RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/SPS/W/22
22June1995
ORGANIZATION(95-1675)
Committee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures Original:English/French/Spanish
OFFICE INTERNATIONAL DESEPIZOOTIES
DECISIONS TAKEN BYTHE OIEINTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE ATTHE 63rd
GENERAL SESSION RELATED TOTHE SPSAGREEMENT
TheSecretariatreceivedtheattachednotepreparedbytheOIESecretariatregardingthedecisions
taken bytheOIEInternational Committee atits63rdGeneral Session heldfrom15to19May1995,
related totheSPSAgreement.
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Adoption ofnewmeasures intheInternational Animal Health Code
Additions andmodifications onthefollowing topics were made totheInternational Animal
Health Code:
1. Electronic certification
2. Footandmouth disease (FMD)
3. Vesicular stomatitis
4. Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis/infectious pustular vulvovaginitis
5. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
6. Equine piroplasmosis
7. Equine viralarteritis
8. Small ruminant semen
9. Destruction ofFMD virus inmeat, animal products forindustrial use,andmilkandcream
10 Protection ofanimals during international transport.
Thedefinition ofFMD freezonepractising vaccination andthestrengthening ofconditions
governing trade inliveanimals andmeat andbone meal from countries where bovine spongiform
encephalopathy hasbeenreported areamong themost important ofthese newmeasures.
Adoption ofanInternational Aquatic Animal Health Code andaDiagnostic Manual forAquatic
Animal Diseases
Aninternational Health Code covering international trade infish,molluscs andcrustaceans
hasbeendrawn upbytheOIEFishDiseases Commission. Though based ontheInternational Animal
Health Code,itdiffers fromitinvarious respects totakeintoaccount thespecific nature oftheaquatic
environment.
Itisaccompanied byaDiagnostic Manual forAquatic Diseases ,which isthecounterpart of
theOIEManual ofStandards forDiagnostic Tests andVaccines linked totheInternational Animal
Health Code.
TheaforementionedCommissionhasinvitedtheMemberStatesoftheEuropeanUniontosubmit
detailed comments. These willbeexamined atthenextmeeting oftheCommission, which willsubmit
anyproposals foramendments totheInternational Committee atthe1996 General Session.
Adoption ofnewdiagnostic testsforinternational trade
Following aproposal bytheOIEStandards Commission, theOIEInternational Committee
adopted new"prescribed tests" and"alternative tests", which should beusedininternational trade in
animals andanimal products whenever theInternational Animal Health Code recommends theuseof
laboratory techniques.
Inall,theselected diagnostic testsrelate totwoOIEListAdiseases andnineListBdiseases.
Resolutions relating totheestablishment ofalistofcountries andzones which arefreefromspecific
diseases
TheOIEInternational Committee adopted three Resolutions relating totheprocedure for
recognising Member Countries asbeing entirely orpartially freefrom FMD orrinderpest (see
Resolutions NosXI,XIIandXIV, appended).G/SPS/W/22
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TheOIEFootandMouth Disease andOther Epizootics Commission hasthusbeengiven the
responsibility initially fordrawing upalistofcountries freefromFMD without vaccination (comprising
countries which arealready widely accepted assoforthepurposes ofinternational trade). This"baseline
list"willbecompleted, following theprocedure laiddown inthedocument appended toResolution
No.XII,toinclude countries newly acquiring theaforementioned health status oranyother "free"
status defined inArticle 2.1.1.2 oftheInternational Animal Health Code.
Asimilarprocedurewillbefollowedwithaviewtorecognisingthatpreviouslyinfectedcountries
havesucceeded ineradicating rinderpest from theirterritory.
During thediscussion onthissubject attheGeneral Session, theOIECommission forFoot
andMouth Disease andOther Epizootics undertook toensure totaltransparency ofitswork ateach
stage oftheprocedure. Thismeans that,atanymoment, theDelegate ofaMember Country will,upon
request, beabletoaccess therelevant information which ledtheCommission toconsider thatacountry
orpartoftheterritory ofacountry wasfreefromadisease, and,where appropriate, tomake known
anycomments orobjections.
Epidemiological surveillance systems forcontagious bovine pleuropneumonia
Through Resolution No.XIII, theOIEInternational Committee adopted Standards for
Epidemiological Surveillance Systems forContagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia ,prepared bytheOIE
FootandMouth Disease andOther Epizootics Commission along thelinesofstandards relating to
rinderpest, which were themselves endorsed in1991.
Article2oftheResolutionemphasisesthatalthoughthesearestandardstheyshouldbeinterpreted
withadegree offlexibility, given thatthemore intensive thesurveillance system theshorter the
timeframe required before declaring provisional freedom from adisease.
Technical itemforthe64thGeneral Session (May 1996)
TheInternational Committee selected thefollowing technical itemforthefollowing General
Session:
TheuseofOIErecommendations andprocedures byMember Countries forinternational trade
inrelation totheWorld Trade Organization.
Arapporteur forthistechnical itemwillshortly bedesignated; histaskwillbetodraw upaworking
document based oncontributions received from theDelegates ofMember Countries.G/SPS/W/22
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RESOLUTION No.XI
Establishment ofalistoffootandmouth disease freecountries
where vaccination isnotpractised
CONSIDERING THAT
1. TheInternational Committee hasdesignated theFootandMouth Disease (FMD) andOther
Epizootics Commission responsibility foradvising it,asandwhere necessary, onthenature
andcourse, especially interms ofspace andtime, ofthemajor transmissible animal diseases,
andonmethods forepidemiological surveillance ofthese diseases
2. TheOrganic Statutes oftheOIE[Article 4(2)]statethatoneoftheobjectives oftheorganisation
istocollect andbring totheattention ofMember Countries allfactsanddocuments ofgeneral
interest concerning thespread ofepizootic diseases andthemeans usedtocontrol them
3. Article 2.1.1.2. oftheInternational Animal Health Code defines requirements foranFMD
freecountry where vaccination isnotpractised
4. TheFootandMouth Disease andOther Epizootics Commission defined thecriteria bywhich
theywould propose thatcountries widely accepted asFMD freewithout vaccination according
totherequirements ofArticle 2.1.1.2. oftheCode beconsidered so.Several countries could
meetthese criteria, andcould belisted inapublication bytheOIEforuseasabaseline upon
which Member Countries iftheywishtodosocould request achange intheirlisted status
5. During the62ndGeneral Session, theCommittee adopted Resolution No.IX,'Countries and
zones thatmaybeconsidered asfreefrom footandmouth disease '
6. Information published bytheOIEisderived fromdeclarations made bytheofficial Veterinary
Services ofMember Countries. TheOIEisnotresponsible forinaccurate publication ofcountry
disease status based oninaccurate orincomplete information orchanges inepidemiological
status orother significant events which were notpromptly reported totheCentral Bureau
subsequent tothetimeofdeclaration offreedom
THE COMMITTEE
RESOLVES
ThattheFootandMouth Disease andOther Epizootics Commission should prepare alistof
Member Countries which areFMD freewhere vaccination isnotpractised, according totheprovisions
ofArticle 2.1.1.2. oftheInternational Animal Health Code,foritsacceptance bytheInternational
Committee forpublication bytheDirector General.
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(Adopted bytheInternational Committee oftheOIEon19May1995)G/SPS/W/22
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RESOLUTION No.XII
Procedure fortherecognition ofthefootandmouth disease status ofMember Countries
CONSIDERING THAT
1. Duringthe62ndGeneralSession,theInternationalCommitteeadoptedResolutionIX,'Countries
andzones thatmaybeconsidered asfreefrom footandmouth disease (FMD) '
2. During the63rdGeneral Session, theInternational Committee resolved thattheFootandMouth
Disease andOther Epizootics Commission should prepare alistofMember Countries which
areFMD freewhere vaccination isnotpractised, according totheprovisions ofArticle 2.1.1.2.
oftheInternational Animal Health Code,foritsacceptance bytheInternational Committee
forpublication bytheDirector General. Thelistwillserve asabaseline foraprocedure for
recognising theFMD status ofMember Countries
3. TheFootandMouth Disease andOther Epizootics Commission, intheirmeeting of16-20
January 1995, alsoproposed totheInternational Committee aprocedure foracceptance of
evidence thatcountries notsolisted orzones within theirterritories canbeconsidered free
ofFMD ifthecountry requests thatthisbedone
4. Information published bytheOIEisderived fromdeclarations made bytheofficial Veterinary
Services ofMember Countries. TheOIEisnotresponsible forinaccurate publication ofcountry
disease status based oninaccurate orincomplete information orchanges inepidemiological
status orother significant events which were notpromptly reported totheCentral Bureau
subsequent tothetimeofdeclaration offreedom
THE COMMITTEE
RESOLVES
ThattheFootandMouth Disease andOther Epizootics Commission should follow theprinciples
oftheprocedure described inthereport oftheir16-20 January 1995meeting, toupdate thelistofFMD
freecountries where vaccination isnotpractised andsothatitalsoincludes other categories ofMember
Country FMD freestatus described inArticle 2.1.1.2. oftheInternational Animal Health Code.
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(Adopted bytheInternational Committee oftheOIEon19May1995)G/SPS/W/22
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EXTRACT FROM THE REPORT ONTHE MEETING OFTHE OIE
FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE AND OTHER EPIZOOTICS COMMISSION
Paris, 16-20January 1995
_______
Theproposed procedure
Anycountry notincluded onthebaseline list*may, ifitwishes, request toalsobelisted according
tooneofthecategories ofdisease freedom described inArticle 2.1.1.2 oftheInternational Animal
Health Code. Thiscould beasaresult ofthecountry believing ithadastatus notreflected byinformation
previously provided totheOIE, orachange instatus duetoprogress made initsFMD programme.
Aclaim ofanFMD freezonewould require theprocedure.
Thiswould besubmitted totheDirector General oftheOIEandaccompanied byspecified documentation
asperAppendix IIIandbereferred totheFMD andOther Epizootics Commission. TheCommission,
withorwithout theassistance ofanExpert Panel, asdeemed appropriate, would examine the
documentation andcould, ifconvinced, provide arecommendation atthisstage. Alternatively, the
Commission maydetermine thatmore documentation isrequired orthatavisitfromanExpert Panel
isnecessary.
Thecostofthisvisitandanyother related activity byexperts would beborne bythecountry. The
administrative arrangements would bemanaged bytheDirector General. Acountry choosing notto
incur theexpense ofavisitmaywithdraw fromtheprocess atthispoint. Themembers oftheExpert
Panel, normally threeorfourinnumber, would becomprised ofindividuals withexpertise inlaboratory
methodology (diagnosis, vaccinology), andexperience incontrol anderadication strategies forFMD
anddisease surveillance. Ideally onerepresentative should beamember oftheCommission andanother
anindividual whoisfamiliar withtheregion. Themembers would benominated bytheCommission
inconsultation withtheDirector General andapproved bytherequesting country. Soonafterthevisit
tothecountry areport should beprovided bytheHead ofthevisiting group totheFMD Commission
withtheirconclusions.
IftheCommission concurs withtheproposed country orzonestatus, withorwithout theassistance
oftheExpert Panel, andnormally bycorrespondence, thePresident would request theDirector General
toadvise Member Countries ofitsintention tosupport thecountry 'sdeclaration ofachange inFMD
status. TheMember Countries would begiven (60)daysinwhich toregister inwriting anyobjection.
Inthecaseofasuccessful application, theDirector General would advise thecountry andpublish
theinformation inthefollowing issue ofanOIEperiodical. Ifthere wereanobjection, which would
havetobebased onscientific ortechnical grounds, thecountry orcountries making theobjection would
berequired tosubmit documentation supporting theircaseviatheDirector General totheFMD and
Other Epizootics Commission whowould examine it,withorwithout thesupport ofanExpert Panel,
asdeemed necessary. TheCommission would decide whether toaccept orreject theobjection. Itis
recognised thatcountries whoobject andwhose objection wereoverruled bytheCommission could
pursue theircaseattheGeneral Session.
Themaintenance ofadeclared status would bedependent oncontinued observance ofOIErules and
reporting ofanysignificant events changing thatstatus. Failure tocomply would begrounds forthe
OIEtorevoke thegiven status.G/SPS/W/22
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RESOLUTION No.XIII
Recommended Standards forEpidemiological Surveillance Systems
forContagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia
CONSIDERING THAT
1. TheInternational Committee hasdesignated theFootandMouth Disease andOther Epizootics
Commission responsibility foradvising it,asandwhere necessary, onthenature andcourse,
especiallyintermsofspaceandtime,ofthemajortransmissibleanimaldiseases,andonmethods
forepidemiological surveillance ofthese diseases
2. Atthe59thGeneral Session theInternational Committee adopted theRecommended Standards
forEpidemiological Surveillance ofRinderpest proposed bytheFootandMouth Disease and
Other Epizootics Commission toprovide apathway forOIEdeclaration offreedom from
rinderpest. Thismoved OIEfrom anormative toanoperational roleinassessing thedisease
status ofMember Countries
3. Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) causes severe economic losses, andhasincreased
inimportance bothinAfrica andEurope
4. TheOIEcontinues atMember Country request tobeactive withthedisease, notably ina1991
OAU/IBAR/OIEstrategymeeting,andintwomeetingsoftheOIEAdhocGrouponSurveillance
andProphylaxis ofCBPP inEurope andameeting oftheOIEAdhocGroup onCBPP
Surveillance Systems in1993
5. ThelattermeetingformulatedRecommendedStandardsforEpidemiologicalSurveillanceSystems
forContagious bovine pleuropneumonia .Thisdocument wasrevised according tosuggestions
bycertain Delegates under theguidance oftheAdhocGroup onCBPP Surveillance Systems
THE COMMITTEE
RESOLVES
1. Toadopt theRecommended Standards forEpidemiological Surveillance Systems forContagious
bovine pleuropneumonia appended tothereport ofthe16-20 January 1995meeting oftheOIE
FootandMouth Disease andOther Epizootics Commission.
2. Torequest theFootandMouth Disease andOther Epizootics Commission toprepare anannex
ofrequirements which recognise theinfluence ofaneffective surveillance system uponreducing
thetimeframes required before declaration ofprovisional freedom from disease andfrom
infection.
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(Adopted bytheInternational Committee oftheOIEon19May1995)G/SPS/W/22
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RESOLUTION No.XIV
Establishment ofalistofcountries which arefreeofrinderpest
CONSIDERING THAT
1. TheInternational Committee hasdesignated theFootandMouth Disease andOther Epizootics
Commission responsibility foradvising it,asandwhere necessary, onthenature andcourse,
especiallyintermsofspaceandtime,ofthemajortransmissibleanimaldiseases,andonmethods
forepidemiological surveillance ofthese diseases
2. Atthe59thGeneral Session theInternational Committee adopted theRecommended Standards
forEpidemiological Surveillance ofRinderpest proposed bytheFootandMouth Disease and
Other Epizootics Commission which provided aprocess forOIEdeclaration offreedom from
rinderpest
3. Several Member Countries ofAfrica andAsiahaveeradicated thismajor epizootic disease
from their countries andzones within their countries andareinterested ininternational
recognition oftheirrinderpest freestatus
4. TheRegional Commission forAfrica, during its11thConference, adopted aRecommendation
thattheInternational Committee givetotheFootandMouth Disease andOther Epizootics
Commission amandate toestablish alistofcountries (orzones within countries) which can
beconsidered freeofrinderpest
5. Information published bytheOIEisderived fromdeclarations made bytheofficial Veterinary
Services ofMember Countries. TheOIEisnotresponsible forinaccurate publication ofcountry
disease status based oncurate orincomplete information orchanges inepidemiological status
orother significant events which werenotpromptly reported totheCentral Bureau subsequent
tothetimeofdeclaration offreedom
THE COMMITTEE
RESOLVES
1. ThattheOIEFootandMouth Disease andOther Epizootics Commission establish alistof
countries (andzones within countries) which arefreeofrinderpest.
2. Thatthislistwillinclude onlythose countries which officially request theOIEtoconsider their
status according totheprovisions oftheRecommended Standards forEpidemiological
Surveillance ofRinderpest .
3. Thatthislistwillbeestablished andpublished bytheOIEfollowing therelevant principles
described inthereport ofthe16-20 January 1995meeting oftheOIEFootandMouth Disease
andOther Epizootics Commission andResolutions XIandXIIofthe63rdGeneral Session.
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(Adopted bytheInternational Committee oftheOIEon19May1995)