G/SPS/N/ARE/238  
 
14 September 2021  
(21-6817) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES  
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED ARAB EMIRATES  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Climate Change and Environment  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  Live poultry (HS Code: 0105), day -old chicks (HS Code: 0105.11), 
hatching eggs, and poultry products including poultry meat (HS Code: 0207) except 
heat-treated products  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[ ] All trading partners   
[X] Specific regions or countries:  West Flanders in Belgium  
5. Title of the notified document:  United Arab Emirates is imposing a temporary ban on 
the importation of domestic and wild birds and their untreated by -products from Belgium . 
Language(s): English . Number of pages:  
6. Description of content:  Following the notification published by the World Organization 
for Animal Health (OIE) regarding the outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus 
(HPAI) in West Flanders in Belgium, the United Arab Emirates is applying a precautionary 
sanitary meas ure to prevent the risk of introducing HPAI virus through the imports of live 
birds and their products from West Flanders in Belgium.  
These measures include:  
1) Temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds and their untreated 
by-products and day -old chicks and hatching eggs from Belgium to the United Arab 
Emirates;  
2) Temporary ban on the importation of poultry meat and table eggs and their non -heat 
treated products from West Flanders in Belgium to the United Arab Emirates;  
3) Consignme nts of table eggs and poultry meat and their products from West Flanders in 
Belgium that were produced after 9 August 2021 are not allowed to be exported to the 
United Arab Emirates;  
4) Consignments of poultry meat and table eggs and their non -heat treated pr oducts 
from non infected province in Belgium will be released according to the health 
certificate form for export of "meat and meat products" and the health certificate form 
for export of "table eggs and egg products" currently used, provided that the 
comp etent authorities in Belgium should send a health statement saying that the 
imported product(s) from areas where Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus (HPAI) 
has not been registered within a radius of 25 km around the 
farm/slaughterhouse/packing establis hment , the source of the products on at least for 
a period of not less than (28) days before production, and all necessary precautions 
have been taken to prevent the consignment from being in contact with any source of 
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus (HPAI). This is to be done temporarily until the 
approval of the health certificate forms is completed between the two countries;  
5) Continue to allow the importation of heat -treated poultry products (treated meat and 
treated egg products) from all provinc es in Belgium.  G/SPS/N/ARE/238  
 
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  7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [X]  animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[X] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:  There is a risk of 
contamination from importing poultry from West Flanders in Belgium, which is affected 
with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. These applied measures are in compliance with the 
World Organization for Animal Healt h (OIE) Terrestrial Animal Health Code.  
9. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[X] World Organization for Animal Hea lth (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) : Chapter 10.4 of the World Organization 
for Animal Health (OIE) Terrestrial Animal Health Code  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Yes    [ ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
10. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:    
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable):  
12 September 2021  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
Ministry of Climate Change and Environment  
SPS Notification and Inquiry Point  
United Arab Emirates  
E-mail: uaesps@moccae.gov.ae  
13. Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
Ministry of Climate Change and Environment  
SPS Notification and Inquiry Point  
United Arab Emirates  
E-mail: uaesps@moccae.gov.ae