Trade regulations: basic OIE principles

Dr Susanne Münstermann FEI Sports Forum, Lausanne, 8 – 9 April 2013

Overview OIE Background WTO –SPS Agreement OIE Standards: Codes and Manuals Sanitary requirement categories Zoning Veterinary Certification Identification and Traceability

Conclusion

Introduction International competitions have increased in numbers The top athlete horses have become “frequent flyer” animals They are usually regarded as “high health, high performance” animals, under constant veterinary care They enter countries as “temporary imports” Hence they are traded between countries and need to

comply with trade regulations as laid out in the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code in order not to pose a health risk for the host country

OIE Background The International Intergovernmental organisation is responsible for improving animal health and welfare worldwide Created 1924, now 178 Members Maintains permanent relations with 45 other

international and regional organisations including FEI Scientific network:

• 225 OIE Reference Laboratories (in 37 countries)

• 40 Collaborating Centres (in 21 countries)

OIE Objectives Provide services to its 178 Member countries by:

Ensure transparency in the global animal health situation

Contribute expertise and encourage coordinated approach to disease outbreaks

Strengthen veterinary services

Under WTO framework, provide international animal health standards to safeguard world trade

Animal welfare and animal production food safety

To achieve these objectives, OIE collects , analyses and publishes a lot of information www.oie.int

General principles of safe Trade as stipulated by WTO

Horse movement across borders

= TRADE

The WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) Agreed in 1994, came into force on 1 January 1995 Sets out the rules for human and animal health (sanitary)

and plant health (phytosanitary) The general principles of SPS measures (Art. 2) Based on science Necessary for the protection of health Not unjustifiably discriminatory

Members are encouraged to use existing international standards (harmonisation, Art.3;1), however, those are not imposed

If countries set their own measures, they need to be based on scientific risk analysis

SPS Agreement cont. WTO does not develop the standards but encourages

members to actively engage with Codex - Food safety IPPC - Plant health OIE - Animal health standards (OIE Codes and Manuals)

in the international standard setting process (Art. 3;4) In order to avoid SPS measures to become unjustified

barriers to trade, the principle of equivalence (Art. 4) is applied and the level of acceptable risk has to be assessed using international risk assessment practices (Art. 5)

SPS Agreement cont.

SPS measures have to be adapted to regional conditions, e.g. recognize: Disease free areas Areas of low disease prevalence Control or eradication programmes in place

In summary Art 3 – Harmonisation Art 4 – Equivalence Art 5 – Assessment of Risk Art 6 – Adaptation to regional conditions

Relation WTO - OIE

As stipulated in Art 3, WTO members are to engage in the standard setting process with the “three sisters” OIE, IPPC, Codex

OIE Code Chapter 5.3 describes OIE – SPS relationship and how to set the requirements, particularly “equivalence” ; “risk assessment” and “zones/compartments”

Setting and updating International OIE Standards Delegates

ISSUE / PROBLEM

Specialist Commissions

Review

Advice of experts or other Specialist Commissions

Draft text

Adoption

Committee, Commissions,

Delegates

2 rounds of consultation

OIE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD

Comments

11

World Assembly

OIE Codes and Manuals

Official reference of the World Trade Organisation SPS Agreement Adopted by consensus of OIE Members

Of main relevance in this context: Horizontal Chapters (Volume 1) Section 1: Disease diagnosis, surveillance & notification Section 4: Disease prevention and control Section 5: Trade measures, import/export procedures and veterinary certification Disease specific chapters (Volume 2) 12.1. – 12.11 Equine notifiable diseases 8.1; 8.7;8.10;8.15;8.16 multiple species diseases, affecting equines

Equine diseases in the Code/Manual

African Horse Sickness Equine infectious anaemia Contagious equine metritis Equine influenza Dourine Equine piroplasmosis Equine encephalomyelitis Equine rhinopneumonitis (Western and Venezuelan ) Equine viral arteritis Rabies * , WNF *, VS, JE and Anthrax Glanders

Glanders in a horse and a donkey. Wernery, 2012

OIE Codes - OIE Manuals

Sanitary measures • Prescribed or alternative diagnostic tests for the agent and antibodies;

• vaccinations

The most recent version of

Chapters can be found on-line

Sanitary requirement categories “Country disease freedom of notifiable diseases” – is the ultimate goal

“Official disease status” for countries or zones: RP, FMD, CBPP, BSE, AHS WTO Art 6 “regional conditions” “Self declaration”: Dourine, EI, Glanders, VEE, Rabies, WNF “Follow recommendations for importation as given in

respective disease chapters in the Code” WTO principle of “equivalence”

Zoning / regionalisation Zone – defined on a geographical basis and biosecurity

measures for a defined sub-population (code 4.3)

Disease free zones have been created for equestrian events (EDFZ)

Set up of a zone needs to be officially documented A zone can be surrounded by a “Protection Zone” in which

specific measures (vaccination, surveillance..) can be applied to prevent disease from entering the zone

Trade aspects: Zones should have been agreed with trading partners prior to outbreaks

Disease control aspects: allows to focus resource allocation for disease control on priority areas prior to and during an outbreak

General consideration for disease freedom Disease must be notifiable in a country!

Status of the population/sub-populations must be clearly defined in terms of:

Epidemiology of the disease Role of wildlife Surveillance system Laboratories, their capacity and tests used Identification and traceability system in place

exporting countries to declare these to the importing countries

Final authority to declare “disease freedom” lies with the Veterinary Authorities therefore

The VS need to be of high standard (PVS competencies) to provide confidence on their veterinary certification to importing country

Veterinary Certification (Chapter 5)

Describes the responsibilities of the importing country Requirements should be in line with OIE standards, if higher, to

be based on a risk assessment Should not make requirements for diseases present in the

importing country unless disease control measures are in place Should not include non-notifiable diseases, unless based on an

import risk assessment Describes the responsibilities of the exporting country Should consider the wishes of the importing country Must be signed by an authorised Certifying Veterinarian

Veterinary Certificate cont.

The Veterinary Certificate Should minimize the potential for fraud Written in the language of the importing country (if possible) Should include appropriate identification of the animals Signed by authorized certification veterinarians and stamped

by Government Model Certificate available in Chap 5.10.2

For Horses the Veterinary Certificate goes mostly together with the Passport. Recommendation for requirements: AHS, VS, Dourine, Glanders, EEE, EIA, Rabies, Anthrax

2. Identification and traceability (Chapter 4.1)

Key element for establishing disease freedom At herd, flock or individual level A legal framework for the ITS should be set up and

reinforced by the Veterinary Authorities Purposes of use of an ITS: Animal Health Programmes Animal Production monitoring Public health (e.g. zoonoses and food safety) TRADE and international movement

selection of the appropriate system follows the defined purpose!

ITS (cont.)

Some relevant aspects: Registration of establishments or owners:

• Location, name of legally responsible person, animal species kept sportive events; transit centers; quarantine stations; border posts

Depending on the system chosen, many other aspects

related to production, theft, loss etc. can be recorded

Conclusions WTO recognizes OIE to set animal health standards OIE standards describe requirements for trade, if

countries decide to stipulate different requirements, those should be based on science and import risk assessment

For horses 11 notifiable diseases are described plus 5 diseases for multiple species

There are provisions to set up disease free zones and compartments which can be exploited for the “sub-population concept of the HHP horse”

Dfg

Thank you for your attention