. /.RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/W/133
6 June 2003
(03-2923)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
PROCEDURE TO MONITOR THE PROCESS
OF INTERNATIONAL HARMONIZATION
Draft Fifth Annual Report1
A. INTRODUCTION
1. At its meeting of 15-16 October 1997, the SPS Committee adopted a provisional procedure to
monitor the process of international harmonization and the use of international standards, guidelinesor recommendations, as provided for in Articles 3.5 and 12.4 of the SPS Agreement.
2  At its July 1999
meeting, the Committee decided to extend the provisional monitoring procedure and review its
operation by July 2001.3  In July 2001, the Committee agreed to further extend the provisional
procedure for 24 months, and to review its operation in July 2003 to determine at that time whether to
continue with the provisional procedure, amend it, or develop another one. 4
2. The Committee has previously adopted four annual reports on the monitoring procedure.5
These reports summarized several standards-related issues that the Committee had considered and the
responses received from the relevant standard-setting organizations.
B. NEW ISSUE
3. One new issue has been raised since the adoption of the Fourth Annual Report. At the
meeting of the Committee held on 7-8 November 2002, the United States pr oposed that the Committee
request the OIE to revise Chapter 2.1.14 of the International Animal Health Code to includeprocedures for low-pathogenic strains of avian influenza (see document G/SPS/GEN/343).  The
Animal Health Code currently deals only with highly pathogenic avian influenza.
4. The representative of the OIE reported that an expert group meeting on avian influenza had
been held in Paris the first week of November 2002.  He noted that several Members had requested
that the chapter of the Animal Health Code dealing with avian influenza be expanded to cover lowpathogenic strains and frequently traded products.  He further stated that the recommendations of the
expert group would be reviewed by the Code Committee at the end of November and submitted for
consideration by the General Session of the OIE in May 2003.
                                                     
1 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice
to the positions of Members or to their rights or obligations under the WTO.
2 G/SPS/11.
3 G/SPS/14.
4 G/SPS/17.
5 These were circulated as G/SPS/13, G/SPS/16, G/SPS/18 and G/SPS/21.G/SPS/W/133
Page 2
C. RESPONSES RECEIVED FROM THE RELEVANT STANDARD -SETTING ORGANIZATIONS
Requirement for control of Infectious Bursal Virus in cooked chicken meat – Response from the
OIE
5. In June 2002, the OIE informed the Committee that infectious bursal disease had been
included in its work programme for the following year.6  The OIE was waiting for research results in
order to progress in this area, but had not yet received information.  The representative of the OIE
encouraged Members to provide information on this disease.
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6 G/SPS/R/27.