G/SPS/N/MAR/57  
31 October  2018 
(18-6820) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original:  French  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member : MOROCCO  
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible : Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits Alimentaires , 
ONSSA (National Office for Food Safety)  
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 animals  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  
[X] All trading partners  
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document : Projet de l'Arrêté du Ministre de l'Agriculture, de la 
Pêche Maritime, du Développement Rural et des Eaux et Forêts relatif aux mesures 
complémentaires et spéciales pour lutter contre la fièvre catarrhale ovine  (Draft Order of 
the Minister of Agriculture, Marine Fisheries, Rural Development, Water Resources and 
Forestry on supplementary and special me asures to combat bluetongue disease in sheep) 
Language(s) : French Number of pages : 10 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2018/SPS/MAR/18_5652_00_f.pdf  
6. Description of content : Bluetongue disease in sheep is a legally recognised contagious 
disease under the Dahir containing Law No. 1-75-292 of 1 9 September 1 977 (5 chaoual 
1397) on measures to protect domestic animals against contagious diseases . Pursuant t o 
this Dahir, Morocco issued Ministerial Order No. 2018-01 of 5 November 2 001 
(19 chaabane 1422) on supplementary and  special measures to combat the  disease.  
In view of OIE health recommendations concerning bluetongue in sheep, Morocco's status 
in respect of the disease (in circulation or risk of introduction of new serotypes), and the 
vaccination status of species susceptible to the disease, and in order to provide veterinary 
services with an up -to-date regulatory and technical tool that enables them to ta ke proper 
action against bluetongue, it was deemed necessary to update existing regulations on the  
disease by further specifying:  
 the steps to be taken in the event of confirmation of a serotype already in circulation 
for which preventive mass vaccination is applied ; and 
 the appropriate steps to be taken in the event of confirmation of a new serotype for 
which no preventive vaccination is applied.  
The notified Order will repeal and replace Ministerial Order No. 2018-01 of 
5 November  2001 (19 chaabane 1422) on supplementary and special measures to 
combat bluetongue disease in sheep.  G/SPS/N/MAR/57  
- 2 - 
  7. Objective and rationale : [ ] food safety, [X] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  
8. 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 Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. T errestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) : OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code, 
Chapter 8.3.  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. I SPM number) : 
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the r elevant international standard?  
[X] Ye s [ ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 31 December 2 018 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 31 December 2 018 
11. Proposed date of entry into force : [ ] Six months from date of publication, and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) : 31 December 2 018 
[X] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments : [X] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 30 December 2 018 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments : [X] National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point . Address, fax number and email address 
(if av ailable) of other body:  
13. Text(s) available from : [X] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point . Address, fax number and email address (if available) of other body:  
Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits Alimentaires ( ONSSA)  
Direction de l'Évaluation des Risques et des Affaires Juridiques  
Division de la Normalisation et des Questions SPS  
Avenue Hadj Ahmed Cherkaoui  
Agdal Rabat  
Tel.: (+212) 53 767 6510/513  
Mobile : (+212) 673997817  
Fax: (+212) 53 768 2049