Veterinarians: Public tender for public authorities is compromised, rules not applied equally

Veterinary organizations and a citizens' initiative for the salvation of Croatian livestock are demanding the immediate suspension and annulment of a public tender for veterinary services, which they claim is compromised and unfairly applied.

The tender, issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, concerns the allocation of public authority tasks in veterinary medicine. Veterinarians and farmers warn that its implementation could result in the closure of about 15 rural clinics and leave approximately 50 towns without local veterinary care. The value of these contracts is estimated at around 20 million euros, funded by the state budget.

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Natječaj Ministarstva poljoprivrede za dodjelu poslova javnih ovlasti u veterinarstvu zbog kojeg bi 15-ak seoskih ambulanti moglo biti zatvoreno, a 50-ak gradova i općina ostati bez lokalnog veterinara je kompromitiran u samoj provedbi

Veterinarian Vesna Knapić presented two findings, arguing that the rules are not applied consistently. She pointed out that the bid from Veterinarska stanica Varaždin, an organization that generated approximately 8 million euros in revenue in 2025 from the Ministry of Agriculture and the State Inspectorate, the highest in Croatia, did not include the required professional liability insurance policy. Instead, it contained an insurance offer, which is not a valid policy. Knapić stated that incomplete bids should be rejected according to the tender conditions, and the committee's failure to do so constitutes a breach of its own criteria.

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Pri dodjeli javnih ovlasti odlučujući kriteriji moraju biti stručnost, rezultati rada, iskustvo i prisutnost na terenu, a ne kriteriji koji pogoduju velikim sustavima na štetu lokalnih ambulanti i hrvatskog sela

Furthermore, Knapić revealed that a veterinary technician without a professional exam was awarded points in the Varaždin bid. Conversely, the bid from Veterinarska stanica Novi Marof was rejected precisely because its veterinary technician lacked the required professional exam. "The same omission, two opposite outcomes, one in favor of the largest, the other to the detriment of a smaller organization," she stated.

Antonela Wendling, a veterinarian from Ivankovo, expressed concern that after 27 years of service in her own municipality, where she helped contain African swine fever and protect surrounding settlements, her clinic might lose public authority status. She argued that criteria for awarding public authority should prioritize expertise, work results, experience, and field presence, rather than favoring large systems at the expense of local clinics and rural communities. Wendling also highlighted a potential conflict of interest, noting that Siniša Mandek, head of the veterinary activity organization sector, who helped draft the tender rules, also chairs the committee deciding on the awards and personally approves payments to veterinary organizations.

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Uvjete natječaja i pravilnik kreirao je Siniša Mandek, načelnik Sektora za organizaciju veterinarske djelatnosti, zajedno s ravnateljicom Uprave Tatjanom Karačić. Mandek je ujedno predsjednik povjerenstva koje odlučuje o dodjeli poslova javnih ovlasti, a k tome osobno provjerava i odobrava račune koje veterinarske organizacije ispostavljaju na naplatu Upravi za veterinarstvo i sigurnost hrane. Ista osoba, dakle, piše pravila, odlučuje tko dobiva poslove i odobrava im isplate javnog novca