Storage (Cold Stores) of Animal-Origin Products

The Veterinary Services of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, grant a license to operate a cold store to natural persons or legal entities, provided that:

• the cold store fulfills predetermined specifications based on procedures of storage and transportation, as well as procedures of distribution of food of animal origin in the market; and
• the relative sanitary requirements are satisfied according to the specific Laws and Regulations.

The application for establishing a cold store can be submitted either through the PSC Cyprus or the competent authority can be contacted directly:

Veterinary Services
Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment
1417 Nicosia
Tel: +357 22805208, +357 22805222
Fax: +357 22805139
E-mail: public.health@vs.moa.gov.cy
Website: http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/vs

1. The application should be accompanied by the following documents:

   • copy of the master plan of the cold store (place arrangement and placement of equipment);
   • copy of HACCP manual;
   • copy of receipt of payment of relevant fee.

   With the submission of the relevant application and the required documents an initial inspection is carried out by the District Veterinary Office in order to examine that there are no constructional or other weaknesses. At a later stage a joint inspection is performed by Officers from the Public Health Veterinary Services and the District Veterinary Office.

Upon submitting the application, the applicant must pay the fee of €450 to the Veterinary Services by cash or cheque.

Administrative Action Against a Competent Authority’s Decision

Any person may file an Administrative Action at the Administrative court against a decision, act or omission of any competent authority or body.

Pursuant to Article 146 of the Constitution, an Administrative Action may be lodged within 75 days from the date of the decision or act or omission or from the day when such decision or act or omission was notified to the applicant.

The Administrative Court acts as a cassation Court and not as a substantive Court. In other words, the Administrative Court may:
I. Dismiss the Administrative Action
II. Annul wholly or partially the contested decision or act
III. Compel the relevant authority or body to take a certain action

After a decision is annulled, the authority and/or public body must reverse things back to the state prior to when the concerned decision and/or act was executed and reexamine.

Appeal Information

An Appeal may be filed against the Administrative Court’s first-instance decision within a period of 42 days from the date such decision was given.

At the Supreme Court (Court of Appeal Section) hearing, the contested issue of the appeal remains the legality of the decision or act already adjudicated for. However, such revision of the legality of the decision or act is solely examined on the matters and the extent that the two parties have limited the reasons in the relevant notice of appeal.

The decision adopted by the Supreme Court is considered final in relation to the matter that has been judged.

• The Hygiene of the Production and Distribution to the Market of Animal-Origin Food and Other Related Matters Law of 2003 (150(I)/2003)

Cold stores must follow general and specific sanitary requirements based on the relative regulations. Additionally, certain files should be kept from the implementation of self-monitoring systems (HACCP system) and also regarding the traceability of products imported, stored and distributed.

In case of dispute between the applicant and the Veterinary Services, the applicant has the right of:

• objection in the event of confiscating food of animal origin or equipment of licensed cold store;
• submitting representations in case of administrative fine;
• appeal if the application is rejected.

The natural person or legal entity in case of infringement imposed by the competent authority provided that the decision taken does not satisfy him/her can, with the submission of the relevant fee, object to this decision to the Director of Veterinary Services within 24 hours.

In the case of administrative fine any natural person or legal entity has the right to submit representations to the Director of the Veterinary Services within five day from the notification date. In the case of imposition of the administrative fine any natural person or legal entity can within 30 days form the day of the decision to impose the fine, to address the Minister, requesting review of the decision.

In case of rejection of the application, any natural or legal person has the right to submit a written hierarchical appeal to the Minister within 45 days of notification of the decision of the competent authority.