. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/GEN/145/Add.1
15 March 2000
(00-1057)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English/
French/
Spanish
CONTINUED EXAMINATION OF DOCUMENT G/SPS/13
PROCEDURE TO MONITOR
THE PROCESS OF INTERNATIONAL HARMONISATION
Communication from the Office International des Epizooties
Addendum
The following communication was received from the Office international des épizooties
(OIE) on 14 March 2000.
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1. The International Animal Health Code Commission of the Office International des Epizooties
(OIE) met at the OIE headquarters from 24 to 28 January 2000. During the meeting, the Commission
continued its examination of matters concerning the OIE raised in the document entitled "Procedure to
monitor the process of international harmonisation", reference number G/SPS/13.
A. CHICKEN MEAT AND INFECTIOUS BURSAL DISEASE
2. During its January 2000 meeting, the OIE International Animal Health Code Commission
examined the replies received from experts at the OIE Reference Laboratories for infectious bursal
disease (IBD) in response to questions put to them by the Commission on the persistence of the IBD
virus in chicken meat.
3. From the replies formulated by the experts, the International Animal Health Code
Commission concluded that, in current state of the scientific knowledge, they were not in a position to
develop a draft standard on the subject, given that the available information did not enable them to
determine whether or not the product in question poses a risk of transmission of the IBD virus. The
Commission considered that the results of additional scientific research were needed before they
could deliver a definitive opinion on the matter.
B. FREQUENCY OF HEALTH CONTROLS TO BE CARRIED OUT ON BULLS AT ARTIFICIAL
INSEMINATION CENTRES
4. The International Animal Health Code Commission discussed with an expert the need to re-
examine the provisions of the International Animal Health Code  relating to bovine, porcine and small
ruminant semen, taking care to ensure perfect consistency between the chapters on animal diseasesand the appendices on semen.G/SPS/GEN/145/Add.1
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5. A progress report on the work undertaken is due to be given by the expert in question at the
next meeting of the Bureau of the International Animal Health Code Commission, to be held in
September 2000.
C. CERTIFICATION OF ORIGIN OF ANIMALS
6. The International Animal Health Code Commi ssion intends to make use of the scientific
articles on traceability of animals and products of animal origin that are due to be published in issue
No. 2 of Volume 20 of the OIE Scientific and Technical Review , to allow its deliberations on the
certification of origin of animals to go into the subject in greater depth.
D. CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS ON DISEAS ES TRANSMITTED THROUGH MEAT PRODUCTS
7. The reply to this question has been provided in document G/SPS/GEN/145.
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