Developing veterinary legislation in a World Trade Organization context

摘要

In addition to addressing national animal health and public health objectives, veterinary legislation should facilitate the implementation of the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement), which aims to minimise the negative effects on trade of national measures taken to protect, among other things, human and animal life and health. WTO Members are encouraged to base their measures on international standards, guidelines and recommendations adopted by theWorld Organisation for Animal Health (for animal health and zoonoses) and the Codex Alimentarius Commission (for food safety). Members are allowed to adopt a higher level of protection than that provided by the relevant international standard if there isa scientific justification, based on a specific risk assessment. Examples of other key provisions of the SPS Agreement relate to equivalence and the recognition of disease-free areas and areas of low disease prevalence. New or changed veterinary laws and regulations should be notified to the WTO Secretariat at the draft stage, giving other WTO Members the opportunity to comment on them. Emergency measures that are not based on an international standard or a risk assessment, for instance in the case ofdisease outbreaks, are permitted on a temporary basis but must also be notified.