OIE standards : main OIE standards : main objectives and mandates, objectives and mandates, SPS agreement, obligation SPS agreement, obligation

and ethics in tradeand ethics in trade

Dr. Caroline PlantéOIE Sub-regional Representation in Brussels

Presentation of the OIEPresentation 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

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51

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2851

Rinderpest 1920 and OIE 1924 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 OIE’s 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

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 AgreementSPS Agreement

SPS AGREEMENT

WTO : established 1st January 1995152 countries

Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement :

http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/sps_e/sps_e.htm

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)

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food safetyCODEX

animal health OIE

plant healthIPPC

OIE and SPS

OIE and SPS

Role and responsability of OIE in the frame of SPS Agreement (Terr. Code, art 1.3.1.2)

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 Obligation and ethics in international tradein international trade

Consideration of animal health situationin 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 countrywhich 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 1.3.4.1.

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 1.3.3 / 1.3.4)

Factors taken into account

from Article 1.3.3.3

“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 healthWorld organisation for animal health

12 rue de prony75017 Paris, France

Tel: 33 (0)1 44 15 18 88 – Fax: 33 (0)1 42 67 09 87Email: oie@oie.inthttp://www.oie.int