Bosnia and Herzegovina

Last updated on 23 January 2024.

* Host institution of the national EFSA Focal Point. For information on the EFSA Focal Point network, please see the EFSA website.

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The Food Safety Law (Official Gazette B&H, No. 54/04) is the central legal foundation for food safety in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). This act transposes Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002. Infringement of food regulations can lead to measures under criminal law and consumer damage claims under civil law, however the final decision rests with the courts.

The ‘Hygiene Packet’ is transposed in BiH law with four rulebooks which define the responsibilities of individual institutions in BiH, and entity and cantons involved in the food safety chain.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is procedural separation of risk assessment and risk management. Risk assessments are not published on the Internet.

Food Safety Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Name	Food Safety Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Acronym	FSA BiH
Activities	Food and feed safety policy Risk management Risk assessment Risk communication EFSA Focal Point RASFF contact point WHO INFOSAN Contact Point Codex Contact Point
Responsibilities
Location	Mostar
URL	https://fsa.gov.ba/en/

The Food Safety Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FSA BiH), in collaboration with competent authority of the entity and Brčko distrikt BiH, is responsible for drafting legislation in the area of food and feed safety, quality and hygiene.

The FSA BiH is an independent and science-based authority and provides scientific and technical support on all matters with regard to food and feed safety. It is responsible for risk assessments in this area and the communication of results of risk assessments.

The Food Safety Agency of BiH is the contact point for the DG SANTE EU RASFF system, the INFOSAN network and the Codex Alimentarius pursuant to the provisions of the Food Law (Official Gazette of BiH, No. 50/04).

The FSA BiH works in close communication and cooperation with several national institutions at all levels.

Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Name	Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Acronym	MoFTER
Activities	Agricultural policy
Responsibilities
Location	Sarajevo
URL	http://www.mvteo.gov.ba

At the central level, two institutions within the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations (MoFTER), the Veterinary Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina (VO) and the Administration of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Plant Health Protection BiH, have responsibilities related to food safety, animal health/welfare and plant protection. The Department for Agriculture, Food, Forestry and Rural Development within the MoFTER is responsible for the coordination and oversight of the relevant state agencies.

Veterinary Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Name	Veterinary Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Acronym	VO BiH
Activities	Food of animal origin and feed safety policy Risk management Risk communication OIE Contact Point
Responsibilities
Location	Sarajevo
URL	http://www.vet.gov.ba

The Veterinary Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina (VO BiH) is the subordinate specialist authority within the MoFTER tasked with animal health and welfare, veterinary public health, veterinary medicines, ensuring a system for risk management in the production and circulation of food of animal origin and, in accordance with the competent authority of the entity and Brčko District, prepares draft legislation in the area of animal health, welfare and feed, and veterinary public health.

The VO BiH monitors and controls animal welfare, including zoonosis. The Veterinary Border Inspection Department is an integral part of the VO BiH and is in charge of official controls of food animal origin and animal feed at the border. The VO BiH is responsible for the cooperation and coordination with the veterinary authorities of other countries in terms of international certification.

Administration of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Plant Health Protection

Name	Administration of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Plant Health Protection
Acronym	PHPA BiH
Activities	Plant health, including plant protection
Responsibilities
Location	Sarajevo
URL	http://www.uzzb.gov.ba

The Administration of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Plant Health Protection (PHPA BiH) was established as a separate administrative organisation within the MoFTER to determine policy in the area of plant health protection, develop draft regulations and ensure the protection of plant health in the entire BiH territory. The PHPA BiH is an independent administrative organisation within the MoFTER of Bosnia and Herzegovina and represents a National Organization for Plant Protection in accordance with the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). The PHPA BiH is responsible for plant health protection in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as for information exchange/cooperation with international organisations dealing with phytosanitary matters such as IPPC/FAO, EPPO, WTO/SPS, UPOV, OECD, ISTA, etc. The PHPA performs administrative and related technical tasks in line with the Law on Plant Health Protection. It is also responsible for the controls regarding plant protection products, their residues, and registered suppliers/users.

Phytosanitary inspectors carry out obligatory controls on consignments of plants, plant products and regulated objects in accordance with Annex I part B (I) at border crossings (Border Inspection Posts, BIPs) in order to determine the presence of harmful organisms or compliance with phytosanitary regulations, and also conduct phytosanitary inspections of plants, plant products and regulated objects in the interior (where the plants are produced, processed, stored, transported, distributed or otherwise used).

Regional and local levels

Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of two entities, the Republic of Srpska and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Brčko District. Entities have a high level of responsibility in the area of agriculture policy, food and feed policy, and quality and official controls. Each governmental level of BiH (entity/district, canton and municipality) has an administration for food safety, animal health/welfare and plant health.

Official controls on food of non-animal origin at border crossings and food and feed in the internal market are carried out by the inspectorates of the entities and the inspectorate of the Brčko District of BiH as follows:

1. Republic of Srpska – Administration for Inspection Affairs of Republic of Srpska
2. Federation of BiH – Federal Department for Inspection Affairs – sanitary and market inspection service, and cantonal inspection service
3. Brčko District of BiH – sanitary and market inspection service.

Institutions of the Government of Republic of Srpska involved in the drafting and implementation of legislation on food and feed safety, agriculture policy are as follows:

1. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Republic of Srpska
2. Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Republic of Srpska.

The governmental institutions of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina involved in the drafting and implementation of legislation on food and feed safety, agriculture policy as follows:

1. Ministry of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry of FBiH
2. Ministry of Health of BiH.

Within the Brčko District, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management has functions that are broadly similar to those of the entity.