. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/CAN/78
5 January 2000
(00-0030)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English/
French
NOTIFICATION
1.Member to Agreement notifying:  CANADA
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  Canadian Food Inspection Agency
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).  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable:  Animals
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Proposed Amendment to the
Health of Animals Regulations (pages 3800-3813)
5. Description of content: The purposes of the Health of Animals Act and Health of Animals
Regulations are: to prevent the introduction  of animal diseases into Canada; to control and
eliminate diseases in animals that either affect human health or could significantly affect the
Canadian economy; and to provide for the humane treatment of animals during transport.
This regulatory amendment makes signifi cant changes to the provisions of the Health of
Animals Regulations that govern the importation of live animals or their germplasm (semen
and embryos ).
The current Health of Animals Regulations require that all regulated live animals or their
germplasm from countries other than the United States (US) only enter Canada when
accompanied by an import permit issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
The use of import permits has enabled Canada to recognize areas (areas involving parts of
more than one country), or zones (areas within a country) of specified animal health status.
Currently live animals or their germplasm imported from the United States must meet the
health certification requirements in the Health of Animals Regulation s.
The proposed regulatory amendment establishes a new approach to the importation of
regulated live animals and their germplasm. This allows the government to respond more
efficiently to requests to recognize areas of distinct animal health status in all countries, or
to respond to changes in production and disease control practices in specific sectors. The
proposed amendment achieves several major goals including the development of risk
categories for areas of origin, equitable application of import requirements to all countries,
and the use of information technology and the recognition of advances in the industry
standard, such as in animal identification. It would also prohibit the importation of animalsthat have been vaccinated for a disease exotic to Canada. The end result is an approach to
importation that is more timely and effective and still meets the need to protect the health
status of Canadian livestock.G/SPS/N/CAN/78
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6. Objective and rationale: [    ] food safety,  [  X ] animal health,  [     ] plant protection,
[    ] 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 [    ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:  In compliance with OIE (Office international
des Epizooties) standards
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Canada Gazette,
Part 1, 18 December 1999 (Available in English and French)
9. Proposed date of adoption:  Not stated.
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  Not stated.
11.Final date for comments:  16 April 2000
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:           
12. Texts available from: [     ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:           