. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/COL/78 
11 March 2004 
 (04-1080) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures  Original:   Spanish  
   
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   COLOMBIA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible:  Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Fresh poultry meat, live poultry, eggs for hatching and consumption and other 
meat products of avian origin 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:   
 Province of British Columbia (Canada)  and other disease-affected provinces. 
5. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Colombian Agricultural Institute 
(ICA) Resolution No. 00354 of 26 February 2004 Adopting Health-Related Measures to 
Prevent the Introduction into Colombia of Av ian Influenza  (2 pages, in Spanish).  
6. Description of content:  Imports are suspended for a peri od of three months, during which 
time the ICA will review updated information in  order to assess the risk of the disease being 
introduced into Colombia.  Animal health import documents that were issued prior to the date 
of this Resolution and have not become effective are invalidated immediately. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [   ] 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 reasons for urgent action:   According to 
information submitted to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) by the Canadian 
Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), an outbreak of  avian influenza has been recorded at a 
poultry farm in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. 
9. International standard, gu ideline 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:  
10. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Andean Community 
Resolution No. 447 of 1997 (available in Spanish). 
11. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):   Upon publication in the 
Official Journal / three (3) calendar months. G/SPS/N/COL/78 
Page 2  
 
12. Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X ] National notification 
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or addr ess, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
 National enquiry point
 
 E-mail: javiermi@mincomercio.gov.co 
 Tel.: (571) 350-5500, Ext. 703  Fax: (571) 350-5211 
 and 
 Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario - ICA 
 Grupo de Análisis de Riesgos Agrop ecuarios y Asuntos Internacionales  
 Calle 37 # 8-43, Oficina 409  Bogotá, D.C., Colombia  Tel.: (571) 285-3485 
 Fax: (571) 232-4695 
 Web site: http://www.ica.gov.co
 
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notification authority, [ X ] National enquiry 
point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: 
 Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo 
 Dirección de Regulación 
 Calle 28 No.13A - 15, primer piso   Bogotá, D.C., Colombia  E-mail: danielrico@mincomercio.gov.co (Enquiry point)  jcrondon@mincomercio.gov.co 
 Tel.:   (571) 350-5500, Ext. 713 
 Fax:   (571) 350-9564  Web site: http://www.mincomercio.gov.co