G/SPS/N/ARE/242  
 
25 November 2021  
(21-8895) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES  
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED ARAB EMIRATES  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Climate Change and Environment  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  Live poultry (HS Code: 0105), day -old chicks (HS Code: 0105.11), 
hatching eggs, and poultry products including poultry meat (HS Code: 0207) except 
heat-treated products  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[ ] All trading partners   
[X] Specific regions or countries:  Plovdiv region in Bulgaria  
5. Title of the notified document:  United Arab Emirates is imposing a temporary ban on 
the importation of domestic and wild birds and their untreated by -products from Bulgaria . 
Language(s): . Number of pages:  
6. Description of content:  Following the notification published by the World Organisation 
for Animal Health (OIE) regarding the outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus 
(HPAI) in the Plovdiv region in Bulgaria, the United Arab Emirates is applying a 
precautionary sanitar y measure to prevent the risk of introducing HPAI virus through the 
imports of live birds and their products from the Plovdiv region in Bulgaria.  
These measures include:  
1. Temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds and their untreated 
by-products and day -old chicks and hatching eggs from Bulgaria to the United Arab 
Emirates;  
2. Applying the "mechanism of importing falcons from high -risk countries" on importing 
from Bulgaria;  
3. Continue to allow the importation of heat -treated poult ry products (treated meat and 
treated egg products) in addition to the heat -treated by -products from all regions in 
Bulgaria;  
4. Allow the entry of consignments of unheat -treated poultry meat and table eggs from 
areas (according to the first administrative di vision (County)) that are not infected, 
according to the currently used health certificate models, provided that the competent 
authorities of the country of export send a health statement: "The imported products 
were produced (and packed) from live poultry  from a facility 
(farm/slaughterhouse/packing facility) in an area (defined within a 25 km radius 
around the facility) in which no highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have been 
recorded for a period of no less than 28 days prior to exportation with th e application 
of the destruction policy or for a period of no less than 12 months prior to export 
without applying the policy of destruction;  
5. Consignments of table eggs and poultry meat from Plovdiv Region that were 
produced/slaughtered/packed after 25 Oct ober 2021 are not allowed to be exported to 
the United Arab Emirates.  G/SPS/N/ARE/242  
 
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  7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [X]  animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[ ] 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:  There is a risk of 
contamination from importing poultry from the Plovdiv region in Bulgaria, which is affected 
with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. These applied measures are in c ompliance with 
Article 10.4.4, Chapter 10.4 of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Terrestrial 
Animal Health Code.  
9. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[X] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Anima l Health Code, chapter number) : Chapter 10.4 of the World Organisation 
for Animal Health (OIE) Terrestrial Animal Health Code  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
10. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:    
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable):  
22 November 2021  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail addres s (if 
available) of other body:   
Ministry of Climate Change and Environment  
SPS Notification and Inquiry Point  
United Arab Emirates  
E-mail: uaesps@moccae.gov.ae  
13. Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
Ministry of Climate Change and Environment  
SPS Notification and Inquiry Point  
United Arab Emirates  
E-mail: uaesps@moccae.gov.ae