. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/AUS/106
3 September 1999
(99-3679)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  AUSTRALIA
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible: Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, whereapplicable). Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable: On 4 and 5 June 1999 special import restrictions were imposed on pig and
poultry products (including egg products), produced in Belgium, France and The
Netherlands between 15 January and 2 June 1999;  and on 9 June restrictions were extended
to beef and dairy products from these countries.  On 2 July 1999 the special import
restrictions relating to pig and poultry products (including egg products), and beef and dairy
products from France and The Netherlands were revoked.
On 16 August 1999 import restrictions on the foll owing products have been lifted:  (i) milk
and dairy products containing milk fat;  (ii) chocolates except those containing more than
2 per cent egg yolk or animal fat other than milk fat;  and (iii) egg whites.
On 16 August 1999 import restrictions on all remaining products derived from pig, cattle
and poultry (including egg yolk) from Belgium have been strengthened and onlycertification based on the testing of individual consignments will be accepted.
Consignments without such certificates will  be held pending acceptable tests for dioxin
contamination.
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document: :  Measures invoking existing
powers under the Imported Food Control Act and Regulations .
5. Description of content: As a result of dioxin contamination of stock food distributed in
Belgium, France and The Netherlands between 15 January and 2 June 1999, food in the
categories as identified in item 3 above imported from Belgium will only be cleared by
AQIS under the Imported Food Inspection Programme if testing shows that the foods arefree of dioxin contamination, or if they are accompanied by an official certificate indicating
that the foods have been tested and found not contaminated with dioxin.
6. Objective and rationale:  [  X ] food safety,  [     ] animal health,  [     ] plant protection,
[    ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease,
[    ] protect territory from other damage from pests           
7. Nature of the urgent problem(s):  Continued monitoring is required of the above products
from Belgium to prevent dioxin contaminated foods from entering Australia.G/SPS/N/AUS/106
Page 2
8. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [  X ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give its appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:           
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Imported Food
Control Act 1992 and Regulations (available in English)
10. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):  The import restrictions
relating to the products from Belgium have been modified on 16 August 1999 in relation to
products listed in item 3;  these import restrictions will remain in force until it is determined
that no threat remains of contaminated product entering Australia.
11. Texts available from/and agency or authority designated to handle comments:
[    ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point or address, fax
number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:           