WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/GEN/120
31 May 1999
(99-2187)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
ISRAEL'S ANSWERS REGARDING SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
BY THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
(G/SPS/GEN/104)
The following communication from Israel is being circulated.
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We have not been asked to answer points 1 and 2.
Question 3
Israel's import restrictions on live cattle, beef and offal of bovine origin (reflected in
notification G/SPS/N/ISR/2) are based upon the OIE International Animal Health Code (IAHC)
Chapter 3.2.13 of May 1998 regarding BSE, which divides countries or zones into four categories, of
which one category has been defined while the other three are still under study.  Israel has defined six
categories  (A-F) to protect its public and animal health, as facilitated in Article 5.7 of the SPS
Agreement.
Question 4(a) and (b)
Israel's import restrictions relative to BSE consider the EC member States as "moderate" to
"high-risk" countries, as defined by three categories (D-F).  Category D includes countries in which
no case of BSE has been confirmed, and countries in which exceptional cases have been confirmed
but clearly identified as imported.  Category E includes countries in which incidence of BSE inindigenous cattle has been recorded but is less than or equal to one per 100,000 head of cattle.
Category F includes countries in which more than one case of BSE per 100,000 head of cattle has
been confirmed.  Additional criteria, cited in Article 3.2.13.1 of the OIE IAHC, have been taken into
account in the categorization of the individual countries.
Question 4(c)
Countries exporting live cattle to Israel have been requested to submit a BSE risk analysis in
line with the OIE guidelines, in order to be able to better evaluate this categorization.  An earlier
questionnaire, which has been distributed to a wider range of countries from which Israel importsprotein of animal origin, also helped us in this respect.  The countries which have submitted a
satisfactory risk analysis complying with all the point s laid out in the OIE guidelines have, or shall be,
notified about their category listing.G/SPS/GEN/120
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Question 4(d)
Category "A" includes countries which are internationally considered to be free from BSE
and Scrapie.
Answers to specific questions:
− Under "intensive surveillance" we define a general BSE surveillance and monitoring system
with emphasis upon risks identified, in conformity with the guidelines laid down by the OIEIAHC, Appendix 4.5.1.2.  The key features are:
• Banning the local production of mammalian MBMs in rendering plants which
produce meals from other animal species, and the feeding of farm animals with
MBMs of mammalian origin;
• Extensive monitoring of the national herd;
• Regulation and control of the waste handling, waste-disposal and rendering-systems;
• Conducting a risk analysis.
− Under "long-term surveillance" we understand the application of measures which have been
gradually recommended due to their scientific merits and are developed in accordance withthe active clinical and pathological surveillance policy followed by Israel since 1991 (see
Article 5.4 in Israel's BSE Risk Analysis).
− "Strict import restrictions" comprise measures at least equivalent to those Israel has adopted
(summarized in Israel's BSE Risk Analysis), namely:
• A ban on the importation of MBMs of mammalian origin from all countries since
1990 (see 4(e));
• Restricted and controlled importation of ruminants and their ova;
• Restrictions upon the import of pet-food and raw materials for local pet-food
production since 1998.
Question 4(e)
A ban on the import and use of mammalian MBM has been restricted to farm animals whose
meat may be used for human consumption and not as stated in all animals (see also EC Directive
97/375).
Question 4(f)
Satisfactory surveillance is a non-quantitative term, which applies to the five criteria cited in
Article 3.2.13.1 of the OIE IAHC.
Question 4(g)
Israel allows the import of hides and skins from countries with high incidence of BSE.G/SPS/GEN/120
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Question 4(h)
The specific age limits were adopted from the SEAC recommendations.
Ultimately it should be borne in mind that Israel, a beef importing country (no export)
obviously does not have any political or commercial interests whatsoever in this issue.  The said
restrictions were based on purely professional groun ds to the best of the understanding and judgment
of the Israeli experts.
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