. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/ARG/65
20 February 2002
(02-0867)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  Spanish
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  ARGENTINA
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:  National Agriculture and Food Quality and Health Service
(SENASA)
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).  Live animals, animal reproductive material, products, by-products and
derivatives of animal origin, or goods containing these products, of species susceptible to
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE).  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to
the extent relevant or practicable:  Countries which export to Argentina.
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Decision Matrix for the
Importation of Live Animals, Animal Repr oductive Material, Products, By-products and
Derivatives of Animal Origin, or Goods Cont aining these Products, of Species Susceptible
to Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) into the Argentine Republic  (23 pages).
5. Description of content:  Procedure for analysing the risk of Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (BSE) being introduced into the Argentine Republic as a result of theimportation of live animals, animal reproductive material, products, by-products and
derivatives of animal origin, or goods containing these products, of species susceptible to
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), in which the geographical origin with regard to
its BSE situation, the infectivity of the product to be imported and its declared destination of
use are taken into consideration and analysed as risk factors. The resulting decision matrix
establishes, in accordance with the risk factors analysed, whether importation is to be
authorised, restricted or banned.
6. Objective and rationale:  [  X ] food safety,  [  X ] animal health,  [     ] plant protection,
[ X ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [     ] protect territory from
other damage from pests
7. Nature of the urgent problem(s):  The need to protect public and animal health and
maintain Argentina's sanitary status with regard to BSE and to deal with the appearance of
new cases or a fresh outbreak of the disease in affected countries and the known and
unknown causes of this situation make an immediate update of the criteria for preventing
BSE from entering the country necessary.G/SPS/N/ARG/65
Page 2
8. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [     ].  If an
international standard, guideline or recom mendation exists, give its appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:  World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)
recommendations, the criteria adopted by the Scientific Steering Committee of theEuropean Commission in its Final Opinion on the Geographical Risk of Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (GBR), adopted on 6 July 2000, and technical opinions on the issue in
accordance with the OIE International Animal Health Code, Chapter 3.2.13, were taken into
consideration.
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  SENASA Resolution
No. 117/02, available in Spanish from the National Focal Point and for consultation at
http://infoleg.mecon.gov.ar and published in the Official Gazette  on 22 January 2002.
10. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):  Immediately
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:
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food
National Office of Agri-Food Markets
Av. Paseo Colón 922 (C1063ACW) PB, of. 40
Tel.:  (54-11) 4349-2242 or 4349-2243
Fax.  (54-11) 4349 2244
E-mail: gpetri@sagyp.mecon.gov.ar
ecolom@sagyp.mecon.gov.ar