An undertaking or self-employed person must submit a notice of economic activities to the Agriculture and Food Board (AFB) or apply for an activity licence before starting any economic activities.
The following activities must be notified:
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Production of unprocessed primary plant products (including cultivating and harvesting agricultural and horticultural crops, collecting forestry products) and distribution to wholesalers or manufacturing companies
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Processing of plant based primary products when the shape and properties of the products are altered, e.g. grating, peeling, grinding – this constitutes a field of non-animal food production
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Preparation of food of non-animal origin and compound food (when unprocessed so-called raw meat, fish, raw milk, eggs are not used to prepare the compound food)
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Packaging of food of non-animal origin and compound food, insects when packaging food produced by another company
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Freezing of food of non-animal origin and compound food when freezing food produced by another company
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Preparing food for sale at home, unless the animal based food is supplied to another handler
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Food preparation and sale at public events
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Retail (including vending machines), wholesale, and distance sales of food
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Catering (serving food that requires/does not require special temperatures and preparing/serving hot drinks)
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Only food mediation
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Production, processing, sale, and import of food packaging and food related items
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Food imports from countries outside the EU
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Activities that fall outside the definition of primary honey production - e.g. packaging another beekeeper's honey, producing honey products with additives, etc.
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Processing of hunted game at the collection center
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Processing of small quantities of hunted game carcasses/cuts
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Processing of small quantities of meat from poultry and lagomorphs slaughtered on the farm
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Food transport - transporting food other than food prepared by oneself for the purpose of marketing the food to another handler
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Processing of insects (killing and processing insects at a processing plant, preparing food from insects)
The list of fields of handling and food groups covered by the notice of economic activities is set out in Annex 1 to Regulation No. 63 of the Minister of Agriculture.
Document forms can be found on the AFB’s website.
A notice of economic activities is not required in the following cases:
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Plant based primary production (including cultivation and harvesting of agricultural and horticultural crops, collecting forestry products) where the products are marketed directly to consumers or retailers and mass caterers within Estonia;
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Animal based primary production in small quantities:
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honey – up to 15 hives or colonies
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eggs – from households or companies with no more than 100 birds;
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raw cow’s milk – no more than 100 kg per day or 700 kg per week
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raw goat’s milk – no more than 20 kg per day
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raw ewe’s milk – no more than 10 kg per day
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fish – no more than 100 kg a day
3. The company holds a license for handling medicinal products (e.g. distributors of dietary supplements).
Cross-border operation
If the company has been founded and operates as a food business operator in a field of handling, requiring a notice of economic activity in another European Economic Area country, and wishes to operate permanently in the same field of handling also in Estonia, it shall submit a notice of economic activity before starting operation in Estonia.
Filling in and submission of a notice
The notice of economic activity can be submitted:
- through the client portal of the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture (use of the service requires authentication with an ID card or Mobile ID);
- via e-mail [email protected] or by post (Väike-Paala 3, Tallinn 11415) to the local agency of AFB of the location of the business;
- through notary.
Changing the data of a notice of economic activity
The Agriculture and Food Board must be notified within 5 working days of any change in the information contained in the notice of economic activities and of the suspension or termination of activity.
The notifications on change in the information or on suspension/termination of activity can be submitted by the same means as initial notices of economic activities.
Supervision
The Agriculture and Food Board supervises the compliance of food and food handling.
Supervision fee shall be paid for the assessment of the compliance of food handling.
Contact details
Substantive information
Agriculture and Food Board, tel: +372 605 1710, e-mail: [email protected]
Registry information and technical questions
Client portal of the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, e-mail: [email protected]