. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/COL/82 
15 April 2004 
 
 (04-1701) 
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, meat 
products of avian origin and other risk products 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:   
  Canada  
5. Title and number of pages of the notified document:   Colombian Agricultural Institute 
(ICA) Resolution No. 00554 of 24 March 2004  Adopting Health-Related Measures to 
Prevent the Introduction into Colombia of Av ian Influenza  (2 pages, in Spanish).  
6. Description of content:   This Resolution suspends imports of the above-mentioned products 
until the ICA has assessed the ri sk of the disease being introdu ced into Colombia by means 
of both in situ  verification and a review of documentation. Animal health documents for the 
importation of such products that were issued  prior to the date of this Resolution are 
cancelled and cease to have legal effect. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [   ] food safety,  [ X ] animal health,  [   ] plant protection, 
[ X ] protect humans from anim al/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 by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), an outbreak of a 
highly pathogenic strain 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:  G/SPS/N/COL/82 
Page 2  
 
 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):   A s  o f  d a t e  o f  i s s u e .  
Publication in th e Official Journal on 31 March 2004. 
12. Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X ] National notification 
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or  address, 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 noti fication 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
 (Contact person) 
  jcrondon@mincomercio.gov.co  
 Tel.:   (571) 350-5500, Ext. 713 
 Fax:   (571) 350-9564 
 Web site: http://www.mincomercio.gov.co