Animal health measures applicable on arrival

Article 5.7.1.

1. An importing country should only accept into its territory animals which have been subjected to a health examination by an Official Veterinarian of the exporting country and which are accompanied by an international veterinary certificate provided by the Veterinary Authority of the exporting country.

2. An importing country may require adequate advance notice regarding the proposed date of entry into its territory of animals, stating the species, quantity, means of transport and the name of the border post to be used.

   In addition, importing countries shall publish a list of the border posts equipped to conduct control operations related to importation and enabling the importation and transit procedures to be carried out in the quickest and most effective way.

3. An importing country may prohibit the introduction into its territory of animals if it considers that certain diseases exist in the exporting country, or transit countries which precede it in the itinerary, which are capable of being transmitted to its own animals. In the case of transit countries, the prohibition should not apply to bees which are transported in securely closed vehicles or containers.

4. An importing country may prohibit the introduction into its territory of animals if these are found, on examination at the border post by an Official Veterinarian, to be affected by, suspected of being affected by or infected with a disease capable of being transmitted to the animals in its territory.

   Animals which are not accompanied by an international veterinary certificate conforming with the requirements of the importing country may also be refused entry.

   In these circumstances, the Veterinary Authority of the exporting country shall be informed immediately, thereby providing an opportunity for confirming the findings or correcting the certificate.

   However, the importing country may prescribe that the importation be placed immediately in quarantine in order to carry out clinical observation and biological examinations with a view to establishing a diagnosis.

   If the diagnosis of an epizootic disease is confirmed, or if the certificate cannot be corrected, the importing country may take the following measures:

   1. return the animals to the exporting country, if this measure does not involve transit through a third country;

   2. slaughter and destroy in cases where return to the exporting country would be dangerous from the health point of view or impossible from a practical point of view.

5. Animals, accompanied by a valid international veterinary certificate and found to be healthy by the Veterinary Authority at the border post, shall be permitted to be imported and transported in accordance with the requirements of the importing country to the point of destination.

Article 5.7.2.

1. Any importing country should only accept into its territory:

   1. semen,

   2. oocytes or embryos,

   3. hatching eggs,

   4. brood-combs of bees,

   which are accompanied by an international veterinary certificate.

2. An importing country may require adequate advance notice regarding the proposed date of entry into its territory of any consignment of the above-mentioned products, stating the species, quantity, nature and packaging of the products, and the name of the border post to be used.

3. A country may prohibit the importation of the above-mentioned products into its territory if it considers that certain diseases exist in the exporting country, or in the transit countries which precede it in the itinerary, which are capable of being introduced by these products into its territory.

4. A country may prohibit the introduction into its territory of the above-mentioned products presented at one of its border posts, if they are not accompanied by an international veterinary certificate complying with the requirements of the importing country.

   In these circumstances, the Veterinary Authority of the exporting country shall be notified at once, and the products may be returned to the exporting country or placed in quarantine and/or destroyed.

Article 5.7.3.

1. An importing country should only accept into its territory meat and products of animal origin intended for human consumption which comply with point 1) of Article 5.4.6.

2. An importing country may require adequate advance notice regarding the proposed date of entry into its territory of a consignment of meat or products of animal origin intended for human consumption together with information on the nature, quantity and packaging of the meat or products, and the name of the border post to be used.

3. If inspection of the consignment shows that the meat or the products of animal origin intended for human consumption might be a danger to the health of persons or animals, or if the international veterinary certificate is not correct or does not apply to the products, the Veterinary Authority of the importing country may cause the meat or products to be returned or be subjected to adequate treatment to ensure that they are safe. When the products are not returned, the Veterinary Authority of the exporting country shall be informed immediately, thereby providing an opportunity for confirming the findings.

Article 5.7.4.

1. An importing country should only accept into its territory products of animal origin intended for use in animal feeding, or for pharmaceutical or surgical or agricultural or industrial use which are accompanied by an international veterinary certificate provided by the relevant Veterinary Authority of the exporting country.

2. An importing country may require adequate advance notice regarding the proposed date of entry into its territory of a consignment of products of animal origin intended for use in animal feeding, or for pharmaceutical or surgical or agricultural or industrial use, together with information on the nature, quantity and packaging of these products, and the name of the border post to be used.

3. An importing country may prohibit the importation into its territory of products of animal origin intended for use in animal feeding, or for pharmaceutical or surgical or agricultural or industrial use if it considers that certain diseases exist in the exporting country, which are capable of being introduced by these products. There may also be prohibition of transit through countries where these diseases exist, except where the transport is carried out in sealed vehicles or containers.

4. When the international veterinary certificates have been examined and found to be correct, the importation of the above-mentioned products shall be permitted.

5. An importing country may require that the products of animal origin intended for use in animal feeding, or for pharmaceutical or surgical or agricultural or industrial use, be consigned to establishments approved by the Veterinary Authority and under its supervision.

6. If inspection of the consignment shows that the products are capable of endangering the health of persons or animals, or if the international veterinary certificates are not correct or do not apply to the products, the Veterinary Authority of the importing country may either return the products to the exporting country or cause them to be made safe.

   When the products are not returned, the Veterinary Authority of the exporting country shall be informed immediately, thereby providing an opportunity for confirming the findings or correcting the certificate.

Article 5.7.5.

On the arrival at a border post of a vehicle transporting an animal or animals infected with any listed disease, the vehicle shall be considered as contaminated, and the Veterinary Authority shall apply the following measures:

1. unloading of the vehicle and immediate transportation of the animal or animals, in a leak-proof vehicle direct to:

   1. an establishment approved by the Veterinary Authority for the slaughter of the animal or animals and the destruction or possibly sterilisation of their carcasses; or

   2. a quarantine station or, in the absence of a quarantine station, to a place assigned in advance which is well isolated and near the border post;

2. unloading of the vehicle and immediate transportation of the litter, forage and any other potentially contaminated material to an establishment assigned in advance for their destruction, and strict application of the animal health measures required by the importing country;

3. disinfection of:

   1. all baggage of the attendants;

   2. all parts of the vehicle which were used in the transport, feeding, watering, moving and unloading of the animal or animals;

4. disinfestation, in cases where any insect vector diseases are present.

Article 5.7.6.

On the arrival at a border post of a vehicle transporting an animal or animals suspected of being affected with any listed disease, the vehicle shall be considered as being contaminated, and the Veterinary Authority may apply the measures provided in Article 5.7.5.

Article 5.7.7.

The vehicle shall no longer be considered as contaminated when the measures prescribed by the Veterinary Authority in accordance with Article 5.7.5. have been carried out.

The vehicle may then be allowed to enter.

Article 5.7.8.

Ships and aircraft should not be refused access to a port or airport for animal health reasons in cases of emergency.

Nevertheless, the ship or aircraft should be subjected to all of the animal health measures which the port or airport Veterinary Authority may consider necessary.

Article 5.7.9.

1. An aircraft transporting animals or animal products need not be regarded as coming from an infected zone solely because it landed in such a zone at one or more airports as long as these airports are not infected.

   This should be considered direct transit provided no offloading of animals and animal products takes place.

2. Any aircraft coming from a foreign country where animal diseases transmitted by insect vectors are present shall be subjected to disinfestation immediately after landing, except when such a disinfestation was carried out immediately before departure or during the flight.

nb: first adopted in 1968.