OIE standards : main objectives and mandates, SPS agreement, obligation and ethics in trade Dr. Caroline Planté OIE Sub-regional Representation in Brussels

Outline 1. Presentation of OIE 2. SPS Agreement 3. Obligation and ethics in international trade

Presentation of the OIE

SOME KEY FACTS Established in 1924: 172 Members in 2008 Intergovernmental Organisation – predates the UN 5 Permanent OIE Regional Representations: Bamako (Mali), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Tokyo (Japan), Sofia (Bulgaria) and Beirut (Lebanon) 4 OIE Sub-Regional Offices: Bangkok (Thailand), Gaborone (Botswana), Panama, Brussels (Belgium) 5 OIE Regional Commissions: Africa, Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Middle East

Rinderpest 1920 and OIE 1924 Cattle from India to Brazil via Antwerp

Historical: To prevent animal diseases from spreading around the world The 4th Strategic Plan 2006/2010 extends the OIEs global mandate to: The improvement of animal health all around the world OIE MANDATE

ANIMAL HEALTH INFORMATION OIE OBJECTIVES to ensure transparency in the global animal disease and zoonosis situation to collect, analyse and disseminate scientific veterinary information

ACTIVITIES OF VETERINARY SERVICES OIE OBJECTIVES to provide expertise and encourage international solidarity in the control of animal diseases to improve the legal framework and resources of national Veterinary Services

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS OIE OBJECTIVES to safeguard world trade by publishing health standards for international trade in animals and animal products (within its WTO/SPS mandate) to provide a better guarantee of food of animal origin and to promote animal welfare through a science-based approach

Section 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 Terr. Code / Section 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 Aquatic Code : Obligations and ethics in international trade - General obligations - Certification procedures Risk analysis Import/Export procedures OIE INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

SPS Agreement

SPS AGREEMENT WTO : established 1st January countries Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement : Avoiding unnecessary barriers to trade The right to protect human, animal or plant life or health

SPS AGREEMENT Key provisions of the SPS Agreement 1- Non discrimination 2- Scientific justification - Harmonisation - Risk assessment - Consistency - Least trade restrictiveness 3- Equivalence 4- Regionalisation 5- Transparency 6- Technical ssistance/special treatment 7- Control, inspection and approval procedures

SPS AGREEMENT SPS Measures Definition – Annex A => A measure taken to protect - Human or animal health FROM risks arrising from additives, contaminants, toxins or disease organisms in food, drink, feedstuff - Human life FROM plant- or animal-carried diseases - Animal or plant life FROM pests, diseases, disease-causing organisms - A country FROM other damage caused by entry, establishment or spread of pests

SPS AGREEMENT Scientific justification Art 2.2 Members shall ensure that any SPS measure is: Based on scientific principles Applied only to the extent necessary to protect human, animal or plant life or health (least trade restrictive) Not maintained without sufficient scientific evidence Except as provided for in Art 5.7

WTO SPS Agreement recognises OIE as a reference organisation for international standards ( 3 sisters ) 16 food safety CODEX animal health OIE plant health IPPC OIE and SPS

Role and responsability of OIE in the frame of SPS Agreement (Terr. Code, art ) SPS Agreement strongly encourage that health measure be based on international standard, guidelines and recommendations, where they exist => OIE Codes and Manuals If no standards exist or decision of importing country for higher level of protection (stronger measures) => scientific justification is necessary => obligation to conduct risk analysis (according to provisions laid down in OIE Code)

Obligation and ethics in international trade

Consideration of animal health situation in the exporting, transit and importing countries Factors taken into account Requirements: - No exclusion of pathogens or animal diseases which are present within the territory of the importing country which are not subject to any official control programme. - No higher measure than those applied within the importing country - No requirement for non OIE listed diseases/pathogens (unless significant risk for importing country => risk analysis)

Information from exporting country Factors taken into account Notification/reporting requirements (prompt and comprehensive information) Effectiveness of the systems for animal disease surveillance and ability to apply measure to control and prevent relevant diseases Structure and authority of VS

Factors taken into account Capacity to control the establishment & application of animal health measures and certification activities =>Official procedures for authorisation of official veterinarians - Definition of function and duties - Conditions for possible suspension of the appointment - Relevant instructions and training - Monitoring of activities of certifying veterinarians => Assurance of integrity and impartiality

Evaluation of VS : legal basis (Code) from Article The purpose of evaluation may be: -to assist a national authority in the decision-making process regarding priorities for its own VS (self-evaluation) -to assist the process of risk analysis in international trade … to which official sanitary and/or zoosanitary controls apply. (Chapters / 1.3.4) Factors taken into account

from Article Members should recognise the right of another Member to undertake, or request it to undertake, an evaluation of its VS where the initiating Member is an actual or prospective importer, and where the evaluation is to be a component of a risk analysis process which is to be used to determine sanitary measures to be applied to trade. Factors taken into account

=> OIE-PVS tool designed to conduct the evaluation of VS in accordance to the provisions of the Ter. Code Self evaluation performed by internal and/or OIE experts => improve performance Evaluation relevant to bilateral negotiations between trading countries => determine trade opportunities/sanitary measures Evaluation of VS : process Factors taken into account

Conclusion

World organisation for animal health 12 rue de prony Paris, France Tel: 33 (0) – Fax: 33 (0)