G/SPS/N/MAR/50  
3 March  2017 
(17-1281) 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 tari ff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO ; ICS numbers should be provided in addition 
where applicable) : Live animals (poultry)  
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 : Arrêté du ministre de l'agriculture et de la pêche 
maritime relatif aux mesures complémentaires et spéciales pour lutter contre l'influenza 
aviaire hautement pathogèn e (peste aviaire)  (Order of the Minister of Agriculture and 
Marine Fisheries on supplementary and special measures to combat Highly Pathogenic 
Avian Influenza (bird flu)) Language(s) : French Number of pages : 13 
6. Description of content : Morocco's  domesti c poultry population, like those in all other 
countries around the world, is currently at risk from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza 
(HPAI) . This  sector is , however,  of key importance to the national economy, covering more 
than 55% of the total demand for  meat and 100% of the demand for table eggs.  
HPAI constitutes a proven threat to public health, as the virus responsible for the disease 
may be transmitted to human beings and therefore give rise to a human flu pandemic if 
human -to-human transmission occur s. 
In light of the above, the National Office for Food Safety (ONSSA) has developed a national 
programme to monitor and combat the disease . It includes a set of measures aimed at 
maintaining Morocco's status as a country free from HPAI, and special measure s to control 
and eradicate the disease in the event of an outbreak in national territory.  
It has become necessary to review and update the existing Order of the Minister of 
Agriculture, Rural Development and Marine Fisheries on supplementary and special 
measures to combat Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.  
The notified draft Order has been worded so as to cover the following aspects:  
 sanitary measures to be taken in the event of suspect ed cases of the disease;  
 sanitary measures to be taken in the event of c onfirmed cases of the disease ; and 
 arrangements for compensating poultry owners.  
7. Objective and rationale : [ ] food safety, [X] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[X] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from 
other d amage from pests.  G/SPS/N/MAR/50  
- 2 - 
  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 errest rial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number ) Chapter 2.1.14  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. I SPM number) : 
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Ye s [ ] No 
If no, describe, when ever 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) : 1 April 2 017 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 1 May 2 017 
11. Proposed date of entry into force : [X] Six months from date of publication, 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments : [X] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 2 May 2 017 
Agenc y or authority designated to handle comments : [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  
Direction de l'Évaluation des Risques et des Affaires Juridiques  
Avenue Hadj Ahmed Cherkaoui  
Agdal Rabat  
Tel.: (+212) 53 767 6510/11  
Mobile : (+212) 67 399 7803  
Fax: (+212) 53 768 2049  
13. Text(s) available from : [X] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquir y 
Point . Address, fax number and email address (if available) of other body:  
Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits Alimentaires  
Direction de l'Évaluation des Risques et des Affaires Juridiques  
Avenue Hadj Ahmed Cherkaoui  
Agdal Rabat  
Tel.: (+212) 53 767 6510/11  
Mobile : (+212) 67 399 7803  
Fax: (+212) 53 768 2049