Fish and some animal by-products are the main items of animal origin transiting the country.
These come from Argentina, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Morocco, Bosnia and Herzegovina and are destined for neighbouring countries.
Three warehouses (two customs and one free warehouse) are approved for the temporary storage of products of animal origin in transit.
Traceability systems
FVO said the system of traceability in warehouses is adequate, with some deficiencies in the identity checks upon entry, which means products can be accepted for transit without adequate guarantees and re-certified incorrectly by EU officials at the time of dispatch.
The audit team conducted traceability exercises to trace back and forward a randomly selected product in a cold storage warehouse
Data from Trade control and expert system (TRACES) matched precisely the info provided by the competent authorities' and the operator's records.
However, the lot number of the consignment examined did not match that in the original health certificate which accompanied the consignment.
FVO said there are controls at the warehouses, but identity checks upon arrival do not ensure mismatches with the certificates are identified.
“The mismatch with the original certificate means that those goods are (i) accepted for transit without adequate guarantees and (ii) are re-certified incorrectly by EU officials at the time of dispatch.
“The risk to animal health is mitigated since currently only canned fishery products are stored in the warehouses. Furthermore, the traceability system put in place by the operator allows for the reconciliation of the goods.”
The official control system at the entry BIPs ensures only consignments eligible are accepted and controls of external transits were good except some of live poultry commodities were allowed to re-enter the EU after going through a third country which was not authorised.
Audit recommendation
FVO recommended the competent agency ensure official controls on transiting consignments at all exit BIPs comply with requirements to verify consignments have not been manipulated.
The Veterinary and Food Safety Directorate said it had prepared guidelines on procedures which are applied during checks of transiting consignments exiting EU customs territory.
“As during the FVO mission it was found that customs officials at Rijeka Port border crossing perform official controls of transiting consignments exiting EU customs territory also during the BIP`s office hours and that the procedures applied are not compliant with the Guidelines…the Central Office of Customs Administration has requested from the Head of Customs Regional Office Rijeka a clarification why the customs officials at Rijeka Port border crossing have acted contrary with the procedures defined for controls of transiting consignments at exit BIPs and described within the guidelines.”
Following the opinion by the Veterinary and Food Safety Directorate which confirmed actions by the customs officials concerned were not compliant with agreed procedures, the Central Office of Customs Administration sent an official letter to the Head of Customs Regional Office Rijeka by which all customs officials at border crossing concerned are obliged to comply with procedures in the guidelines.
The Border Veterinary Inspection and International Trade Service (BVIITS), part of the Veterinary and Food Safety Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for the transit controls of products of animal origin and live animals.
The Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety Sector of Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for the approval of the warehouses.
Seven border inspection posts (BIPs) in Croatia issued 1008 Common veterinary entry documents for products (CVEDPs) for direct transit consignments and 58 CVEDPs for consignments destined to warehouses during 2014.
The highest number of transit consignment arrives via Rijeka port (62 %) and Ploče BIP (18%).