Government proposes to tighten control aimed at regulating slaughterhouse activity

In the event of inspections in slaughterhouses, the official carrying out state control will have a legal basis to suspend or terminate slaughterhouse activities, as well as to set authorizing norms.

When violations are detected as a result of control in slaughterhouses, it will be possible to suspend the activity of the business entity or, if he has not carried out activity for six months, to terminate it. At the same time, the authorized body carries out an analysis of the causes of animal morbidity and declines from infectious diseases. In this context, the law will define the notion of 'cattle cemetery' and the norm authorizing the requirements submitted to the cattle cemeteries.

The Executive proposes the above-mentioned amendments in the law on Veterinary Medicine and the Code of Administrative Offenses. The RA Deputy Minister of Economy Tatevik Sargsyan presented the issue in the first reading at the NA sitting.

The deputy Arman Ghazaryan inquired about the list of existing slaughterhouses. He proposed to apply strictures only after regulating the sector.

The Deputy Minister informed that according to the operational analysis and the data of the Food Safety Inspection Body, there are 62 service-providing, 18 service-providing and self-serving, and 23 self-serving slaughterhouses.

Tatevik Sargsyan informed that the Ministry of Economy is implementing a number of programmes in order to regulate and support slaughterhouse activities. The draft of the Government's decision on approving the support programme for slaughterhouse service operators is being debated in the Ministry.

It was noted that from 2018 to February 2024, 6 applications for slaughterhouses were registered, the amount was about 165.4 million AMD. The process of building slaughterhouses has been simplified.

The deputy Armen Khachatryan also opined that the field of slaughterhouses is incompletely regulated. According to him, encouraging norms should be established for people to use these services. Strictures alone cannot be helpful.

In response to the MP Hasmik Hakobyan's question, the Deputy Minister informed that the issue of cattle cemeteries has not been resolved so far. Currently, the order submitted to the animal cemeteries is in the process of elaboration.

The Standing Committee on Territorial Administration, Local Self-Government, Agriculture and Environment Protection endorsed the issue. In his related report, the Committee member Sergey Bagratyan, agreeing that the proposed regulations do not completely solve the problems in the field, underscored that the amendments will be continuous, and this package provides important and key solutions.