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Croatia
Last updated on 30 November 2023.
* 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 legal framework for food safety in Croatia is provided by the Food Act, which transposes the provisions of Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002. Infringement of food regulations can lead to measures under criminal law and consumer damage claims under civil law, whereby the final decision rests with the courts. Government measures with regard to food safety are often based on scientific risk assessments. However, the final decision on the legality of governmental measures rests with the courts.
In Croatia, risk assessment is institutionally separated from risk management. Risk assessment outputs are usually published on the website of the Croatian Agency for Agriculture and Food (HAPIH).
Ministry of Agriculture
| Name | Ministry of Agriculture |
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| Acronym | MP |
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| Location | Zagreb |
| URL | https://poljoprivreda.gov.hr/ |
The portfolio of the MP includes drafting legislation in the area of agricultural policy, especially in the area of food and feed safety, quality and hygiene, animal health and welfare, and plant health. MP designates official and reference laboratories to analyse food and feed and to safeguard animal health and welfare as well as plant health. The MP is responsible for informing the public if there are reasonable grounds to suspect that food or feed may represent a risk to human or animal health.
Ministry of Health
| Name | Ministry of Health |
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| Acronym | MZ |
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| Location | Zagreb |
| URL | https://zdravlje.gov.hr/ |
In cooperation with the MP, MZ is responsible for drafting legislation in the area of food safety, covering food of non-animal origin. MZ defines objectives and priorities for public health policy, develops public health plans and national health programmes and ensures their implementation. MZ designates official and reference laboratories to analyse GM food and feed and food contact materials. MZ is also responsible for the registration of food supplements and foods for special medical purposes.
State Inspectorate
| Name | State Inspectorate |
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| Acronym | DIRH |
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| Location | Zagreb |
| URL | https://dirh.gov.hr/ |
DIRH performs official controls of the entire food chain according to the principle “from farm to fork” by conducting veterinary, sanitary, phytosanitary and agriculture inspections. In addition to food safety, plant health, animal health and welfare, the remit of DIRH extends to agriculture, non-food product safety, trade, services, catering, mining, labour and occupational safety, civil engineering and environmental protection.
DIRH’s structure consists of a central office in Zagreb, regional offices and branch offices.
Croatian Agency for Agriculture and Food
| Name | Croatian Agency for Agriculture and Food |
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| Acronym | HAPIH |
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| Responsibilities | 
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| Location | Osijek |
| URL | https://www.hapih.hr/about-us/ |
HAPIH is an independent public institution in the field of agriculture and food safety and works within the portfolio of the MP. HAPIH has a remit to implement risk assessments and risk communication relating to food and feed safety. HAPIH provides scientific and technical support based on risk assessments on all matters regarding food and feed safety, plant health, animal health and welfare. Further activities include research in the field of agronomy and related fields, plant protection, seed and seedling production, viticulture, winemaking, oil production, fruit growing, vegetable growing, agricultural land, cattle breeding, quality control of fresh raw milk, honey and feed.
HAPIH works in close cooperation and communication with a broad spectrum of national and international institutions. National independent scientific experts support the work of HAPIH through participation in the expert bodies. HAPIH is responsible for establishing and coordinating the national network of institutions in the area of food safety.
Croatian National Institute of Public Health
| Name | Croatian National Institute of Public Health |
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| Acronym | HZJZ |
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| Location | Zagreb |
| URL | https://www.hzjz.hr/en/about-us/ |
HZJZ is a central public health institute which deals with public health, health promotion and education, disease prevention, microbiology, environmental health, school medicine, mental health care and addiction prevention. It prepares and implements prevention programmes and other healthcare measures aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles. HZJZ carries out epidemiological surveillance and proposes, organises and undertakes preventive and counter-epidemic measures.
HZJZ coordinates the network of regional public health institutes. HZJZ and regional public health institutes have food laboratories which are official laboratories pursuant to Regulation (EC) No. 882/2004.
Croatian Veterinary Institute
| Name | Croatian Veterinary Institute |
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| Acronym | HVI |
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| Location | Zagreb |
| URL | http://www.veinst.hr/en/ |
HVI is an independent public institution within the portfolio of the MP, primarily engaged in the diagnostics of infectious and parasitic animal diseases, analysis of food of animal origin and animal feed, control of veterinary medicinal products and scientific research. HVI consists of the Croatian Veterinary Institute in Zagreb and five branches that comprise the laboratories.
Regional and local levels
Croatia is divided into 20 counties and the capital city of Zagreb, which also has county status. At the regional and local level, inspections of food of animal and non-animal origin are conducted by state and border sanitary and veterinary inspectors and agriculture inspections. The regional and local inspections are coordinated and supervised by DIRH.
In total, Croatia has 37 official laboratories and 5 Reference Laboratories for food and feed analyses.
Article 36 institutions
| Institutions involved in the EFSA network pursuant to Article 36 Reg. (EC) No. 178/2002 |
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