Federal Association of Civil Servants Veterinarians

The Bundesverband der beamteten Tierärzte e. V. (BbT) — in English the Federal Association of Civil Servants Veterinarians, formally the Association of Veterinarians in the Public Service — is the professional body for veterinarians working in Germany's official veterinary service (amtstierärztlicher Dienst). It represents both civil servants (Beamte) and salaried employees (Beschäftigte) who carry out state veterinary functions, as well as veterinarians serving in the Bundeswehr. The association has existed for more than 70 years and is registered as a non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) under number 20363 in the register of associations at Lichtenfels in Upper Franconia, where it also has its seat. The BbT is organised federally. Its ordinary members are the 16 state associations (Landesverbände) corresponding to Germany's federal states, together with the community of veterinary medical officers of the Bundeswehr. Individual veterinarians join through their state association or the Bundeswehr organisation. Membership across the state associations is reported at roughly 1,700 to 1,800 entries. The state association chairs form the extended board (erweiterter Vorstand), which also includes an internet officer and a working group for media presentation. The executive board consists of a president and up to six vice-presidents, who represent the association externally. The president is Holger Vogel, supported by five vice-presidents. The association's purpose is to represent the professional and political interests of public-service veterinarians vis-à-vis legislators, authorities, employers, associations and the public. It promotes cooperation among its state associations and with professional organisations of similar scope in Germany and abroad, cultivates professional conduct and collegiality, and facilitates the exchange of scientific knowledge and practical experience through seminars, congresses and study trips. It also advises federal and state legislative bodies, authorities, organisations and private institutions on all technical and professional questions. The veterinarians represented by the BbT — more than 5,500 working in the official veterinary service in ministries, regional government offices, veterinary offices, universities, institutes, testing facilities and animal health services — are responsible for health-related consumer protection. Their remit includes protecting people from health hazards and from misleading or deceptive food and products of animal origin, maintaining and improving the quality of such food, protecting animal life and welfare, preventing animal suffering, maintaining a productive and freely tradable livestock population, preventing and controlling animal epidemics (such as swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease) and zoonoses transmissible to humans (such as EHEC, salmonellosis and rabies), protecting the environment from harmful influences arising from animals and animal products and waste, and providing expert information to consumers. The BbT holds an annual International Veterinary Congress in Bad Staffelstein, followed by a seminar on problems of international animal and goods traffic, and organises one-day seminars on rotating priority topics together with the Centre for Veterinary Public Health at the University of Leipzig. It is a member of the European Association of State Veterinary Officers (EASVO), a group within the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE), and holds observer status at the German Federal Chamber of Veterinarians (Bundestierärztekammer). Together with Alphaverlag it publishes the specialist journal "Amtstierärztlicher Dienst und Lebensmittelkontrolle" (ISSN 0945-3296).

The organisation that became the Bundesverband der beamteten Tierärzte e. V. was founded on 26 March 1953 in Remagen as the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der beamteten Tierärzte (Federal Working Group of Civil Servants Veterinarians). On 16 May 1973 it was renamed Bundesverband der beamteten Tierärzte. The association was entered in the register of associations at the Amtsgericht Lichtenfels — today the Amtsgericht Coburg — on 20 April 1999. Since 1998 it has been a member of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft höherer Dienst (Working Group for the Higher Civil Service). Over its more than 70 years of existence the association has grown into the umbrella body for veterinarians in the German public service. Its ordinary members are the state associations in the 16 federal states and the community of veterinary medical officers of the Bundeswehr, through which individual veterinarians organise. Membership across the state associations is reported at roughly 1,700 to 1,800 entries. The association's seat is Lichtenfels in Upper Franconia, and it is registered there under number 20363. The BbT's leadership consists of a president and up to six vice-presidents; the current president is Holger Vogel, supported by five vice-presidents. The chairs of the 16 state associations form the extended board, to which an internet officer and a working group for media presentation are attached. The association's work covers professional policy representation, cooperation with domestic and foreign professional organisations, continuing education through seminars, congresses and study trips, and expert advice to federal and state legislative bodies and other institutions. Among its recurring activities, the BbT holds an annual International Veterinary Congress in Bad Staffelstein, followed by a seminar on problems of international animal and goods traffic, and one-day seminars on alternating priority topics together with the Centre for Veterinary Public Health at the University of Leipzig. It is a member of the European Association of State Veterinary Officers (EASVO), a group within the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE), and an observer organisation at the Bundestierärztekammer. Together with Alphaverlag it publishes the specialist journal "Amtstierärztlicher Dienst und Lebensmittelkontrolle" (ISSN 0945-3296).

• 1999

  Entered in the register of associations at the Amtsgericht Lichtenfels (today Amtsgericht Coburg) on 20 April 1999 under number 20363.

• 1998

  Became a member of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft höherer Dienst.

• 1973

  Renamed Bundesverband der beamteten Tierärzte on 16 May 1973.

• 1953

  Founded on 26 March 1953 in Remagen as the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der beamteten Tierärzte.

Professional association and advocacy body for veterinarians in Germany's official veterinary service and the Bundeswehr, active in professional policy, continuing education and consumer-protection expertise.

• Annual International Veterinary Congress in Bad Staffelstein

  Annual congress followed by a seminar on problems of international animal and goods traffic.

• Specialist journal "Amtstierärztlicher Dienst und Lebensmittelkontrolle" (ISSN 0945-3296)

  Published together with Alphaverlag.

• One-day seminars with the Centre for Veterinary Public Health, University of Leipzig

  Seminars on alternating priority topics.

1. 1Bundesverband der beamteten Tierärzte e. V. – official websiteamtstierarzt.de
2. 2Bundesverband der beamteten Tierärzte – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3Federal Association of Civil Servants Veterinarians – Wikidatawikidata.org