WORLD TRADE G/SPS/N/CHE/3
23December 1996
ORGANIZATION
(96-5404)
Committee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures
NOTIFICATION
1. Member toAgreement notifying: SWITZERLAND
Ifapplicable, name oflocal government involved:
2. Agency responsible: Swiss Federal Veterinary Office, CH-3097 Liebefeld-Berne
3. Products covered (tariff item number(s) asspecified innational schedules deposited with
theWTO. ICSnumbers may beprovided inaddition, where applicable): Meat products
except those ofChapter 02
4. Title andnumber ofpages ofthenotified document: Conditions fortheimport ofmeat
andmeatproducts oftheequine, bovine, caprine andporcine species (4pages,
available inGerman andFrench)
5. Description ofcontent: Amendment totheimport conditions issued on29July1993,
adding theprovision thatmeatproducts, except products falling under Chapter 02of
theCustoms Tariff must originate from acountry where theuseofspecified bovine
offals forhuman foodhasbeenprohibited (SBOs: brain, spinal cord, eyes, thymus,
spleen intestines, visible lymphatic andnervous tissues, andlymph nodes ofbovines
older than6months). Inthecaseofcountries which donotimplement suchaSBO
ban,theSwiss Federal Veterinary Office maygrant permits forspecified products from
specified producers under certain conditions. Applications havetoberouted through
thecentral veterinary authority ofthecountry concerned, andthecentral veterinary
authority must guarantee thattheproduct isprocessed andtheproduction supervised in
awayastoexclude thepresence ofSBOs inthefinalproduct.
6. Objective andrationale:
Protection ofhuman health andsafety inthecontext ofBSE.
Switzerland hasintroduced alegalbantouseSBOs inthehuman (andanimal) food
chain already in1990. When exporting meatproducts, Switzerland isabletoguarantee
thatanyproduct exported doesnotcontain SBOs. Theproposed amendment aimsat
ensuring thatmeatproducts imported from abroad havethesame status regarding a
possible health risktohumans asmeatproducts originating from within thecountry.
./.G/SPS/N/CHE/3
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7. Aninternational standard, guideline orrecommendation does notexist [X].
Ifaninternational standard, guideline orrecommendation exists, whenever possible,
identify deviations:
Theproposed amendment isincompliance withrecommendation contained in
Article 3.2.13.6 oftheInternational Animal Health Code which focuses ontheimport
ofmeatandmeatproducts from countries withalowincidence ofBSE. Itis,
however, applied onallcountries, asthere isnointernationally agreed standard to
define acountry as"free from BSE", because theminimum requirements foran
effective surveillance arenotdefined yet.
8. Relevant documents andlanguage(s) inwhich these areavailable: Legal basis:
Ordinance ontheimport, transit andexport ofanimals andanimal products of
20April 1988
9. Proposed date ofadoption: Notstated.
10. Proposed date ofentry intoforce: 01.01.1997
11. Final date forcomments: 20.12.1996
Agency orauthority designated tohandle comments:
12. Texts available from: National enquiry point []oraddress, telefax number andE-mail
address (ifavailable) ofother body:
Swiss Federal Veterinary Office
Schwarzenburgstrasse 161
CH-3097 Liebefeld-Berne
Switzerland
Tel: +41-31-323 8517
Fax: +41-31-323 8522