G/SPS/N/CRI/159  
 
8 April 2015  
(15-1907)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original:  Spanish  
 
 NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES 
1. Notifying Member: COSTA RICA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible: Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, Servicio Nacional de Salud 
Animal , SENASA  (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, National Animal Health Service) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item  number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; IC S numbers should be provided in 
addition, where applicable): Goods in general 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[ ] All trading partners  [X] Specific regions or countries: The following States of the United States of 
America: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Minnesota, Missouri, Arkansas 
and Kansas. The Resolution will also apply to zones or compartments in the US that subsequently report outbreaks of avian influenza. 
5. Title of the notified document: Resolución N° SENASA-DG-R009-2015  (National 
Animal Health Service Resolution No. SENASA-DG-R009-2015). 
Language(s): Spanish  Number of pages: 3 
Text available at: 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2015/SPS/CRI/15_1545_00_s.pdf  
http://www.senasa.go.cr/senasa/si tio/index.php/pa ginas/view/207  
6. Description of content: Precautionary measure taken following outbreaks of the highly 
pathogenic avian influenza virus, subtypes H5N8 and H5N2, in poultry, including 
turkeys, pheasants and chickens, in various States of the United States of America. 
Given that Costa Rica is free from the avian influenza virus, it is vital to protect the country and its poultry industry by implementing measures to delay or prevent the introduction of the virus into national territory. 
7. Objective and rationale: [X] food safety, [X] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[X] protect humans from animal/plant pe st or disease, [ ] protect territory 
from other damage from pests.  
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s)  and reason for urgent action: Given that Costa 
Rica is free from the avian influenza virus, it is vital to protect the country and its 
poultry industry by implementing measures to delay or prevent the introduction of the virus into national territory.  
A temporary suspension has therefore b een imposed on imports from the above-
mentioned US States of the risk products specified in  Chapter 10.4 (Infection with avian 
influenza viruses) of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code. This temporary suspension will also apply to zones or compartments in the US that subsequently report outbreaks 
of avian influenza.  G/SPS/N/CRI/159 
 
- 2 - 
 
  9. Is there a relevant international stan dard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial  n u m b e r  o f  C o d e x  
standard or related text)  
[X] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) Terrestrial Animal Health Code,  
Chapter 10.4 "Infection with avian influenza viruses" 
[ ] 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 langua ge(s) in which these are available:    
- Ley N° 8495, Ley General del Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal  (Law No. 8945: 
General Law governing the National Animal Health Service); 
- OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code,  Chapter 10.4 "Infection with avian influenza 
viruses". 
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable):  
Immediately   
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [X] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body: 
13. Texts available from: [X] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e-mail a ddress (if available) of other body:   
Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería 
Servicio Fitosanitario del Estado (SFE) Centro de Información y Notificación MSF 
Apartado Postal 1521 – 1200 
San José, Costa Rica Tel.: (+506) 2549-3454 Fax: (+506) 2549-3598 
E-mail: puntocontactoMSF@sfe.go.cr