Montenegro

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management (MAFWM) is the competent authority responsible for developing and implementing national policies in the fields of agriculture, rural development, food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary affairs, forestry, fisheries, aquaculture, water management and hunting. The Ministry prepares and proposes primary and secondary legislation, develops strategic and policy documents, coordinates the harmonisation of national legislation with the European Union acquis, performs administrative and inspection supervision, and coordinates international cooperation within its areas of competence.

In the field of food and feed safety, the Ministry is responsible for establishing the national legislative and policy framework and ensuring its continuous alignment with European Union legislation. It prepares and proposes legislation governing food safety, official controls, animal health, plant health, plant protection products and other related areas, develops national strategies and policy documents, coordinates activities related to Montenegro's EU accession process under Chapter 12 – Food Safety, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Policy, and cooperates with the European Commission and other international organisations within its areas of competence. The Ministry performs other tasks in accordance with the applicable legislation.

The Administration for Food Safety, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Affairs (AFSVPA) is the competent authority responsible for implementing legislation and carrying out official controls in the areas of food and feed safety, veterinary and phytosanitary affairs. It operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management (MAFWM) and performs administrative, regulatory, inspection and expert tasks within its fields of competence.

The AFSVPA is organised into three operational departments:

• Food Safety Department (FSD) – responsible for food and feed safety, registration and approval of food and feed business operators, implementation of monitoring programmes, risk management activities and enforcement of food safety legislation. The Department includes the Food Inspection, which carries out official controls in food and feed establishments, on the domestic market and at designated Border Control Posts (BCPs) for food of non-animal origin, food of animal origin, and feed.
• Veterinary Department (VD) – responsible for animal health, animal welfare, veterinary public health, veterinary medicinal products, identification and registration of animals, products of animal origin, animal by-products, disease surveillance and eradication programmes, and veterinary legislation. The Department includes the Veterinary Inspection, which performs official controls throughout the territory of Montenegro and at designated Border Control Posts (BCPs) for live animals, products of animal origin and other commodities subject to veterinary controls.
• Phytosanitary Department (PD) – responsible for plant health, plant protection products, fertilising products, plant reproductive material, plant variety protection, plant genetic resources and genetically modified organisms within its competence. The Department includes the Phytosanitary Inspection, which carries out official controls throughout the territory of Montenegro and at designated Border Control Posts (BCPs) for plants, plant products and other regulated articles.

The AFSVPA prepares and implements the Multi-Annual National Control Plan (MANCP), develops annual official control and monitoring programmes, prepares contingency plans, maintains national registers of approved and registered food and feed business operators, grants approvals and registrations for establishments operating in the food and feed chain, and coordinates official controls throughout the agri-food chain in accordance with the applicable legislation.

The Administration is the national competent authority for cooperation with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) through the EFSA Focal Point, facilitating scientific cooperation, the exchange of information, networking and capacity-building activities between Montenegro and EFSA. It also cooperates with the European Commission, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) and other international organisations and competent authorities within its fields of competence.

The Director of the AFSVPA performs the function of Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) of Montenegro and serves as Montenegro's Official Delegate to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

Laboratory analyses of samples taken during official controls and monitoring programmes are performed by official laboratories authorised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management. Laboratories designated for official testing are required to comply with the relevant accreditation requirements, including ISO/IEC 17025. Where no suitable national laboratory exists, a reference laboratory from a Member State of the European Union or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) may be designated in accordance with the applicable legislation.