OIE standards : main objectives and mandates, SPS agreement, obligation and ethics in trade

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

• Presentation of OIE
• SPS Agreement
• Obligation and ethics in international trade

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Presentation of the OIE
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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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Rinderpest 1920 and OIE 1924

• Cattle from India to Brazil via Antwerp

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OIE MANDATE

• 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

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OIE OBJECTIVES

• ANIMAL HEALTH INFORMATION

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

• ACTIVITIES OF VETERINARY SERVICES

to provide expertise and encourage international
solidarity in the control of animal diseases
to improve the legal framework and resources of
national Veterinary Services
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OIE OBJECTIVES
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
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
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OIE INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

• 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 proceduresRisk analysis
• Import/Export procedures

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SPS Agreement
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SPS AGREEMENT
WTO established 1st January 1995152
countriesSanitary 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
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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
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SPS AGREEMENT
SPS Measures
Definition Annex A gt 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
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SPS AGREEMENT
Scientific justification
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
Art 2.2 Members shall ensure that any SPS measure
is
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OIE and SPS

• WTO SPS Agreement recognises OIE as a reference
  organisation for international standards (3
  sisters)

food safety CODEX
plant healthIPPC
animal health OIE
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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
• gt OIE Codes and Manuals
• If no standards exist or decision of importing
  country for higher level of protection (stronger
  measures)
• gt scientific justification is necessarygt
  obligation to conduct risk analysis (according
  to provisions laid down in OIE Code)

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Obligation and ethics in international trade
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Factors taken into account
Consideration of animal health situationin the
exporting, transit and importing countries

• 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 gt risk analysis)

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Factors taken into account
Information from exporting country

• 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

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Factors taken into account

• Capacity to control the establishment
  application of animal health measures and
  certification activities
• gtOfficial 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
• gt Assurance of integrity and impartiality

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Factors taken into account
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)
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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.

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Factors taken into account
Evaluation of VS process
gt 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
  expertsgt improve performance
• Evaluation relevant to bilateral negotiations
  between trading countries
• gt determine trade opportunities/sanitary
  measures

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Conclusion
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World organisation for animal health
12 rue de prony 75017 Paris, France Tel 33 (0)1
44 15 18 88 Fax [phone] Email
oie_at_oie.int http//www.oie.int