeutic and prophylactic preparations obtained from animal tissues and organs, bacterial cultures and bacterial species, hormonal preparations, thyreostatics, beta-antagonists, substances, preparations or means of plant, mineral, chemical, chemical-pharmaceutical origin: therapeutic, disinfectant, antimicrobial, insecticidal, rodenticidal, anthelmintic, antipyroplasmosis, anti-tick effects);

(11) thyreostatics — substances affecting the function of the thyroid gland that contribute to the efficiency of animal growth;

(12) hormonal drug — products that contain hormonal substances with direct and indirect estrogenic, androgenic and gestagenic effect;

(13) withdrawal period of a veterinary drug — the period between the use of a veterinary drug for the last time and acquisition of raw materials and animal products from animals, during which it is certified that the raw materials and products of animal origin do not contain residual quantities of the veterinary drug or permissible residual quantities are not exceeded;

(14) epizooty — the situation of rapid spread of infectious animal diseases and coverage of large areas in a relatively short time, which is characterised by the continuity of the process and periodicity of manifestation;

(15) livestock farm — place where animals are temporarily or permanently kept, except for veterinary clinics and animal emergency organisations;

(16) animal fertility materials — sperm, egg cell, zygote and embryo, fertilised eggs, hatching eggs, which are used for artificial insemination, fertilisation and reproduction of animals;

(17) animals — mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish, mollusks, crustaceans, snails, insects, other vertebrates and invertebrates that are kept by human being or freely exist;

(18) farm animals — large and small cattle (cow, buffalo, sheep, goat), pig, horse, chicken, turkey, quail, goose, duck, rabbit, ostrich, bee, silkworm and others, which are kept for the purpose of obtaining raw materials and products of animal origin;

(19) domestic animals — animals that belong to the species of animals which are fed, bred or kept, but which, as a rule, are not intended to get food;

(20) animal stunning — temporary anesthesia or termination of the life of animals with state registered veterinary drugs;

(21) animal identification — fixing special ear tags or electronic chips containing encoded information to certain body parts of farm animals (except for birds, bees) and domestic animals, which enables to identify and record-register the animals;

(22) isolation — isolation measures for infected with zoonoses or suspected of being infected with zoonoses, in a separated or fenced area or facilities for a certain period of time and in certain conditions;

(23) animal quarantine — regime activities by the Government or territorial administration bodies, eradicating the outbreaks of quarantine diseases, isolating the niduses of infection and preventing further spread of infection, as well as temporarily limiting the rights of natural and legal persons and imposing additional obligations;

(24) preventive quarantine — measures aimed at preventing the penetration of infectious diseases, which are implemented in order to keep isolated the acquired animals for 30 days, to conduct examinations for diagnosis of diseases and to carry out preventive vaccinations;

(25) quarantine and highly dangerous infectious animal diseases — infectious animal diseases, infectious diseases common both to animals and human being which rapidly spread, cover wide areas, cause great economic damage and damage or threaten animal and human health;

(26) mandatory notifiable animal diseases — infectious and non-infectious diseases characterised by possibility of rapidly spreading, covering wide areas and causing great economic damage, the detected or suspected cases whereof are notified and registered in a prescribed manner;

(27) animal product — meat carcass and semi-meat carcass, quarter of meat carcass, sorted bony and boneless meat, ground and minced meat, tail and fat tail, extremities separated from the niduses of forearm and shin, internal organs (liver, pancreas, heart, kidney, lung, pharynx, trachea, diaphragm, bird stomach, cutter of ruminant animals), generated and not processed from the slaughter of farm animals, subcutaneous and visceral fat, brain, blood, tongue, testicles, head, udder, as well as unwrapped and non-processed meat products, milk and dairy products, fish and fish products, amphibians, reptiles, snails, insects, crustaceans, other land and water invertebrates and the product derived therefrom, unfertilised caviar, egg as food, natural honey, which are used without processing or after processing in food or as raw foodstuff;

(28) raw materials of animal origin — endocrine glands, intestine, skin, fur, hair (wool, stubble, feathers, fuzz), horn, hoof, bone, non-processed fat, bile, blood generated from animal slaughter, beewax, wax foundation, bee venom, snake venom, scorpion venom, other venoms of animal origin, technical albumin, casein, gelatin, hunting trophies, etc., which are used after processing;

(29) animal by-products — products obtained as a result of the production and processing of raw materials and products of animal origin not intended for human consumption (meat and bone, meat, horn meal, fish meal, dried blood plasma and other products obtained from blood, hydrolysis proteins, gelatin obtained from bones and other animal products), animal carcasses, which are considered technical raw materials, are not intended for human consumption and are subject to additional processing or disposal;

(29.1) meat carcass — the whole body of an animal subjected to slaughter or killing, without the skin, head and lower parts of the extremities and internal organs;

(29.2) semi-meat carcass — the divided parts of the equally long sections of the backbone of the meat carcass;

(29.3) quarter of meat carcass — sections of meat carcass divided into four parts;

(30) zoonoses — infectious animal diseases to which animals are susceptible, as well as specific infectious animal diseases to which both animals and people are susceptible;

(31) slaughter of animals — slaughter of animals performed in slaughterhouses aimed at obtaining raw materials and products of animal origin intended for human consumption, including sanitary slaughter allowed in case of specific diseases;

(32) sanitary slaughter — compulsory forced slaughter of infected animals or animals subject to immediate threat of infection in the fight against specific diseases by obtaining conditionally usable raw materials and products of animal origin;

(33) killing of animals — killing of animals under non-slaughter conditions for the purposes and in the cases defined by this Law;

(34) threat to animal and human health — facilities, items considered as a source or factor of transmission of infection of raw materials and products of animal origin, animal by-products, feedstuffs, veterinary drugs, the application, consumption or availability of which may pose danger to animals and (or) human health;

(35) eradication — the result of measures targeted at limitation and eradication of infectious animal diseases, infectious diseases common both to animal and human being in all stages of the epidemiological chain, when the epidemiological chain does not function;

(36) disposal — decontamination, i.e. burning and melting under high temperature and pressure in order to exclude further use of danger to animal and human health. The following shall also be considered disposal:

a. burial, underground storage or accumulation;

b. above-ground combustion (burning) in open air with fuel;

c. immediate combustion by using special equipment;

(37) facilities of epizootic value or subject to state veterinary control — livestock farms and holdings, pastures, watering places, cemeteries for animals, zoological parks, aquariums, natural and artificial aquatic environments in which aquatic animals are bred or kept, terrariums, vivariums, veterinary laboratories, economic entities and organisations carrying out transportation of animals, animal experiments, producing, processing, storing, selling raw materials and products of animal origin, feed, feed additives, feedstuffs, carrying out production, storage, carrying out production, storage, trade or sales of fertility materials, veterinary drugs, agricultural and food commodity markets, shopping facilities, organisations for disposal, stocking of animal by-products, slaughterhouses, slaughter points, places for housing and storage, decontamination of natural animal waste, animal markets, animal campsites, pens, organisations for the production of veterinary biological preparations, veterinary training, scientific and research laboratories, organisations, as well as other institutions, areas where and (or) in the vicinity of which infectious or parasitical factors may spread;

(38) processing — activity, which results in a change in the content or composition of raw materials and products of animal origin, animal by-products by transforming into raw materials or products suitable for consumption or production;

(39) application for zootechnical purposes — use of animals, fertility materials, veterinary drugs for animal passion regulation, insemination, fertilisation, embryo transfer purposes;

(40) conditionally suitable raw materials and products of animal origin — raw materials and products of animal origin which may be used after the processing process which ensures decontamination.

2. The respective Ministry shall develop the policy of the Government in the veterinary medicine sector.

(Article 3 edited, supplemented by HO-256-N of 8 December 2017, edited by HO-40-N of 21 December 2017, edited, supplemented, amended by HO-288-N of 23 March 2018, edited by HO-284-N of 1 June 2020)

 

Article 4.

Legislation on veterinary medicine

 

1. The relations pertaining to veterinary medicine sector shall be regulated by this Law, other legal acts and international treaties of the Republic of Armenia.

2. Where international treaties of the Republic of Armenia prescribe norms other than those provided for by this Law, the norms of the international treaties shall apply.

 

CHAPTER 2

 

STATE REGULATION IN VETERINARY MEDICINE SECTOR

 

Article 5.

Basic principles and issues of the state policy in veterinary medicine sector

 

1. The basic principles and issues of the state policy in veterinary medicine sector shall be as follows:

(1) ensuring enforcement of legal acts on the veterinary medicine sector, performing veterinary activities targeted at the protection of animal and human health, prioritisation of environmental protection and protection of consumer rights;

(2) ensuring co-operation and exchange of information with relevant international and regional organisations;

(3) ensuring introduction of international standards and requirements for animal health and welfare in the Republic of Armenia;

(4) revising the state policy based on scientifically justified risk assessments during the assessment of scientifically justified risks, provision of consultancy, risk management.

(Article 5 edited by HՕ-238-N of 17 December 2014)

 

Article 6.

Powers of the Government in the veterinary medicine sector

(Title amended by HO-288-N of 23 March 2018)

 

1. The Government shall define:

(1) the list of commodities subject to veterinary control;

(2) the general hygiene requirements for animal products;

(3) the hygiene requirements for feedstuffs;

(4) the requirements for animal by-products;

(5) the requirements for safety of animal products, including safety in terms of microbiological, parasitic and chemical indicators;

(6) the uniform procedure for sampling of products subject to state veterinary control;

(7) (point repealed by HO-238-N of 17 December 2014)

(8) (point repealed by HO-238-N of 17 December 2014)

(9) the procedure for applying accompanying uniform veterinary documents in the area;

(10) (point repealed by HO-238-N of 17 December 2014)

(11) the procedure for import, export and transit of animals, animal products, feed and premixes;

(12) the substances forbidden in animal products being exported to the European Union, the Eurasian Economic Union and to other countries, and the maximum residual quantities of substances being used in veterinary medicine;

(13) the procedure for veterinary-sanitary expert examination of meat and products obtained as a result of animal slaughter;

(14) the procedure for veterinary stamping of product obtained as a result of animal slaughter;

(15) the procedure for veterinary-sanitary expert examination of fish, aquatic animals and fish products;

(16) the procedure for veterinary-sanitary expert examination of milk and dairy products;

(17) the procedure for veterinary-sanitary expert examination of honey;

(18) the procedure for veterinary-sanitary expert examination of egg;

(19) the procedure for exports and imports of veterinary drugs;

(20) the procedure for registration of veterinary drugs;

(21) (point repealed by HO-122-N of 13 November 2015)

(22) the procedure for issuance of accompanying veterinary documents;

(23) the procedure for provision of paid veterinary services;

(24) the procedure and requirements for arranging farm animal slaughter in slaughter-houses;

(25) the compensation procedure for the animals dead, culled or subjected to sanitary slaughter (forced killing) in the fight against infectious animal diseases;

(26) the procedure for establishing and cancelling quarantine of farm animals;

(27) the compensation procedure for the animals dead as a result of diseases included in the state programme for anti-epizootic measures;

(28) the conditions, cases and procedure for the culling or forced killing of animals;

(29) the list of infectious animal diseases and infectious diseases common both to animals and human being;

(30) the requirements for animal identification;

(31) the procedure for maintaining registries on the electronic information system in the sector of state veterinary control, facilities subject to state veterinary control and economic operators of third countries;

(32) (point repealed by HO-256-N of 8 December 2017).

2. The Government shall approve the following:

(1) the form of and procedure for dressing of officials exercising state veterinary control;

(2) the list of quarantine, highly dangerous and mandatory notifiable animal diseases;

(3) the programmes for prevention and eradication of quarantine, highly dangerous; mandatory notifiable infectious animal diseases;

(3.1) action plan for laboratory diagnosis of farm animal diseases and laboratory expert examination of raw materials and substances of animal origin;

(4) the monitoring programmes for controlling the residual quantities of substances used in veterinary medicine in animal products;

(5) the requirements for import and export of commodities subject to veterinary control into the territory of the Republic of Armenia and from the territory of the Republic of Armenia;

(6) the sample forms of acts adopted during veterinary control;

(7) the procedure for notification and registration of infectious animal diseases;

(8) the plan for identification and record-registration of farm animals in the Republic of Armenia and the timetable for implementation of actions;

(9) the procedure for training of veterinary specialists.

3. The Government shall adopt other legal acts arising from this Law.

(Article 6 amended, supplemented by HՕ-238-N of 17 December 2014, amended by HO-122-N of 13 November 2015, HO-256-N of 8 December 2017, amended by HO-288-N of 23 March 2018, edited, amended, supplemented by HO-309-N of 7 July 2022)

(Law HO-309-N of 7 July 2022 contains a transitional provision)

 

Article 7.

Powers of the authorised body

1. The authorised body shall approve:

(1) the forms of registers, seals, documents, administrative acts, individual seals of officials exercising state control which are required for exercise of state control;

(2) the form of opinion on veterinary-sanitary expert examination and relevant label;

(3) the form of registers maintained by persons performing veterinary activities;

(4) the form of animal veterinary pass-ports and the procedure for filling out the form.

2. The authorised body shall define:

(1) the instructions and methodological guidelines for the fight against and prevention of infectious animal diseases;

(2) the requirements for veterinary activities according to the facility subject to veterinary control or type of veterinary institution;

(3) uniform veterinary requirements, i.e. veterinary-sanitary requirements for commodities subject to state veterinary control.

3. The authorised body shall perform:

(1) predetermination, assessment and monitoring of epidemiological situation;

(2) analysis of the causes of animal morbidity and deaths from infectious diseases;

(3) identification of farm animals and development of an electronic information system on record-registered animals and maintenance of the information database;

(4) record-registration of natural and legal entities engaged in activities subject to state veterinary control, importing and exporting commodities subject to veterinary control, raising animals, producing, processing, maintaining, transporting, trading or selling raw materials and products of animal origin, animal by-products, feedstuffs, veterinary drugs, development of electronic information system on operations and premises for the conduct thereof and maintenance of the information database;

(5) (point repealed by HO-238-N of 17 December 2014)

(6) introduction of registries on the electronic information system in the sector of state veterinary control, facilities subject to state veterinary control and economic operators of third countries;

(7) state registration of commodities prescribed by the decision of the Government and maintenance of the registry of state registration certificates;

(8) maintenance of registries of organisations and persons producing, processing and (or) maintaining the commodities subject to veterinary control (surveillance), transported from the Republic of Armenia to another Member State of the Eurasian Economic Union, imported into the territory of the Republic of Armenia;

(9) registration of veterinary drugs.

4. The authorised body shall co-operate with international organisations in the veterinary medicine sector.

5. The authorised body shall submit to the approval of the Government the annual state programme for anti-epidemic measures and the list of infectious diseases included therein.

6. The authorised body shall exercise other powers (activities) prescribed by the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Armenia.

(Article 7 supplemented, amended by HՕ-238-N of 17 December 2014, amended by HO-288-N of 23 March 2018)

 

Article 8.

Obligations of territorial administration body in the veterinary medicine sector

 

1. In the territory of the marz the territorial administration body shall be obliged:

(1) to ensure and co-ordinate the organisation and implementation of activities for the prevention and eradication of infectious and mass non-infectious diseases, intoxications of animals;

(2) to establish and cancel quarantine, upon submission by the authorised body, in case of an outbreak of quarantine animal diseases in relevant territory — community, settlement;

(3) to support the implementation of state oversight functions.

 

Article 9.

Powers of local self-governing bodies in the veterinary medicine sector

 

1. The powers of local self-government bodies in the veterinary medicine sector shall be prescribed by the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On local self-governance” and the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On local self-governancein the city of Yerevan” .

(Article 9 amended by HO-40-N of 21 December 2017)

 

CHAPTER 3

 

COMPENSATION FOR ANIMALS CULLED OR SUBJECTED TO FORCED KILLING WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE FIGHT AGAINST INFECTIOUS ANIMAL DISEASES

 

Article 10.

Compensation costs for animals dead, culled or subjected to sanitary slaughter or killing in case of infectious animal diseases

1. Compensation costs for animals dead, culled or subjected to sanitary slaughter or killing in case of infectious animal diseases shall be incurred as prescribed by the Government.

(Article 10 amended by HO-288-N of 23 March 2018)

 

CHAPTER 4

 

VETERINARY ACTIVITIES, VETERINARY EDUCATION, TRAINING AND LABORATORY ACTIVITIES

 

Article 11.

Right to engage in veterinary activities

 

1. Natural persons and private entrepreneurs with professional veterinary education, legal persons provided with relevant specialists shall have the right to engage in veterinary activities in the Republic of Armenia.

2. Foreign natural persons holding the right to residence and having received professional veterinary education in the Republic of Armenia or in another country that has a co-operation agreement with the Republic of Armenia on veterinary qualification documents, as well as foreign organisations shall also enjoy the right to engage in veterinary activities in accordance with the requirements prescribed by the legislation of the Republic of Armenia.

 

Article 12.

Requirements for veterinary activities

 

1. Veterinarians performing veterinary activities, legal persons which employ veterinary specialists, as well as paraprofessionals shall submit information to the authorised body concerning the performance of veterinary activities.

2. Persons performing veterinary activities may certify the performance of their activities with the seal.

3. Veterinary laboratory activities shall be carried out in state and private veterinary educational, scientific and research organisations, veterinary clinics, laboratories.

 

Article 13.

Veterinary training

 

1. State veterinary bodies shall ensure training for veterinary specialists.

 

Article 14.

Veterinary laboratory activities

 

1. Laboratory activities shall include the following:

(1) diagnostic examinations of animal diseases;

(2) veterinary-sanitary expert examination; the following shall be subject to expert examination:

a. non-processed raw materials and products of animal origin;

b. non-processed feedstuffs of animal origin;

c. fertility materials: sperm, fertilised eggs, hatching eggs;

(3) expert examination in respect of zoohygienic norms, prescribed safety norms in livestock farming and concerning environmental pollution, detection of prohibited and residual substances;

(4) examinations with regard to quality and efficiency of veterinary drugs.

2. Laboratory activities prescribed by points 3 and 4 of part 1 of this Article shall be performed within accredited organisations.

3. In case of contesting the results of laboratory expert examination for diagnoses of infectious animal diseases, the protocol issued by the reference laboratory shall be deemed to be final.

 

CHAPTER 5

 

RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES AND LIABILITY OF NATURAL AND LEGAL PERSONS PERFORMING VETERINARY ACTIVITIES

 

Article 15.

Rights of persons performing veterinary activities

 

1. Natural and legal persons, private entrepreneurs performing veterinary activities shall be entitled to:

(1) perform activities of anti-epidemic measures on contractual basis;

(2) organise and implement relevant measures for prevention and immuno-prevention of animal diseases;

(3) diagnose, treat and eradicate animal diseases;

(4) carry out clinical, laboratory (virological, microbiological, biochemical, chemico-toxicological, radiological, histological, parasitological) examinations, tests for the purpose of diagnosing animal diseases;

(5) perform artificial insemination of animals;

(6) issue a signed and sealed accompanying veterinary document of a relevant sample;

(7) perform animal registration and issue veterinary passports for registered animals;

(8) have stamps of a relevant sample and other necessary technical means certifying their activity;

(9) provide consultation to natural and legal persons with regard to measures for the prevention and eradication of infectious and non-infectious animal diseases;

(10) conduct pathoanatomical autopsy of carcasses with the aim of preliminary diagnosis and, if required, send pathological samples for laboratory examination;

(11) carry out identification, record-registration of animals, as well as maintenance of animal passports, log books for animal registration and veterinary measures prescribed by this Law and other legal acts;

(12) maintain log books on anti-epidemic measures of livestock farms served thereby, the form of which shall be approved by the authorised body;

(13) establish a non-governmental organisation for veterinarians as prescribed by law;

(14) perform other functions prescribed by the legislation of the Republic of Armenia.

 

Article 16.

Obligations of persons performing veterinary activities

 

1. Natural and legal persons performing veterinary activities shall be obliged to:

(1) ensure the requirements for veterinary activities;

(2) make registrations in relevant registers for anti-epidemic measures and veterinary activities and submit a report to the authorised body;

(3) submit, each month, to the authorised body data on the veterinary passport of each newly registered farm animal;

(4) immediately notify the authorised body in case of a risk of occurrence of infectious animal diseases, animal disease or death, and implement instructions for prevention and eradication of diseases;

(5) inform animal owners about the impact of violations in the use of a veterinary drug or feedstuffs saturated with medical drugs or of the period of termination of their use on animal health;

(6) immediately notify the authorised body in case of detection of violations in the process of gathering, disposal or burial of dead animals;

(7) apply the requirements for the use of hormonal products, beta-antagonists, thyrostatic or other veterinary drugs and veterinary means for animal treatment and zootechnical purposes;

(8) implement prevention, limitation and eradication measures for animal diseases, given the veterinary epidemiological situation and upon the initiative of the authorised body, for the purpose of supporting veterinarians carrying out activities of the state programme for annual anti-epidemic measures.

2. Natural and legal persons performing veterinary activities shall bear responsibility as prescribed by law in case of improper performance of their duties, excess of powers, disclosure of information deemed to be a state and commercial secret.

 

Article 17.

Responsibilities of community veterinarian

 

1. A community veterinarian shall, within the territory of the community served thereby, be obliged to carry out:

(1) preventive vaccinations against infectious animal diseases included in the annual state programme for anti-epizootic measures, blood sampling for diagnostics examinations, other veterinary measures;

(2) animal record-registration, identification, as well as maintenance of animal passports, log books for animal record-registration and veterinary measures prescribed by this Law and other legal acts;

(3) provision of information and report on implemented anti-epidemic measures and detected infectious and non-infectious diseases to the authorised body;

(4) pre- slaughter and post-slaughter inspection of farm animals;

(5) provision of information to the authorised body in case of detecting violations of the requirements of the legislation of the Republic of Armenia regulating the veterinary medicine sector;

(6) veterinary activities targeted at animal protection and welfare;

(7) provision of accompanying veterinary documents for the commodities subject to state veterinary control which are transported in the territory of the Republic of Armenia;

(8) other powers prescribed by the legislation of the Republic of Armenia.

 

CHAPTER 6

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR ANTI-EPIDEMIC MEASURES

 

Article 18.

Annual state programme for anti-epidemic measures

 

1. The annual state programme for anti-epidemic measures shall be obligatory with regard to the animal species involved therein and shall include:

(1) the types of measures applied and the time period for their implementation, coverage of the livestock population, etc.

2. In case of a risk of occurrence or an outbreak of quarantine or highly dangerous diseases not included in the annual state programme for anti-epidemic measures, a supplement shall be made in the programme and additional state funds shall be allocated.

3. The costs for the diagnostic examinations of animals subject to export or import shall be incurred by animal owners.

4. Anti-epidemic measures shall be carried out pursuant to the directives on preventive measures and fight against infectious animal diseases, professional methodological guidelines.

 

Article 19.

Notification and registration of infectious animal diseases

 

1. Infectious animal diseases in the Republic of Armenia shall be subject to mandatory notification and registration.

2. International notification of infectious animal diseases shall be carried out under the procedure established by the World Organisation for Animal Health. Infectious animal diseases shall be registered in the register on epizootic situation approved by the authorised body.

 

CHAPTER 7

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR ANIMAL RECORD-REGISTRATION, IDENTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION, LIVESTOCK FARMING, IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTIVITIES IN THE STAGES OF CIRCULATION OF COMMODITIES SUBJECT TO VETERINARY CONTROL, IN THE ACTIVITIES WITH PARTICIPATION OF ANIMALS IN ANIMAL EXHIBITIONS, COMPETITIONS, OR MARKET REQUIREMENTS

 

Article 20.

Animal record-registration, identification and registration

1. Farm animals in the Republic of Armenia shall be subject to record-registration, identification and registration, as a result of which an electronic information system on identified animals shall be established.

2. An animal passport, log books for animal record-registration and veterinary measures shall be established as a result of record-registration, identification and registration, which shall be maintained by the community veterinarian.

3. The community veterinarian shall be obliged to enter the personal data on the identified productive animal, passport information concerning movement, slaughter, death, breeding of the animal, the preventive anti-epidemic measures and other data.

4. Financing for animal registration, printing of the required forms, registers and animal passports, the animals’ ear-tagging process, equipment necessary for ear-tagging, acquisition of distinctive ear tags, development of electronic information system and the processing of the data received shall be made at the expense of the State Budget and other means not prohibited by law.

 

Article 21.

Obligations of persons engaged in animal and poultry breeding, livestock farming

 

1. Natural and legal persons, individual entrepreneurs engaged in animal and poultry breeding, livestock farming shall be obliged to:

(1) notify the farm veterinarian or the veterinary service of the changes in animal quantities:

a. within 3 days in case of newly acquired animals or animals having left the holding or animals dead or subjected to slaughter or forced killing;

b. within 7 days in case of piglets, calves, lambs, goatlets and foals newly born in the holding;

(2) submit, within 3 days, to the farm veterinarian or the veterinary service the newly acquired animal passport, if available, or the accompanying veterinary documents for the acquired productive animal;

(3) ensure identification, vaccinations, diagnostic examinations of animals in their possession subject to record-registration and identification;

(4) keep a log book, which must be kept for a period of at least five years where the farm veterinarian or the veterinary service shall fill in the following:

a. animal identification numbers;

b. data on dead, killed, sold, newly acquired animals;

c. the record-registration number of the livestock farm, wherefrom the animals were obtained or where they were sold;

d. data on treatments, diagnoses, vaccinations, debridements carried out;

e. data on farm workers, i.e. animal caretakers;

(5) inform the veterinary service serving the farm and (or) the authorised body about changes, morbidity, the performed sanitary slaughter, killing of animals and dead animals;

(6) provide the veterinary service serving the farm, the community veterinarian and the authorised body with the opportunity to freely perform relevant activities in the livestock farm and with regard to the herd;

(7) observe the requirements for animal raising, their movement and transportation;

(8) observe the requirements for animal protection and animal welfare;

(9) carry out the instructions of the engaged veterinarians, the assignments, orders of the authorised body, within the scope of the prevention, limitation and eradication measures for the infectious animal diseases;

(10) observe the zoohygienic requirements for farm animal care and raising, which shall be defined by the Government.

(Article 21 amended by HO-288-N of 23 March 2018)

 

Article 22.

Obligations and limitations of persons performing activities in stages of circulation of commodities subject to veterinary control

 

1. Within the scope of animal health and human health protection from zoonoses, the natural and legal persons importing and exporting commodities subject to veterinary control, raising productive animals, producing, processing, storing, transporting, trading or selling raw materials and products of animal origin, animal by-products, feedstuffs, veterinary drugs, shall be obliged to:

(1) ensure implementation of measures targeted at prevention and eradication of infectious animal diseases;

(2) immediately inform the veterinary service about sudden and mass animal morbidity or deaths;

(3) allow and assist veterinarians in examining animals, vaccinating them, as well as performing diagnostic examinations and other tests;

(4) import and export commodities subject to veterinary control or carry out their transit transportation in accordance with the requirements prescribed by this Law, legal acts arising therefrom and international legislation on veterinary medicine;

(5) transport and sell animals, fertility materials, raw materials and products of animal origin, feedstuffs only in case of availability of accompanying veterinary documents;

(6) process, realise, sell, supply, import animal products and raw materials of animal origin generated exclusively from the slaughter of animals in a slaughterhouse, except for the cases prescribed by points 1-6 of part 2 of Article 40 of this Law, as well as provided for by the timetable established by the Government;

(7) (point repealed by HO-256-N of 8 December 2017)

(8) be record-registered in the authorised body in person or via postal delivery or fax or electronic mail or online registration on the official website by submitting information on the operations performed thereby and territories for their performance, which shall contain the following data:

a. the title or name, surname of the food operator;

b. type of business (operation);

c. place of business;

d. Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);

e. serial number of the state registration certificate;

(9) in case of a change in data concerning record-registration information prescribed by point 8 of part 1 of this Article, additionally inform the authorised body within 3 days after making the change.

2. The following shall be prohibited:

(1) movement or transportation of non-identified productive animals, in respect of which annual anti-epidemic annual measures and measures established by the instructions for the prevention and eradication of infectious animal diseases were not applied;

(2) removal of individual ear tags and (or) other types of tagging of farm animals or erasure of signs from beehives;

(3) transportation of productive animals without accompanying veterinary documents, and in case of bovine and solid-hoofed animals — without a passport as well;

(4) livestock farming, animal breeding or animal feeding in places especially allocated for waste collection;

(5) transportation of sick or possibly infected animals, except for the cases where it is carried out by the written instruction of the veterinarian or with the knowledge and permission of the authorised body;

(6) feeding of animals with food debris, except for the animals that are bred for the production of fur;

(7) the use of public pastures and watering places by non-identified productive animals and (or) those non-included in annual anti-epidemic measures;

(8) raising of pastured pork;

(9) pasture fertilisation with processed animal proteins;

(10) application of veterinary drugs by persons possessing no veterinary education;

(11) skinning or autopsy of dead animals, prohibited by instructions on fight against and preventing infectious animal diseases, or sanitary slaughter or killing of animals suffering from these diseases;

(12) the use of active and (or) other substances intended for the production of veterinary drugs that may be used as veterinary drugs;

(13) production, import and export of dog and cat skins.

3. Animal by-products shall be disposed (collection, storage, transportation, sales, processing, eradication) and (or) stored in such a way as to guarantee the integral safety of the final product, as well as to prevent the threat to human and animal health and the possibility of contamination of the environment.

(Article 22 edited, amended by HO-256-N of 8 December 2017, amended by HO-288-N of 23 March 2018)

 

Article 23.

Requirements for the organisation of animal exhibitions and (or) competitions or activities with the participation of animals, or animal market

1. Natural and legal persons organising animal exhibitions and (or) competitions

or activities with the participation of animals or animal market shall notify the authorised body at least 7 days before the conducted event by indicating the venue and time of the activity.

2. Owners of farm holdings, zoological parks, aquariums, terrariums, vivariums, animal asylums, zoo shops and other livestock farms, as well as organisers of exhibitions and (or) competitions, activities with the participation of animals shall be obliged to ensure the requirements for animal protection and welfare.

 

CHAPTER 8

 

REQUIRMENTS TO RAW MATERIALS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN, ANIMAL PRODUCTS AND VETERINARY DRUGS

 

Article 24.

Requirements for the raw materials and products of animal origin

 

1. The processes of production, processing, storage, transportation, trade or sales, utilisation and disposal must comply with:

(1) the general and special requirements for the hygiene of food of animal origin, which are approved by the Government;

(2) the requirements for the animal products not intended for human consumption, which are approved by the Government;

(3) the requirements of this Law, Law of the Republic of Armenia “On food safety” and other legal acts.

2. Raw materials and products of animal origin intended for human consumption must be obtained from animals that:

(1) have undergone veterinary examination and pre- slaughter and post-slaughter inspection;

(2) originate from farms of epizootically safe areas;

(3) have no prohibitions or restrictions as a result of cases or suspicions of quarantine and special dangerous infectious animal diseases.

3. The production, processing, sales of raw materials and products of animal origin intended for human consumption shall be carried out as prescribed by this Law by persons record-registered in the authorised body.

4. The production, sales and marketing of raw materials and products of animal origin not intended for human consumption originated from animal by-products shall be carried out as prescribed by this Law within the establishments record-registered in the authorised body.

(Article 24 amended by HO-288-N of 23 March 2018)

 

Article 25.

Prohibition of circulation of raw materials and products of animal origin

 

1. The production, processing, trade or sales of raw materials and products of animal origin shall be prohibited, if:

(1) they were derived from animals having been treated with a veterinary drug or having taken thyreostatics or beta-agonists before completion of the withdrawal period;

(2) they were derived from milk animals treated with somatotropic hormonal preparations;

(3) causative agents of infectious diseases or an excess of maximum recommended dose of the veterinary drug residues were detected in them.

2. Hormonal veterinary drugs, thyrostatics and beta-agonists may be used for medicinal and zootechnical purposes in the cases prescribed by the legislation of the Republic of Armenia.

 

Article 26.

Requirements for the transportation of raw materials and products of animal origin, animal by-products not intended for human consumption

 

1. Transportation of raw materials and products of animal origin shall be carried out by relevant means of transport in accordance with the requirements for transportation.

2. Raw materials and products of animal origin shall be transported with accompanying veterinary documents.

3. Transportation of raw materials and products of animal origin, animal by-products shall be carried out by transporters of commodities record-registered in the authorised body.

 

Article 27.

Accompanying veterinary documents

 

1. Accompanying veterinary documents shall verify the compliance with the veterinary requirements for transportation, trade and sales, import and export of commodities subject to veterinary control and shall be issued as follows:

(1) the veterinary certificates — by veterinarians;

(2) the import and export certificates — by relevant officials of the authorised body.

2. The authorised body shall provide a veterinary documents issuance system, based on:

(1) the number of the indexed document;

(2) the signature and seal of the person issuing the document;

(3) carbon copy of each veterinary document, which must be kept for a period of 3 years after issuance.

 

Article 28.

Requirements for veterinary drugs

 

1. The application, production, import, export, trade or sales of veterinary drugs shall be regulated by this Law and other legislative acts.

2. Veterinary drugs that have received state registration shall be used in the territory of the Republic of Armenia.

3. In the Republic of Armenia the use of substances of A1 group (stilbens, stilben derivatives, their salts and esters), A2 group (anti-thyroid substances), A3 group (steroids — androgen, substances with gestagenic and estrogenic activity, except for 17B-estradiol and its ether-like derivatives, beta-agonists and conditionally forbidden pathogens), A6 group (chloramphenicol, nitrofurans, nitroimidazoles), B1 group (sulfadiazine from antibacterial substances), B2a group (fembebdazole, levamisole), B2f group (cypermethrin), B3e group (malachite-green and leuco-malachite-green, crystal-violet and leuco-crystal violet), shall be prohibited by legislation, if:

(1) these substances are intended, in certain manner, to be used during raising or breeding of terrestrial or aquatic animals or slaughter or as products intended to be used in food by human being;

(2) productive and aquatic animals injected with the above-mentioned substances were placed on market for human consumption, and animal products or processed products were obtained from such animals;

(3) they are hormonal products, which:

a. are considered as residual products;

b. the withdrawal period of the veterinary drug is more than 15 days after application;

c. do not have terms of use or they are not known;

d. it is impossible to detect the presence of residues (including - exceeding the permissible limits), or there are no reagents or equipment in order to use through analytical methods;

(4) when used as a veterinary drug containing beta-agonists, the withdrawal period after treatment exceeds 28 days;

(5) veterinary drugs containing allyl trenbolone and beta agonists for therapeutic purposes, which are injected into the bred farm animals during fattening and weight-gaining and in the end of reproductive life cycle.

4. The following shall be permitted in the Republic of Armenia:

(1) therapeutic injection of testosterone, progesterone and their derivatives into farm animals, that easily yield a parent compound on hydrolysis after absorption in the injection site and are also used for treatment of ovarian dysfunction in the form of vaginal spirals but not through an implant;

(2) application of allyl trenbolone for equines, which is administered orally or in the form of beta agonists, provided that it is applied in accordance with the instructions;

(3) administration of beta agonists to cows through injection to stimulate birth during delivery;

(4) for the purpose of changing the sex of aquatic animals — small fish: for the first three months treat them with the veterinary drugs which have androgenic action and are permitted under the legislation of the Republic of Armenia.

 

CHAPTER 9

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR DISPOSITION OF ANIMAL PRODUCTS AND BY-PRODUCTS NOT INTENEDED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION

 

Article 29.

Requirements for disposition of animal by-products not intended for human consumption

1. Organisations disposing animal by-products not intended for human consumption shall introduce and implement a hazard source analysis and risk management system, which includes:

(1) technological documents with the description of industrial products and information on their purposes;

(2) description of the sequence of stages of the production process;

(3) hazard and risk assessment analysis during all stages of the production processes;

(4) critical control points of the production process;

(5) critical limits for each critical control point;

(6) monitoring rules and control of indicators at the critical control points;

(7) requirements defined by technical regulations, regulatory documents and other legislative acts;

(8) requirements for maintaining the documents, which may cover the information defined by part 1 of this Article.

2. The owner or user of the organisation must appoint professionals who shall be responsible for the system and must regularly summarise and analyse the results.

3. By-products of animal origin and products derived therefrom shall be collected, transported, stored, sold, processed or disposed so as to ensure perfect safety of the end-product and to prevent the existence of threat to human and animal health and the possibility to contaminate the environment.

4. Disposition (collection, storage, transportation, sales, processing or disposal) and warehousing of animal by-products shall be carried out within organisations record-registered in the authorised body.

5. Individuals and legal persons shall, before disposition or warehousing of the animal by-products derived as a result of certain activities, be obliged to keep them in isolated buildings, containers or equipped places.

6. Requirements for disposition, warehousing, marketing and transportation of the animal by-products and products derived therefrom shall be established by the Government.

7. The costs of packaging, warehousing, uploading, transportation, unloading and disposal of products obtained as a result of processing of animal by-products shall be incurred by the owner.

8. The utilisation of animal by-products for diagnostic, educational and scientific purposes shall be permitted by the authorised body.

9. Diagnostic and scientific and educational organisations shall submit a request to the authorised body by stating the utilisation purposes, description and quantity of the animal by-products, as well as the establishment where they must be obtained from.

10. The authorised body shall, within 7 days after receiving the request, examine the compliance of the facilities intended for experiments, utiliսation conditions of the animal by-products with the veterinary requirements and shall, within 3 days after receiving the results of the study, permit utilisation of the animal by-products by indicating the utilisation and warehousing conditions or reasonably reject in case of incomplete information or failure to submit the information referred to in point 9 of this Article and in case of non-compliance with the requirements for the utilisation conditions of the animal by-products or failure to eliminate the non-compliances indicated as a result of the study.

(Article 29 amended by HO-288-N of 23 March 2018)

 

Article 30.

Obligations of the person disposing the animal by-products

 

1. The economic operators disposing and (or) warehousing animal by-products shall:

(1) implement hazard source analysis and risk management system for safety activities which shall ensure hazards analysis and critical control points (HACCP);

(2) introduce hazard source analysis and risk management system, designate specialists responsible for the system and summarise and analyse the results on a regular basis;

(3) ensure the compliance of each batch of final product with relevant requirements;

(4) implement tracking control system for each batch of final product;

(5) immediately notify the authorised body in case of non-compliance with relevant requirements;

(6) under the instruction of the authorised body:

a. identify the reason for non-compliance,

b. process or dispose of the batch,

c. ensure expert examination of each batch,

d. undertake cleaning and disinfection measures.

 

CHAPTER 10

 

VETERINARY REQUIREMENTS FOR ANIMAL HEALTH PROTECTION AND WELFARE

 

Article 31.

Activities implemented in case of outbreak of quarantine, highly dangerous and mandatory notifiable animal diseases

 

1. In case of detecting or suspecting quarantine, highly dangerous and mandatory notifiable animal diseases, natural and legal persons shall be obliged to immediately inform relevant veterinary service or the authorised body thereof.

2. The preliminary diagnosis of a disease shall be made by the veterinary service, which shall carry out sampling in order to confirm or reject the diagnosis of the disease and send the samples of the pathological substance to the national veterinary reference laboratory and implement relevant preventive measures.

3. After confirmation of the diagnosis, the authorised body shall, within the framework of the eradication measures of animals quarantine, highly dangerous and mandatory notifiable animal diseases, submit a proposal to the territorial administration bodies for establishing quarantine in the areas of the nidus of infection, those subject to protection and control, and in case of non-quarantine diseases — for establishing restrictions. In the quarantine zone the movement of animals, people and public transport and transportation of products subject to veterinary control shall be restricted or terminated.

4. Taking into account the pathogeny and virulence of the causative agent, prevalence characteristics, the geographic position of the territory and other natural conditions, based on the recommendation of the authorised body, the territorial administration body shall establish a quarantine zone:

(1) the boundaries of the nidus of infection;

(2) around the nidus of infection — the boundaries of the protected area in the radius of up to 3 km;

(3) around the protected area — the boundaries of the control area in the radius of up to 10 km.

5. The following anti-epidemic measures shall be implemented in the mentioned areas (hereinafter referred to as “quarantine zone”):

(1) provided that the quarantine zone includes areas of two bordering communities or marzes, the disease eradication measures shall be implemented by the territorial administration and local self-government bodies of the two marzes or communities, respectively. If the epizooty has affected three and more marzes, for the purpose of organisation, co-ordination, implementation and financing of prevention, control and eradication measures of highly dangerous and quarantine diseases a Central epizootic inter-ministerial board shall be established by the decision of the Prime Minister and necessary actions shall be defined, which shall be managed by the Prime Minister or the Deputy Prime Minister. The board shall comprise representatives from the authorised body, from the bodies authorised to execute state administration in the spheres of agriculture, health, justice, defence, finance, transport and communications and environmental protection. Regional epizootic permanent committees shall be established in marzes, the composition and powers of which shall be approved by the marzpet (marz governor);

(2) provided that the causative agent is also dangerous for human health, the necessary measures shall be taken jointly with the health authorities;

(3) the territorial administration body shall apply to other authorities with recommendations to take additional measures such as extension of the quarantine period, prohibition of routes of means of transport, change in transport routes in the territories of communities and marzes, with the engagement of the police, national security and other forces and means. The decision about relevant measure shall be made within 24 hours;

(4) upon confirmation of occurrence of a disease, the instructions of engaged veterinarians or veterinary service on eradication of the nidus of infection in the areas referred to in points 1, 2 and 3 of part 5 of this Article and the orders of the officials of the authorised body shall be mandatory for execution by all natural and legal persons;

(5) if sanitary slaughter of infected animals is permitted from economic and (or) epizootic aspect for the purpose of preventing the disease prevalence and in the cases prescribed by the legislation of the Republic of Armenia and based on the instructions on fight against disease, infected or suspected animals shall be subjected to sanitary slaughter and (or) the food and raw material generated by slaughter shall be processed in the slaughterhouses and organisations processing raw materials and products of animal origin, irrespective of their form of ownership and organisational-legal structure;

(6) disposal of the commodity subject to state veterinary control in order to eradicate the infectious animal disease or its spread.

(Article 31 amended by HO-288-N of 23 March 2018, HO-126-N of 4 March 2020)

 

Article 32.

Animal welfare

 

1. Animals shall be bred and raised in compliance with the peculiarities of their growth, physiological needs and species.

2. Rather painful actions with regard to animals such as manipulations or surgical interventions shall be carried out through stunning.

3. Owners of farm holdings, zoological parks, aquariums, terrariums, vivariums, animal asylums, zoo shops and other livestock farms, as well as organisers of exhibitions and (or) competitions, activities with the participation of animals shall be obliged to ensure the requirements for animal protection and welfare.

 

Article 33.

Requirements for animal stunning for termination of life

 

1. Animal stunning shall be carried out by the veterinary service performing veterinary activities by using veterinary drugs registered in the Republic of Armenia.

2. The preparation and execution of the stunning process shall be arranged so as to minimise the stress for animals.

3. Stunning shall be carried out in a separate building which does not allow the presence of other animals in this process.

4. Stunning shall be carried out with substances that rapidly induce full loss of consciousness and pain sensitivity of the animal resulting in death.

5. After stunning, the veterinarian shall determine if the animal is dead by checking its heartbeat.

6. The veterinarian shall make a record in relevant log book about the reasons for stunning and the veterinary drug used.

7. Stunning shall be permitted:

(1) to apply for incurably ill animals that are in pain and suffering induced by the disease;

(2) for the eradication of an infectious disease, which is a threat to human and animal health;

(3) for suspension of animal experiments which have resulted in irreversible pathological changes causing pain and suffering to animals;

(4) to apply against animals, the aggressive behaviour of which poses a real threat to human and animal health.

8. Use of the following veterinary drugs for stunning shall be prohibited:

(1) veterinary drugs that induce paralysis without loss of pain sensitivity;

(2) veterinary drugs that do not induce loss of consciousness.

 

Article 34.

Requirements for keeping pets

 

1. Pet owners shall be obliged to:

(1) take measures targeted at the implementation of medical preventive actions against internal and external parasites within the scope of fight against parasitic diseases, by preventing the contamination of public areas with pet excreta and ensuring that the area is clean of faeces;

(2) undertake measures to avoid damaging human being or other pets, including walking without muzzle or other safety measures;

(3) undertake measures for the prevention of unwanted reproduction of animals;

(4) where reproduction is intended, take into account the physiological, anatomical and behavioural characteristics of the pets and not to harm their health;

(5) ensure application of the veterinary requirements for pet keeping.

2. The owners of pet dogs shall also be obliged to:

(1) have their veterinary passports during transportation for participation in exhibitions, competitions or for sales purposes;

(2) submit the veterinary passports to the veterinary service together with the pet in case of vaccinations and treatments;

(3) to carry out vaccinations, anti-parasite treatments required for animal health protection;

(4) ensure daily walks, in case of keeping in closed premises;

(5) provide shelter and territory for free movement, if kept permanently tied (with ropes);

(6) acquire a veterinary passport when the pet is older than 6 weeks;

(7) at the age of 4 months or within 7 days after acquiring the dog, take the dog for a veterinary examination and, if desired, with the purpose of the dog identification, make a tatoo or place a microchip on the dog that shall contain the distinctive signs of the pet location and the individual number.

 

Article 35.

Obligations and restrictions of persons in maintaining animal welfare

 

1. Natural and legal persons owning and (or) raising animals shall be obliged to:

(1) take care of animals and not abandon them if an animal is unable to survive on its own, and in case of abandoning, priorly inform the local self-government bodies and non-governmental organisations engaged in animal protection;

(2) ensure the following for each animal, depending on the species, age and breed:

a. area, freedom and conditions necessary for placement and movement,

b. sufficient quantity of feed and water,

c. free access to places for food and drink,

d. appropriate accessories necessary for food and drink, adapted for prevention of their pollution and reduction of aggressive competition between animals,

e. ensure adequate microclimate for vital activity,

f. prevention and treatment of infectious and non-infectious animal diseases; in case of morbidity or trauma — direct medical care,

g. requirements for animal protection and welfare;

(3) take measures to prevent animals from falling from an altitude;

(4) check the general condition of the animals at least once a day;

(5) breed wild animals not intended for keeping in domestic conditions in natural environment not corresponding to their own, only in zoological parks, aquariums, terrariums, circuses, farms, vivariums (animal asylum, bird asylum).

2. The following shall be prohibited:

(1) frightening, torturing, exhausting, killing animals, except for animals intended for religious rites, hunting and fishing, for scientific research, as well as in the cases of attacks on people and self-defence;

(2) cruelty to animals:

a. slaughtering an animal by strangling, hanging, dismembering, hitting or whipping,

b. skinning, dismembering or stabbing before slaughter,

c. throwing animals into fire, using harsh measures, throwing from an altitude or from vehicles,

d. poisoning or injection of a substance that leads to cruel and painful death,

e. stunning through violation of the provisions of this Law;

(3) using animals for fighting or presentations, as a result of which the animal may suffer, be killed or get a life-threatening injury;

(4) baiting animals at each other;

(5) training animals that may cause suffering or torture;

(6) exposing them to physical stress without taking into account the anatomical and physiological capabilities of animals;

(7) gathering or catching animals in a way that inflicts pain, suffering, or harm on them, provided that there are conditions excluding them or reducing them to a extent possible;

(8) leading wild animals on the street without ensuring conditions guaranteeing the safety of the neighbourhood;

(9) treatment of animals or the use of veterinary drugs by persons who do not have the required qualifications and profession;

(10) administration of painkillers or substances that may cause harm to the animal health, except for the cases where they are medically substantiated and (or) considered as a treatment to be received within the framework of authorised experiment;

(11) administration of performance-enhancing substances to animals in order to achieve better sports results;

(12) natural or artificial insemination which is dangerous for animal health;

(13) feeding animals with feedstuffs that contain harmful substances or are not used for feeding the given animal based on its species, age and health status;

(14) placing incompatible species in the same area or the same species in the same area, which may trigger aggression, attack and struggle;

(15) tail docking of large ruminants or solid-hoofed animals;

(16) the following surgical manipulations without aneasthesia:

a. tail docking of lambs, goatlets, pigs, calves and dogs,

b. amputation of the extra toes of dogs,

c. dehorning calves by cauterizing or surgical removal,

d. animal castration and oophorectomy;

(17) the following surgical interventions to pets without anesthesia:

a. tail and ear docking,

b. devocalisation,

c. declawing and tooth extraction,

d. making a tattoo or placing a microchip,

e. surgical operations;

(18) breeding and keeping pets for the production of meat and fur;

(19) taking pets for a walk in open playgrounds and areas marked with prohibition signs.

 

CHAPTER 11

 

ANIMAL EXPERIMENTS

 

Article 36.

Animal experiments

 

1. Animal experiments shall be conducted for educational, scientific and research purposes and in the case where the application of alternative methods is impossible.

2. Animal experiments shall be conducted within educational, scientific and industrial organisations record-registered in the authorised body based on a permit to use animals for experiments, issued by the authorised body.

3. The requirements for animals used for experiments and organisations conducting experiments shall be approved by the authorised body.

 

Article 37.

Permit for animal experiments

 

1. Organisations conducting animal experiments shall submit an application to the authorised body to obtain a permit to use animals for experiments which shall be accompanied by the following:

(1) the list and quantity of the types of animals to be tested, sampling justification, place and manner of care upon failure of the experiment;

(2) the list of persons conducting experiments and carbon copies of documents certifying their professional qualification.

2. The authorised body shall examine the application referred to in part 1 of this Article, the documents submitted and the compliance of the requirements for the activities.

3. Upon identification of inaccuracies in the submitted documents within 3 days after receiving them, the authorised body shall notify the applicant in writing, by setting a time limit for eliminating the inaccuracies.

4. Upon the absence of inaccuracies or within 7 days after eliminating them, the authorised body shall authorise to conduct the scientific experiment or reject with a justification, in case the documents prescribed by part 1 of this Article were not submitted and (or) inconsistencies with the requirements for the activities identified by the authorised body were not eliminated.

5. The permit for using animals for scientific experiments shall be issued for a period of 5 years.

6. The permit for conducting scientific experiments or its rejection shall be appealed against as prescribed by law.

7. In the event of any kind of modification of previously indicated conditions, organisations conducting animal experiments shall notify or inform the authorised body within three days.

8. Permit for animal experiments shall be registered in relevant register approved by the authorised body, where the following data are filled in:

(1) the name of the organisation that has received the permit for experiments, organisational legal status, personal data of the head or director of the organisation;

(2) the type of the centre in charge of conducting experiments, the place of operation and the location thereof;

(3) breed types of animals to be used in experiments;

(4) the nature and purpose of experiments.

9. It shall be prohibited:

(1) to use stray or domestic dogs or cats for experiments;

(2) to perform animal experiments by pupils or students for professional purposes on their own initiative, in the result of which animals may get injuries or endure lasting pain.

 

CHAPTER 12

 

ANIMAL SLAUGHTER AND KILLING

 

Article 38.

Animal slaughter

 

1. Slaughter of animals shall be conducted in slaughterhouses after stunning to achieve a rapid death, by ensuring that the animal has been insensate during consciousness and bleeding.

2. It shall be prohibited to dissect and dispose of animal carcases until the end of bleeding.

3. It shall be authorised to slaughter the production animals, which:

(1) are raised and bred for the production of raw material and food of animal origin;

(2) are treated against diseases and the treatment is not efficient and justified economically;

(3) must be disposed of for the eradication of certain infectious diseases;

4. The spheres and timetable for application of slaughter of animals shall be established by the Government.

(Article 38 supplemented by HO-256-N of 8 December 2017, amended by HO-288-N of 23 March 2018)

 

Article 39.

Sanitary slaughter of animals

 

1. Sanitary slaughter of animals shall be carried out in a slaughterhouse after conducting regular slaughter under the supervision of veterinary service, whereas in case of impossibility to transport the animals, sanitary slaughter shall be carried out outside the slaughterhouse in an area determined by the authorised body and under the supervision of the latter.

2. It shall be prohibited to consume or sell raw materials and products of animal origin derived from animals killed outside slaughterhouses without veterinary-sanitary examination.

Article 40.

Killing of animals

 

1. Killing of animals shall be carried out outside a slaughterhouse so that the animal does not endure lasting pain or suffering, except for the purposes and cases defined in part 2 of this Article.

2. Killing of animals shall be authorised:

(1) for the eradication of infectious diseases;

(2) for the surveillance of diseases;

(3) during hunting and fishing;

(4) for religious rites and other common rituals;

(5) for ruling out the death of animal under the instruction of a veterinarian conditioned by serious irreversible physical and functional disorders of animal health influenced by external and internal factors;

(6) for personal consumption, where the particular animal has been subjected to the established anti-epidemic measures.

(Article 40 edited by HO-256-N of 8 December 2017)

 

Article 41.

Requirements for transportation of farm animals

 

1. Farm animals shall be transported in equipped vehicles in conditions safeguarding their health, physiological and behavioural needs.

2. Where the transportation of farm animals lasts more than 8 hours, rest time shall be ensured for animals in the areas determined by the authorised body.

3. The following shall be prohibited:

(1) transportation of production animals in vehicles not convenient for transportation and in conditions causing pain, damage and suffering to animals;

(2) during loading, unloading and transportation:

a. striking, putting pressure on and throwing animals;

b. putting pressure on sensitive parts of the animal,

c. crushing, twisting or breaking the tails of animals,

d. use of equipment that may cause pain to animals,

e. transportation of animals with the help of mechanical equipment and dragging them by heads, horns, ears, limbs, tail and fur.

4. Land transportation vehicles intended for professional transportation of farm animals shall be record-registered in the authorised body.

5. The drivers of vehicles transporting farm animals and the persons accompanying animals during transportation shall be record-registered in the authorised body.

6. The authorised body shall establish an electronic information system on the transportation of farm animals and vehicles and shall maintain the database.

7. During transportation the transporters shall observe the requirements for animal protection and welfare.

 

CHAPTER 13

 

FINAL AND TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS

 

Article 42.

Final provision

 

1. This Law shall enter into force on the tenth day following the day of its official promulgation.

 

Article 43.

Transitional provisions

 

1. Articles 12, 34 and 35 of this Law shall enter into force from 1 January 2017.

2. Law of the Republic of Armenia HO-202-N of 24 October 2005 “On veterinary medicine” shall be repealed upon entry into force of this Law.

3. The legal acts adopted pursuant to (in execution of) the Law of the Republic of Armenia HO-202-N of 24 October 2005 “On veterinary medicine” shall be in effect in so far as they do not contradict this Law.

 

President of the Republic of Armenia	S. Sargsyan
22 July 2014 Yerevan HO-137-N

 

Published on a joint site 06.06.24.