Use of OIE standards for international trade

1. REGIONAL INFORMATION SEMINAR FOR RECENTLY APPOINTED OIE DELEGATES BRUSSELS / BELGIUM 18-20 FEBRUARY 2014 Use of OIE standardsfor international trade Content of the presentation • Official status – self declaration disease status • Common definitions • International prescribed tests • Import requirements (into EU) • Export to non-EU countries Pierre Naassens, CVO Belgium 19/02/2014

2. Official recognized disease status • Official disease status - certificate • Mai, 2012: Belgium received the « OIE negligible risk status for BSE » • International signal • Used as a basis of trust to start negotiations on the export of: • Veal meat to Japan • Bovine meat to South Africa • Helps to open the export markets • Unfortunaly, sometimes it is still not accepted by the importing party and all documents that have led to this status are requested again

3. Self declaration disease status • Self declaration disease status • Mai 24, 2013: Belgium declared itself « Free of bluetongue » • Information from official authorities • Available worldwide • Basis to sign certificates • Basis to renegotiate

4. Common definitions TerrestrialAnimal Health Code Common interpretation • Names of diseases • Diseases are clearly defined in the terrestrial code and manual • Translation of the names are available

5. Common definitions TerrestrialAnimal Health Code Common interpretation • Clear definition of the concerned population For example “Newcastle disease” Poultry is defined as ‘all domesticated birds, including backyard poultry, used for the production of meat or eggs for consumption, for the production of other commercial products, for restocking supplies of game, or for breeding these categories of birds, as well as fighting cocks used for any purpose’. Birds that are kept in captivity for any reason other than those reasons referred to in the preceding paragraph, including those that are kept for shows, races, exhibitions, competitions, or for breeding or selling these categories of birds as well as pet birds, are not considered to be poultry.

6. Common definitions TerrestrialAnimal Health Code Common interpretation • status “Officially free” • Since 1998, the OIE has the mandate from the WTO to officially recognise disease-free areas of countries for trade purposes (6 diseases). • Procedure for official recognition of status for: • Rinderpest (eradicated) • Foot and mouth disease • Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia • African horse sickness • Bovine spongiform encephalopathy • Peste de petits ruminants (from 2014)

7. Common definitions TerrestrialAnimal Health Code Common interpretation • “Officially free” • Information on the definition of official free status in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code for (e.g.): • Country or zone free from bovine tuberculosis, Compartment free from bovine tuberculosis, Herd free from bovine tuberculosis • Country or zone free from bovine brucellosis, Herd officially free from bovine brucellosis, Herd free from bovine brucellosis

8. International prescribed tests Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals • List of tests for international trade • Used for negotiations • For example: “Export of live horses” • Horses must be tested for “contagious equine metritis” according to OIE

9. International prescribed tests Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals • OIE Reference Laboratories • Standardized test • ISO-methods • Test methodology clearly described • Reliable tests • No discussion necessary

10. Import requirements Determine import requirements of live animals in the European Union: • Test methods of OIE • Classical Swine Fever • Salmonella • Avian influenza • Quarantine prescriptions • Apes

11. Import requirements Legislation of the importing country: • Notifiable diseases differ • Stricter legislation on own population that OIE standards • Strict surveillance program present • … Import conditions differ from OIE conditions Information on disease status on OIE website (WAHID)

12. Export requirements (EU to non-EU Countries) Negotiate on export requirements • Sometimes export can be done based on OIE rules • For example “Export of horse semen” • No requirements for “Borna Disease” are mentioned in the OIE “Animal Terrestrial Health Code” • The importing country accepted to delete this requirement during negotiations

13. Export requirements (EU to non-EU Countries) Negotiate on requirements • Sometimes OIE- standards are used during negotations to define requirements but not followed: • For example “Export of bovine semen” • The following condition is required by the importing country: “semen collection centre should be located in areas included in a national surveillance program conducted in accordance with OIE guidelines for prevention, control and eradication of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and Bluetongue”

14. Export requirements (EU to non-EU Countries) Negotiate on export requirements • Sometimes OIE is used during negotations and to define requirements but not followed: • For example “Export of bovine semen” • Whereas OIE indicates that • When authorizing import or transit of the following commodities and any products made from these commodities and containing no other tissues from cattle, Veterinary Authorities should not require any BSE related conditions, regardless of the BSE risk status of the cattle population of the exporting country, zone or compartment: • semen and in vivo derived cattle embryos collected and handled in accordance with the recommendations of the International Embryo Transfer Society;

15. Export requirements (EU to non-EU Countries) Negotiate on export requirements • Sometimes OIE is clear but the importing party withholds the permission to follow OIE: • For example “Export of horses” • Horses must be tested for West Nile Fever and may not be vaccinated • whereas OIE indicates that • “Member Countries should not impose trade restrictions on dead-end hosts such as horses”

16. Export requirements (EU to non-EU Countries) Negotiate on export requirements • Sometimes OIE is clear but the importing party withholds the permission to follow OIE: • For example “Export of poultry meat”

17. Export requirements (EU to non-EU Countries) Negotiate on export requirements • For example “Export of poultry meat” • Request: There should have been no outbreaks of fowl cholera, pullorum, fowl typhoid, Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD), Marek’s Disease, Duck Virus hepatitis (only for duck meat), Duck Virus enteritis (only for duck meat), Newcastle Disease (lentogenic ND) and other serious infectious diseases of poultry during the past 12(twelve) months at the poultry farm of origin. There should have been no isolation of Salmonella enteritidis (phage type 4) during the past 12(twelve) months at the poultry farm of origin.

18. Export requirements (to non-EU Countries) Negotiate on export requirements • For example “Export of poultry meat” • Defense: In Belgium, only Fowl cholera, Marek's disease and Newcastle Disease are notifiable diseases for poultry intended for slaughter. Also the Terrestrial Animal Health Code 2006 has in his health standards no animal health certification requirements for poultry meat and poultry products in relation to: Fowl cholera in Chapter 2.7.11.; Fowl typhoid and Pullorum disease in Chapter 2.7.5.; Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD, Gumboro Disease) in Chapter 2.7.1.; Marek’s disease in Chapter 2.7.2.; Duck Virus Hepatitis in Chapter 2.7.9.; Duck Virus Enteritis in Chapter 2.7.10.

19. Export requirements (to non-EU Countries) Negotiate on export requirements • For example “Export of poultry meat” • Proposal : Therefore the FASFC proposes, in order to bring this point 3 also in line with article 2, point 2, to change and clarify the first sentence, as follows: “There should have been no outbreaks of fowl cholera, pullorum, fowl typhoid, Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD), Marek’s Disease, Duck Virus hepatitis (only for duck meat), Duck Virus enteritis (only for duck meat), Newcastle Disease (lentogenic ND) and other serious infectious diseases of poultry, placing the poultry farm of origin under animal health restrictions, during the past 12(twelve) 2(two) months at the poultry farm of origin.”

20. Export requirements (EU to non-EU Countries) Negotiate on export requirements • For example “Export of poultry meat” • Reaction non-EU country : We understand Belgium’s point. However, as this article is part of the standard agreements we have with all the other countries, it would not be fair for the other exporters to change this. Moreover, the domestic market is also submitted to all the above mentioned restrictions. This would give Belgian exporters an unfair advantage over the domestic producers as well.

21. Export requirements (EU to non-EU Countries) Negotiate on export requirements • Sometimes OIE leaves room for discussion: • For example “PRRS requirements” • In the past, there has been a chapter in the OIE “Terrestrial Animal Health Code”. • Only requirements for ‘porcine semen’ were mentioned, no requirements for pork were mentioned. • At this moment, there is no chapter on PRRS in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code. • The report of the OIE ad hoc group on PRRS does not set clear lines.

22. Almost unlimited use ! • Official disease status of other countries • Information on the disease status of the importing country • Certifying of products derived from imported products • Information on emerging diseases • For example “Schmallenbergvirus” • Related to interruption of trade • …

23. Thank you for your attention