. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/JPN/120 
29 June 2004 
 (04-2798) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   JAPAN
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:   Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Live terrestrial mammal, live  birds and carcasses of rodents 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  All 
regions and countries  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Establishment of a 
notification system for importation of animals th at have a possibility of carrying pathogens of 
infectious diseases (available in English, three pages) 
6. Description of content: The Law Concerning the Prevention of Infectious Diseases and 
Medical Care for Patients of Infectious Dise ases stipulates that, in a newly-established 
notification system for the importation of anim als, a person who imports animals that have a 
possibility of carrying pathogens of infectious diseases shall notify the Minister of Health, 
Labour and Welfare before the importation, in a written form giving the necessary 
information concerning the animals such as their species name, quantity, etc.  In addition, a health certificate issued by the government authorities of the exporting country (or a copy 
thereof) shall be attached to the notification form .  The certificate shall indicate the infectious 
diseases specified for each species (in the ordi nance below) and shall certify that the animal 
meets certain conditions including one that it is not infected with those specific diseases.   
A new Ministerial ordinance is to be establis hed under the above law.  The ordinance shall 
designate "live terrestrial mammals", "live birds"  and "carcasses of rodents" as animals that 
shall be notified before their im portation, and shall specify items that shall be included in the 
notification form and in the health certificate. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [   ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [   ] plant protection, 
[ X] protect humans from animal/plant pest or  disease, [   ] protect territory from other 
damage from pests 
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [ X ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention, [   ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:   With regard to " carcasses of rodents", and 
"West Nile Fever for birds", ther e are no international standards. G/SPS/N/JPN/120 
Page 2  
 
 9. Relevant documents and language(s ) in which these are available:  This regulation will 
appear in Kanpo , (Official Governmental Gazette) when adopted (ava ilable in Japanese). 
10. Proposed date of adoption:   Beginning of September 2004 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   1 September 2005 
12. Final date for comments:  27 August 2004 
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:    
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notificati on authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: