. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/AUS/131/Rev.1
30 November 2001
(01-6120)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
Revision
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  AUSTRALIA
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA)
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where
applicable). All beef and beef-based products, defined as tissue from cattle, buffalo and
bison, but excluding:
(a) collagen from bovine skins and hides (including sausage casings produced from
this type of collagen);
(b) bovine fats and bovine tallow which contain a maximum level of insoluble
impurities of 0.15% in weight, and derivatives made from this tallow;
(c) gelatine from hides and skins;  and
(d) milk and other dairy products sourced from bovines.
Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  All
countries
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:
(a) Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE): human health requirements for the
importation of beef and beef products (certification requirements);
(b) Imports of beef and beef products – implications for human health and rationale for
Australia’s policy;
(c) Australian questionnaire to assess BSE country freedom.
Documents available at www.anzfa.gov.au.
5. Description of content:  A new national food standard within the Australia New Zealand
Food Standards Code has been agreed to by the Food Standards Council to replace the
interim measure announced by Australia on 5 January 2001 (G/SPS/N/AUS/125).
A system for the certification of beef products from countries intending to export those
products to Australia has been implemented to ensure that all countries comply with the
BSE Standard.
The certification system will risk categorize countries (from "A" to "D") that apply to export
beef and beef products to Australia.  This categorization process will be undertaken by the
Australian BSE Country Categorization Committee (ABCCC), which has been establishedby ANZFA.G/SPS/N/AUS/131/Rev.1
Page 2
The categorization system assesses the potential that BSE is present in the cattle population
of the exporting country and whether appropriate steps have been implemented to ensure
that its cattle are free from BSE.  These assessments will be based on information supplied
by countries in response to a questionnaire.  The certification requirements will depend on
the outcome of this categorization process.
Counties with cases of indigenous BSE in their cattle populations will be allocated to
category D, whereby consignments of beef and beef products cannot be imported into
Australia.
Countries which have no indigenous cases of BS E but have not yet been categorized by the
ABCCC, are not permitted to export to Australia beef and beef products, or food containing
beef or beef products as an ingredient.  This situation will remain until a completed
questionnaire has been received and assessed by the ABCCC to categorize the country with
respect to BSE risk.
6. Objective and rationale: [  X ] food safety,  [     ] animal health,  [     ] plant protection,
[ X ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [     ] protect territory from
other damage from pests           
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [  X ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:           
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Subclause 7(2) and
7(3) in Standard C1 in Volume 1 and clause 11(1) and 11(2) in Standard 2.2.1 in Volume 2of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.
Available in English at www.anzfa.gov.au
9. Proposed date of adoption:  Adopted on 16 September 2001, as notified in
G/SPS/N/AUS/131 of 25 July 2001 (inadvertently notified as an emergency measure).
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  16 September 2001 (as per G/SPS/N/AUS/131)
11. Final date for comments:           
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [  X ] National notification
authority, [     ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:           
12. Texts available from: [     ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:           