Cap. 437 Art. 2Definitions.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:

"active substance" means any substance or mixture of substances intended to be used in the manufacture of a veterinary medicinal product that, when used in its production, becomes an active ingredient of that product; ''animal'' means all living members of the animal kingdom, other than human beings, including free-living larval and, or reproducing larval forms, but excluding foetal or embryonic forms; "Authority" means the Food Safety and Security Authority as established by article 4 of the Food Safety and Security Authority Act and shall include, to the extent of the authority given by the aforementioned Authority, any of its officers authorised in writing to act on its behalf for the purposes of this Act;

"aptitude test" means a test of the professional knowledge, skills and competences of the applicant, made by the Council with the aim of assessing the ability of the applicant to pursue a regulated profession in Malta; ''border inspection post'' means any inspection post, designated and approved for the carrying out of veterinary inspections on live animals and products arriving from third countries at the border of the territory of Malta or at the border of the territory of any trading partner; ''Council'' means the Veterinary Surgeons’ Council established by article 39; "data on sales" means data on the volume of sales; ''Department'' means the Department of Veterinary Services;

''Director'' means the Director Veterinary Services who shall be a warranted Veterinary Surgeon or an officer nominated by the Food Safety and Security Authority as established by article 4 of the Food

Safety and Security Authority Act and shall include, to the extent of the authority given, any of its officers authorised in writing to act on its behalf for the purposes of this Act; ''feeding stuffs'' means any substance or product including additives, whether processed, partially processed or unprocessed, intended to be used for oral feeding to animals; ''importation'' means importation from third countries, of live animals, veterinary medicinal products, products of animal origin and products listed in the First Schedule, into Malta or into the territory of a trading partner;

"lifelong learning" means all general education, vocational education and training, non-formal education and informal learning undertaken throughout life, resulting in an improvement in knowledge, skills and competences, which may include professional ethics; "Medicines Authority" means the Medicines Authority established under the Medicines Act; ''Minister'' means the Minister responsible for veterinary services and includes, to the extent of the authority given, any officers authorised on his behalf in writing: Provided that for food related matters and the Authority, the Minister responsible shall be the Minister responsible for food; ''official veterinarian'' means a veterinary surgeon who is authorised to carry out State veterinary activities; ''placing on the market'' means holding or displaying for sale, offering for sale, selling, delivering, transferring or any other form of offering for consumption, storage, transport for the purpose of sale and importation for the purpose of sale; ''private veterinary activity'' has the meaning assigned to it in article 44; ''State veterinary activities'' has the meaning assigned to it in article 45; ''third country'' means any country which is not a trading partner;

''trading partner'' means such State, or group of States, or organisation or institution, as may be designated by the Minister by notice from time to time, which State, group of States, organisation or institution may have entered into any treaty or agreement, by whatever name called, with the Government of Malta relating to the provisions of this Act; "veterinary medical device" means an instrument, apparatus, implement, machine, contrivance, implant, in-vitro reagent, or other similar or related article, including any component, part, or accessory, which is intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease in animals, or which is intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of animals;";

''veterinary services'' means the authority in Malta, or in a trading partner, or in a third country, as the case may be, empowered to carry out veterinary inspections and examinations;

"veterinary medicinal product" means any substance or combination of substances which fulfils at least one of the following conditions:

(a) it is presented as having properties for treating or preventing disease in animals;

(b) its purpose is to be used in, or administered to, animals with a view to restoring, correcting or modifying physiological functions by exerting a pharmacological, immunological or metabolic action;

(c) its purpose is to be used in animals with a view to making a medical diagnosis;

(d) its purpose is to be used for euthanasia of animals; ''withdrawal period'' means the minimum period between the last administration of a veterinary medicinal product to an animal and the production of foodstuffs from that animal which under normal conditions of use is necessary to ensure that such foodstuffs do not contain residues in quantities harmful to public health