The organisation of the State Food and Veterinary Service of Lithuania

The author describes the State Food and Veterinary Service of Lithuania, the competent authority for public and animal health in Lithuania. The Director of the Service, the Chief Veterinary Officer, reports directly to the Prime Minister. Lithuania is divided into ten counties and thirty-four districts. The State Food and Veterinary Service has regional units in all the counties and districts and has a staff of 1,380 employees. The main tasks of the State Food and Veterinary Service are to implement the basic EU principles of market supervision in Lithuania, with an emphasis on ensuring food safety and control; to establish a unified food control system following the principle "from farm to fork"; to create a favourable environment for the free movement of goods between Lithuania and the countries of the EU while ensuring the safety of imported products of animal origin; to promote continuous improvements in the welfare of animals and to protect the animal population from contagious diseases.