G/SPS/N/PHL/474  
 
24 November 2020  
(20-8487) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES  
1. Notifying Member:  PHILIPPINES  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Department of Agricullture  
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):  0105 - Live poultry, "fowls of the species Gallus domesticus, ducks, 
geese, turkeys and guinea fowls", 0207 - Meat and edible offal of fo wls of the species 
Gallus domesticus, ducks, geese, turkeys and guinea fowls, fresh, chilled or frozen, 
0407 - Birds' eggs, in shell, fresh, preserved or cooked, 04071 - Fertilised eggs for 
incubation: 04072 - Other fresh eggs: 040790 - Birds' eggs, in she ll, preserved or cooked, 
05119 - Other  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[ ] All trading partners   
[X] Specific regions or countries:  United Kingdom  
5. Title of the notified document:  Department of Agriculture Memorandum Order N. 63 
Series of 2020 Temporary Ban on the Importation of Domestic and Wild Birds and their 
Products Including Poultry Meat, Day Old Chicks, Eggs and Semen Originating from 
Frodsham, England United Kingdom . Language(s): English . Number of pages: 1 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/PHL/20_7266_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  The Order, signed on Nov. 18, 2020, institues the following 
emergency measures for the importation of domestic and wild birds and their products 
from Frodsham, England, United Kingdom:  
1) Banning the importation of domestic and wild birds and their products, including 
poultry me at, day old chicks, and semen;  
2) Immediate suspension of the processing, evaluation of the application and 
issuance of SPS import clearance for the said goods;  
3) All incoming poultry meat shipments with SPS import clearance issued on or 
before November 9, 2020 will be allowede provided the frozne poultry meat has 
a slaughter/process date of 21 days prior to the start of the HPAI outbreak (on or 
before October 3, 2020).  All shipments will be subject  to veterinary quarantine 
rules and regulations;  
4) Stoppage an d confiscation of all shipments of the above stated commodities (with 
the exception on heat treated products) into the country by all Veterinary 
Quarantine Officers/Inspectors at all major ports of entry if the provisions written 
in Item 3 are not followed ; 
5) Importation of meat products of poultry is subject to the conditions provided in 
Article 10.4.19, 10.4.20 and 10.4.26 of OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code(2019).  G/SPS/N/PHL/474  
 
- 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. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:  Based on the official 
report submitted by Dr. Christine MIddlemis, Chief Veterinary Off icer, Department of 
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, London, United Kingdom to the World Organisation 
for Animal Health (OIE) on 2 November 2020, there was an outbreak of H5N8 HIghly 
Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus in Frodsham, England affectin g broiler breeder 
rearing birds as confirmed by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Weybridge.  
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 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) : Chapter 10.4 of the Terrestrial Animal 
Health Code (2019).  
[ ] 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):  
Immediately .    
[ ] 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 address 
(if available) of other body:   
Office of the Director  
Policy Research Service  
Department of Agriculture  
Elliptical Road, Diliman,  Quezon City  
Tel: +(632) 926 7439  
Fax: +(632) 928 0590  
E-mail: spspilipinas@gmail.com   
Website: http://spsissuances.da.gov.ph/  
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:   
Office of the Director  
Policy Research Service  
Department of Agriculture  
Elliptical Road, Diliman,  Quezon City  
Tel: +(632) 926 7439  
Fax: +(632) 928 0590  
E-mail: spspilipinas@gmail.com  
Website: http://spsissuances.da.gov.ph/