Since 1st May 2004, when Estonia became the member of the European Union, trading with, import and export of food, animals and animal products is regulated with „Food Act”, „Veterinary Supervision over Trade in, Import and Export of Animals and Animal Products Act”, „Infectious Animal Disease Control Act”, „Veterinary Activities Organisation Act” and „Animal Protection Act”, which are consistent with the relevant legislation of the European Union.

Supervision over import, export and trade between the member states of the goods subject to veterinary and food control is exercised by Veterinary and Food Board.

Relevant information as well as application and document forms are published on the website of the Veterinary and Food Board (www.vet.agri.ee).

As a general rule, import of foodstuffs to and export of foodstuffs from Estonia may be carried out through border inspection points open to international travel under the State Borders Act. The foodstuffs, which are, under EU legislation adopted under Article 53 (1) (b) of the Regulation No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council subject to inspection in the border inspection point, may be imported only through the border inspection point included in the list provided by the legislation of the European Commission.

In this case, the official of the border inspection point through which the foodstuffs are intended to be imported, must be given at least 24 hours advance notice. In the border inspection points the accompanying documents of the foodstuffs and the conformity of the foodstuffs with the descriptions provided in the documents are checked; if necessary, physical inspection of the foodstuffs is carried out.

In the Regulation No 19 of the Minister of Agriculture of 6th March 2007, the headings and subheadings of the combined nomenclature of goods are provided. The inspection operations carried out on imported foodstuffs of non-animal origin under the nomenclature are subject to payment of state fee in the amount provided in § 212 of the „State Fees Act”.

If there is information, which gives grounds to suspect that the imported foodstuffs do not conform to the requirements or are dangerous, or in case there are any other justified suspicions, the inspection officials of the Tax and Customs Board check the documents accompanying the foodstuffs and inform the Veterinary and Food Board of the results.

Animals and animal products may be imported to the territory of EU only through the border inspection points at the external border which are approved to check this kind of goods. EU has harmonized the legislation on the procedures of veterinary check of animals and animal products at border inspection points and the rules of veterinary check conducted on imported goods are the same in all the Member States. The procedures of veterinary check are directly related to the hazards deriving from the nature of goods.

Specific list of imported animal products to be subject to controls at border inspection points is established by the Decision No 2007/275 of the European Commission.

The procedures for applying, processing and issuing of veterinary certificate or other relevant document for the animals and animal products imported to Estonia, which are not regulated by joint veterinary requirements on import are established by the Directive No 108 of the Director General of the Veterinary and Food Board of 18th February 2005.

To apply for the mentioned documents, a standard format application must be submitted to the Veterinary and Food Board. The application will be processed in the trading, import and export department of the Board in 30 days and a written reply will be sent to the applicant. When processing the application, Veterinary and Food Board (www.vet.agri.ee) may require additional information. As the result, a model certificate in Estonian and English (when drafting the model, the epizootic situation in the country or area of origin of the goods, the nature of goods, common practices with regard to the contents and form of the certificate are taken into account) or some other relevant document is issued.

If the import of goods may cause hazards to human or animal health or other circumstances indicating non-compliance with requirements occur, further processing of the application is refused.

When infectious animal disease subject to international notification, zoonosis or other disease or circumstances endangering human or animal health occur or spread in the country or area of origin of the imported animals or animal products, the Director General of the Veterinary and Food Board have right to immediately suspend the import of animals or animal products from such country or area.

The restrictions shall be published on the website of the Veterinary and Food Board (www.vet.agri.ee); the competent supervisory authority of the country concerned shall be informed of the restrictions.

Since 01 MAY 2004 the conveyance of plants and plant products from third countries into Estonia is regulated under Plant Protection Act. The Agriculture and Food Board executes state and administrative supervision of compliance with plant health requirements for the conveyance of plants, plant products or other objects and requirements for handling harmful pest and their host plants.

Relevant information is published on the website of Agriculture and Food Board and website of European Commission.

In accordance with relevant European Union legislation (Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament of the Council, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072) certain plants, plant products and other objects imported from non-Community countries are subject to phytosanitary inspection carried out by the Agriculture and Food Board before their release for free circulation.

Conveyance of the consignment containing plant material from a non-Community country to Estonia is permitted only through border inspection points intended for such purpose at the external frontiers of the Community. The list of border crossing points through which plants, plant products and other objects may be transported from a non-Community country to Estonia is published on the website of Agriculture and Food Board.

Companies engaged in the import of goods subject to plant health control from a country outside the European Union to Estonia must be registered in the state plant health register. The import of goods must be notified via the TRACES NT (Trade Control and Expert System NT) information system by presenting Part I of the Single Import Document (CHEDPP / ÜSTD-TS) to the border inspection post before the physical arrival of the consignment at the border.

Upon delivery of plants, plant products and other objects from a non-Community country to Estonia, the consignment must be accompanied by a proper phytosanitary certificate issued by the supervisory authority of the country of origin certifying the compliance of the plant, plant product and other object with the plant health requirements.

According to the Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council the Agriculture and Food Board carries out phytosanitary inspection in order to identify the compliance with requirements.

The list of plants and plant products whose importation from third countries is prohibited, is established by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 ANNEX IV.