. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/585 
6 July 2005 
 (05-2973) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
 UPDATE ON DEVELOPMENTS IN CANADA REGARDING BOVINE 
SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY (BSE) 
 
Statement by Canada to the meeting of 29-30 June 2005
 
 
 
 The following communication, dated 30 June 200 5, is circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of Canada.  
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 1. At the March 2005 SPS Committee meeting, Canada advised of its intention to notify a draft 
revised import policy related to BSE.   This policy has now been notified in G/SPS/N/CAN/244.  This 
draft import policy closely adheres to the new scien ce-based standards of the World Organization for 
Animal Health (OIE), as adopted at the 73
rd General Session of the OIE last month in Paris. 
2. Canada’s existing BSE import policy permits the importation of live ruminants and most 
products derived from them only after the exporting c ountry has been officially recognized by the 
Canadian Food Inspection Agency as BSE-free, following a risk assessment using a harmonized 
approach developed jointly by Canada, the Un ited States and Mexico.  A limited range of 
commodities are exempt from BSE-specific conditio ns regardless of the BSE-disease status of the 
exporting country. 
3. However, we recognize that international scien tific understanding of BSE and the available 
measures to mitigate its transmission have evolved s ubstantially in recent years, which has resulted in 
refinements in the relevant international standa rds.  Consequently our existing policy has been 
determined to be more restrictive than the current  international standards which provide the scientific 
basis to protect human and animal health while permitting safe trade. 
4. The proposed import policy, which was notified to the WTO on 25 May 2005, is based 
largely on the newly adopted OIE guidelines for BSE,  and reflects current scientific understanding of 
the measures necessary to protect human and animal  health.  Once implemented, the revised policy 
will maintain Canada’s appropriate level of protection but will do so in a less trade restrictive manner. 
5. This policy provides a framework to assess the BS E-risk status of a country and a range of 
applicable measures to ensure th at the likelihood of importing the BSE-agent leading to the exposure 
of humans and animals is negligible.  The conditions are specific for BSE in bovine animals only.  It 
is important to note that, before a particular co mmodity can be imported, other relevant conditions 
must still be met, for example, the evaluation and approval of the meat inspection system of a country and specific measures for other animal diseases of concern. 
6. In the same manner that Canada is revising its  import policy to reflect the new science-based 
standards as adopted by the OIE, we ask our tradi ng partners to base their measures on these standards 
as well.  As part of the new OIE guidelines, boneless meat from animals less than 30 months of age is G/SPS/GEN/585 
Page 2  
 
 now included in the OIE list of commodities that sh ould be eligible for safe trade whether or not a 
country has confirmed cases of BSE.  Moreover, science-based standards have been elaborated for 
safe trade in other commodities including bone-in m eat and meat from animals over 30 months of age 
and live animals with additional certification guaran tees in recognition of the effectiveness of control 
measures in place. 
7. We conclude by noting that Canada, specifi cally the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, 
stands prepared to certify Canadian  exports of a full range of edible  meat and meat products as well as 
by-products, in accordance with OIE guidelines, as being produced in a manner which removes 
specified risk materials (SRMs).  In addition, Canada can certify that exports of live animals were 
born after the implementation of an  effective feed ban and that a traceability system is in place that 
ensures the ability to certify animals to their herd of birth. 
 
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