The principal objective of the surveillance of veterinary, phytosanitary, food safety and non-food product safety on the state border and of the control policy is: to ensure a high level of food safety and non-food product safety and quality, as well as the protection of consumers, animals and plants, by preventing the spread of products that are hazardous to consumer health and life, as well as to the surrounding environment and various disease pathogens in Latvia and other member states of the European Union, which is a significant pre-requisite for the participation and competitiveness of the country in the international market.
The control is conducted at 14 border control posts on the external border of the European Union and at 7 customs warehouses that have been recognised by the FVS as suitable for the storage of animal cargo from third countries.
The Border Control Department ensures the control of product conformity before the product is offered on the market by performing the inspection of cargo documents, identity and physical inspections of the product. Product samples are collected and sent for testing at accredited laboratories based on the requirements of the regulatory enactments and inspection results of the products, as well as in the cases when the health of the public, animals or plants is endangered, or violations are suspected.
If border control inspectors detect that the cargo does not conform to the requirements that are in effect in Latvia and European Union, it is returned to the country of origin, destroyed, or used for other purposes.