. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/BGR/23 
11 November 2004 
 (04-4811) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   BULGARIA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:   Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry 
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 swine, fresh pork meat, pork meat products, offal, skins and bristles from 
swine. 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable:   Italy 
and Portugal  
5. Title, language  and number of pages of the notified document:  Order N°. RD 09-462 
of 26 August 2004 (1 page);  Order N°. RD 09-524 of 29 September 2004 amending Order N°: RD 09-462 of 26 August 2004 (1 page).  
6. Description of content:  Prohibition on the imports of live sw ine, fresh meat, meat products, 
offal, skins and bristles from swine originatin g in the Republic of Italy and the Republic of 
Portugal, with the exception of products obtai ned from swine that have undergone a thermal 
or chemical treatment ensuring the destructi on of the virus of the Swine Vesicular Disease 
and African Swine Fever.  Th e prohibition on the imports of live swine, fresh meat, meat 
products, offal, skins and bristles from swine orig inating in the Republic of Portugal has been 
withdrawn due to the data provided with rega rd to the favourable epizootic situation. 
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:   Vesicular Disease and 
African Swine Fever-related measure was taken due to the unfavourable epizootic situation 
in the Republic of Italy and the Republic of  Portugal as a risk management measure to 
protect against the introduction of these disea ses into the Republic of Bulgaria. Office 
International des Epizooties classifies the Vesicular disease and African swine fever in 
List A diseases as transmissible diseases that have the potential for very serious and rapid 
spread, irrespective of national borders, that ar e of serious socio-economic or public health 
consequence and that are of major importance in the international trade of animals and 
animal products. G/SPS/N/BGR/23 
Page 2  
 
 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:  Respective recommendations of Chapter 2 of 
the Terrestrial Animal Health Code, 2004 Edition. 
10. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:   Order No. RD 09-462 
of 26 August 2004, and Order No. RD 09-524 of 29 September 2004 amending Order No. 
RD 09-462 of 26 August 2004 were promulgated in State Gazette   (Translation of the 
documents is available in English) 
11. Date of entry into force/period  of application (as applicable):   7 September 2004 (Order 
N°. RD 09-462 of 26 August 2004).  As of 8 October 2004 the prohibition on the imports of live swine and swine products originati ng in the Republic of Portugal has been 
withdrawn. 
12. 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:    
National Veterinary Service 
15A Pencho Slaveikov Blvd. 1606 Sofia, Bulgaria 
Tel:  +359 2 952 1345 
Fax:  +359 2 954 9593 E-mail:  Galia.Kostadi nova@nvms.government.bg  
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notification authority, [ X ] National enquiry 
point,  or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  
 
National Veterinary Service 
15A Pencho Slaveikov Blvd. 1606 Sofia, Bulgaria Tel:  +359 2 952 1345 Fax:  +359 2 954 9593 
E-mail:  Galia.Kostadi nova@nvms.government.bg