G/SPS/GEN/1813  
 
14 July 2020 
(20-4805) Page: 1/1 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
RECOGNITION OF FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE -FREE STATUS  
SUBMISSION  BY THE SEPARATE CUSTOMS  TERRITORY OF TAIWAN , PENGHU, KINMEN AND  
MATSU  
The following document , received on 10 July 2020, is being circulated at the request of the delegation 
of the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu . 
 
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1.1.  Pursuant to Article 6 of the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary 
Measures, regarding  regional conditions, including pest - or disease -free areas and areas of low pest 
or disease prevalence, and in keeping with the principle of transparency, we wish to  inform 
WTO Members of the details of our recently -gained foot and mouth disease (FMD) free status.  
1.2.  On 13 June 2020, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) officially recognized the 
animal health status of the areas of our customs territory comprising Taiwan, Penghu and Matsu as 
being " one zone free from FMD where vaccination i s not practi sed". 
1.3.  Over the last 23 years, since the first occurrence of FMD on our customs territory in 1996, we 
have implemented a series of measures dedicated to the surveillance, control, prevention and 
eradication of this disease. The FMD programme  of vaccination in the aforementioned zone was 
discontinued from 1 July 2018,  and surveillance was then implemented in accordance with Articles 
8.8.40 to 8.8.42  of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code to detect any clinical signs of FMD. 
No evidence has been  found of infection with FMD in unvaccinated animals . 
1.4.  Following implementation of the measures  and the result as stated above , we applied for the 
OIE’s official recognition of the zone covered by Taiwan, Penghu and Matsu  areas as free from FMD 
where vaccin ation is not practised, in accordance with Article 8.8.3 of the  OIE Terrestrial Animal 
Health Code  on 5 September 2019.  
1.5.  Consequently,  on the recommendation of the OIE Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases, 
the FMD status of this zone was approved  on 12 June 2020 by the World Assembly of OIE Delegates  
in accordance with the adapted procedure for the adoption  of OIE r esolution No. 7 in the wake of the 
COVID -19 pandemic . 
1.6.  With this new animal health status, we are now pleased to invite WTO Members to inform their 
health and veterinary authorities in order that restrictions previously imposed by some , may now be 
lifted. We look forward to cooperating closely with all of our trading partners and discussing 
arrangements for the resumption of trade in relevant an imals and animal products.  
1.7.  The official disease status  information  is available at:  
− https://www.oie.int/animal -health -in-the-world/official -disease -status/  
− https://www.oie.int/en/animal -health -in-the-world/official -disease-
status/fmd/list -of-fmd-free-members/  
− https://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/About_us/docs/pdf/Session/2020/A
_RESO_2020.pdf  G/SPS/GEN/1813  
 
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  1.8.  The authority responsible for disease eradication and notification is the Bureau of Animal and 
Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine  (BAPHIQ ), Council of Agriculture  (COA). Further enquiries 
regarding this document may be addressed to: daq@mail.baphiq.gov.tw  
 
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