1 
 Procedure for the Recognition of Infectious Animal Disease -Free 
Status of a Foreign Country  
(Draft  amendments ) 
 
Note:  In case of any discrepancy between the English version and the Chinese text of 
this Procedure, the Chinese text shall govern.  1. This procedure is provided for handling the application of a foreign country for 
the recognition of its status of freedom from infectious animal disease(s) by the 
Council of Agriculture, Executive Yua n (referred to as "the COA" hereafter).  
2. For the applying country which considers itself as complying with the criteria 
established in the “Terrestrial Animal Health Code” of the World Organisation for 
Animal Health (referred to as “OIE Code” hereafter) for  infectious animal disease 
free or risk status , the country may apply for the recognition of infectious animal 
disease -free status of a zone  or entire country , and the risk status of bovine 
spongiform encephalopathy  (BSE).  
Infectious animal diseases refer to one of the following:  
(1) foot and mouth disease (only for vaccination is not practiced)  
(2) rinderpest  
(3) contagious bovine pleuropneumonia  
(4) peste des petits ruminants  
(5) African swine fever  
(6) classical swine fever  
(7) glanders  
(8) African horse sickness  
(9) highly pathogenic avia n influenza  
(10) Newcastle disease  
(11) rabies  
(12) bovine spongiform encephalopathy  
(13) infectious animal diseases otherwise designated  
3. The central competent authority of veterinary of the applying country shall 2 
 submit the dossiers in Chinese or English for the recognition of infectious animal 
disease -free status of a zone or entire country , and the risk status of BSE  to the 
Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection a nd Quarantine (referred to as 
“BAPHIQ” herea fter) for review based on the type of infectious animal disease 
respectively.  
A country applying for the recognition of infectious animal disease -free zone shall 
comply with “The Principle for the Recognition of Infectious Animal Diseases -Free Status of a  Foreign Country by Zoning Focused on Highly Pathogenic Avian 
Influenza (HPAI) , Newcastle Disease (ND), or Possibly Foot and Mouth Disease 
(FMD) Where Vaccination Is Not Practiced” (please see Appendix). 
4. Upon receiving the application, BAPHIQ will refer to  available international 
animal disease information and conduct one of the following actions:  
(1) Reject the application with the list of the facts leading to such a decision based on international animal disease information which shows that the 
applying count ry is affected or not complying with the relevant requirements 
in OIE Code ; 
(2) Reprocess the risk assessment after the requested complementary documents 
are provided by the applying country  when the submitted information or 
require d complementary document s are incomplete ; 
(3) Reprocess the risk assessment after the detailed information on the animal health status of the applying country is collected and evaluated or an on-site 
verification is conducted when submitted documents are complete but fail to 
clarify the animal health status of the applying country ; or 
(4) Process the risk assessment after the requested documents are complete  and 
the animal health status is clear.  
After the risk assessment process, one of the following actions will be conducted:  
(1) Reject the application with the list of the facts leading to such a decision;  
(2) Reprocess the risk assessment after the requested complementary documents 
are provided by the applying country ; 
(3) Reprocess the ri sk assessment after a n on-site verification conducted by 
BAPHIQ ; 3 
 (4) Submit the application to the Animal Quarantine Advisory Committee of 
BAPHIQ for further scrutiny and accept possible recommendations made by 
the Committee to reject, reprocess the risk asses sment or approve ; or 
(5) Approve the recognition (only for application for re covery  of status) . 
5. The recognition of infectious animal disease -free status of a zone or entire 
country , and the risk status of BSE  may be established after the announcement is 
made b y the COA. The COA adjust s the risk status of BSE  based on the 
information published by  the OIE. Such an official recognition will become invalid 
immediately when the country or zone(s) is/are infected with the disease 
aforementioned, and has (have) been r emoved from the list of free countries 
according to the “Statute for Prevention and Control of Infectious Animal 
Disease”.  
The applying country, which had applied and been recognized as infectious 
animal disease -free before and has been removed from the li st thereafter due to 
an outbreak, may submit application with requested informa tion and certified 
document to BAPHIQ for re covery  of the recognition status.  
6. Importation of animals and animal products from the recognized country or 
zone(s) free from infectious animal disease(s) shall comply with  other relevant 
laws and regulations. Appendix  
1/4 The Principle for the Recognition of Infectious Animal Diseases 
-Free Status of a Foreign Country by Zoning Focused on Highly 
Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) ,  Newcastle Disease (ND), or 
Possibly Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Where Vaccination Is 
Not Practiced  
(Draft)  
1. Definition  
(1) Zoning: According to Chapter 4.4 of the “Terrestrial Animal 
Health Code” of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE 
Code), the extent of a zone and its geogra phical limits should be 
established by the Veterinary Authority on the basis of natural, 
artificial or legal boundaries in order to separate animal 
subpopulations of distinct health status.   
(2) Infectious animal diseases: I nfectious animal diseases in this 
Principle refer to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and 
Newcastle disease (ND). To apply, in accordance with this 
Principle, for the recognition of foot and mouth disease (FMD) 
free status where vaccination is not practiced, the applying 
country sh all submit the request.  
(3) The administrative division: The administrative division refers to 
the subnational entity designated by the applying country based 
on its laws and decrees for the purpose of administration. 
Overseas territories, dependenc ies, and autonomies  are 
excluded.  
(4) The control unit: Based on the principle  that t he control unit of 
the applying country must have a permanent veterinary 
authority supervised by the central competent authority (CCA)  
of veterinary , and is the highest administr ative division that can 
effectively implement animal disease prevention and control measures , with the exception of the administrative division 
below the national level . Appendix  
2/4 A. The control range of the affected premise shall comply with 
Point 3 of this Principle.  
B. The adjustment of the control unit shall comply with Point 5 and Point 6 of this Principle.  
2. If the applying country complies with the criteria established in 
Chapter 10.4 and 10.9 of the OIE Code (for the application for the 
recognition of FMD -free status  where vaccination is not practiced, 
the applying country must comply with Chapter 8.8 of the OIE 
Code), the applying country can apply for the zoning recognition of 
infectious animal disease -free status based on the “Procedure for 
the Recognition of Disea se-Free Status of a Foreign Country”. The 
recognition may be established after the announcement is made by the CCA of Taiwan  (Council of Agriculture ). 
The CCA of veterinary affairs of the applying country shall submit 
the dossiers and relevant documents to  the Bureau of Animal and 
Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ) for review. After BAPHIQ completes the risk assessment process, one of the 
following actions will be conducted:  
(1) Reject the application with the list of the facts leading to such a 
decision;  
(2) Reprocess the risk assessment after the requested 
complementary documents are provided by the applying country;  
(3) Approve the recognition when the risk assessment result is 
accepted and the applying country commits itself to conduct 
requirements  as stated  in Point 3 . 
3. If an outbreak of a i nfectious animal disease occurs within the 
control unit of the zoning -recognized country after acceptan ce and 
verification  based on this Principle , the following measures shall be 
committed to comply ing with and conducted by the CCA of the 
zoning -recognized country:  Appendix  
3/4 (1) The affected premise(s) and in control unit within 10 kilometer 
radius from the affected premise(s) are the infected zone. Live 
animals and a nimal products susceptible to i nfectious animal 
diseases in the zones are suspended for export to Taiwan. 
(2) The CCA of veterinary affairs of the zoning -recognized country 
shall notify BAPHIQ with an official letter within 48 hours (72 hours at the latest) after confirmation of the outbreak. The letter shall include the following information for reviewing: 
etiology of the infectious animal disease (HPAI serotype shall be 
specified), outbreak location,  date of confirmation, map of the 10 kilometer radius con trol zones around the affected premises 
reflecting the control unit, and control measures (movement 
control, stamp ou t or slaughter, other preventi ve measures ). 
4. The zoning -recognized country may submit the dossier with 
relevant documents (each control unit  shall submit one application 
dossier) for resuming the zoning recognition application based on the “Procedure for the Recognition of Disease- Free Status of a 
Foreign Country”  once termination of the outbreak has been 
confirmed and the criteria listed in t he OIE Code has been fulfilled.   
5. The zoning -recognized country  may submit the request to the CCA 
of Taiwan  for adjust ing the level of the control unit from the highest 
administrative division into the secondary division after a certain 
period of time of its implementation through bilateral  consultation.  
6. BAPHIQ may  revoke the recognition or adjust the control unit to the 
whole country when the zoning -recognized country fails to notify 
BAPHIQ within at least 72 hours after confirmation of the outbreak 
or lack of sufficient  information requested in accordance with Point 
3. 
A country which is revoked recognition by BAPHIQ , BAPHIQ may not 
receive the application  for the recognition of infectious animal 
diseases -free by zoning within 5 years from t he date of revoking. Appendix  
4/4 7. Applying countries that have previously signed a bilateral 
agreement for the mutual recognition of the zoning principle with 
Taiwan  are excluded from the Principle.