. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/NZL/77/Add.3
15 October 2001
(01-5010)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
Addendum
The following communication, dated 11 October 2001, has been received from New Zealand.
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Measure to provide ongoing management of the human health risks associated with imported food
products potentially containing the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) agent
This addendum is to notify WTO members that New Zealand will implement a food safety
measure requiring all countries exporting bovine m eat products to New Zealand to be categorised
according to their BSE risk status.  Certification commensurate with a country’s categorisation byNew Zealand must accompany all exports to  New Zealand of bovine meat products.
This measure has been taken in order to manage the human health risks associated with the
consumption of bovine meat products potentially containing the BSE agent.
The Ministry of Health currently prohibits all bovine products from countries considered to be
a BSE risk.  This prohibition is enforced under the New Zealand (Mandatory) Food Standard 1997(refer G/SPS/N/NZL/77, G/SPS/N/NZL/77/ Add.1 and G/SPS/N/NZL/77/Add.2) until the new
provision are implemented in 14 January 2001.
New Zealand’s proposed new import measure is closely based on the relevant international
standard.  International and domestic interest in this  issue is high.  The timetable for consultation and
implementation is as follows:
Friday 7 December 2001 End of 60-day consultation period.
8 December – 14 January 2001 Analysis of submissions.  Amendments to the assessment
and categorisation process, including changes to
assessment information requirements, will be entered on
to the Ministry of Health web site.
1  A copy of the final
measure will be sent to all submitters.
14 January 2002 Implementation of the new measure applying to imports
of bovine meat products for human consumption.  The
current temporary measures will no longer apply.  From
this date, all imports of bovine meat products in food for
human consumption, other than those covered by the
transition provisions below, must be accompanied by the
required certification from a country that has beencategorised under this measure.
                                                     
1www.moh.govt.nzG/SPS/N/NZL/77/Add.3
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After the date of implementation, all foods likely to contain bovine meat products will be
stopped at the border and assessed for any bovine or bovine-derived meat products.  Foods with any
bovine or bovine-derived meat product content will only be allowed entry if:
either:
1 products are from countries that have been categorised by New Zealand and are
accompanied by the certification required under the new import measure;
or:
2 an application for categorisation meeting all the information requirements on
pages 9-22 has been lodged with and accepted by the New Zealand Ministry of
Health prior to the date of implementation but categorisation has not been finalised.
In that case, bovine meat products from that country will continue to be subject to
any import restrictions that were in place prior to the implementation date2, until the
application has been processed.  (For example: a category has been assigned and
certification arrangements negotiated, or the application has been declined and no
category has been assigned.);
or:
3 they fall within the categories of products that are excluded from the import
measure.
The notified document can be obtained from the Mr. Keawe Woodmore, Coordinator, New
Zealand SPS Notification Authority, PO Box 2526, Wellington, New Zealand.  Tel: +64 4 474 4226;
Fax: +64 4 470 2730;  E-mail:  sps@maf.govt.nz or alternatively it is also available on the internet at:
website:  http://www.maf.govt.nz/biosecur ity/sps/transparency/notifications/index.htm
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2 Countries subject to import restrictions for bovine meat products prior to the implementation of this
measure are: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark,Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Finland, Former Yu goslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic,
Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and The United Kingdom.