WORLD TRADE G/SPS/GN/1
20September 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-3698)
Original: English Committee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures
COMMUNICATION FROM ROMANIA
Thefollowing communication hasbeenreceived from thePermanent Mission ofRomania.
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Withtheaimofaligning itsapproach withthepractice oftheveterinary services oftheEuropean
Union, theCentral andEastern European countries andtheother countries from Europe regarding
import-export andtransit activities ontheRomanian territory, theNational Sanitary Veterinary Agency
asRomanian Veterinary Administration notifies thefollowing:
1. Romania isaFMD-free country notpractising vaccination against thisdisease. Also,
Romania isalist"A"diseases freecountry, officially recognized bydocument RR/KS-30.787-OIE.
2. Thelastoutbreak ofFMD inRomania wasrecorded in1973. Nosuspicion, noclinical
evolution andnoFMD positive lab-tests-results havebeenrecorded since 1973.
3. Romania stopped thevaccination against FMD since1991andinterrupted definitively
theFMD vaccine production asfrom 1992.
4. Averystrict supervision programme forvesicular diseases isinforce inRomania and
a"National Programme toprevent FMD" aswellasa"National Emergency Programme forFMD"
were alsoapplied.
5. The"National Contingency Programme forFMD" andthe"National AlertProgramme
forFMD" were alsoactivated.
6. During themonth ofJuly,theNational Sanitary Veterinary Agency fromtheMinistry
ofAgriculture andFood, together withspecialists fromthe"Pasteur Institute andCentral Laboratory
forVeterinary Diagnosis fromBucarest, instructed alldirectors, labcoordinators, chiefs ofveterinary
police services andthose oftheanti-epizootic services from thedepartmental ("judets") veterinary
directions concerning thedetailed situation created intheBalkans related withFMD, thenational
programmes ofsurveillance, prevention, emergency, contingency andalertforFMD.
7. Duetothesituation intheBalkans area, toprotect romanian territory against FMD,
theNational Sanitary Veterinary Agency hasputinalerttheCentral Anti-epizootic Commandment
National Commission forDisasters Prevention and,atthesame time, itsdepartmental structure.
8. According totheOIE-Animal Health International Code PartII,Chapter 2.1.1.,
Article 2.1.1.3, andtaking intoconsideration thedecisions 96/367/EC; 96/368/EC; 96/414/EC;
92/118/CEE; 96/439/CEE si96/440/EC andalsotheWTO provisions oftheAgreement onthe
./.G/SPS/GN/1
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ApplicationofSanitaryandPhytosanitaryMeasures,theRomanianVeterinaryAdministrationhasadopted
some protective measures concerning:
-specific veterinary control measures anddisinfection ofmeans oftransportation andentry
intheRomanian territory;
-restrictions regarding import andtransit ontheRomanian territory ofliveanimals ofreceptive
species oftheFMD virus; some oftheproducts originated from these animals; aswellas
other products andmaterials which canaffect theanimal health status;
-thesetting upofaspecial supervision regime especially inhighriskepizootic zones (aside
thefrontiers andmain routes oftransit), around international harbours andairports, indense
population areas ofsusceptive animals.
9. Inorder toeliminate anysuspicion onliveanimals exported fromRomania, wehave
introduced again serologic examination byELISA of5percentofthese animals, conforming
Directive 93/242/EEC.
Taking intoconsideration thisnotification wewould askyoutorecord theabove-mentioned
up-to-date epizootic situation ofRomania andtherefore tohaveasuitable approach, regarding import-
export-transit activities in,from andthrough Romania.