WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/789 
26 June 2007 
 (07-2711) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English/ 
 French/  Spanish 
 
  
UPDATE ON ACTIVITIES RELATING TO DISEASE REGIONALISATION 
39
TH MEETING OF THE SPS COMMITTEE 
 
Communication from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)  
 
 
 The following communication, received on 25 June 2007, is being circulated at the request of 
the OIE. 
 
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I. RELEVANT OIE DEFINITIONS 
1. Zone/Region: a clearly defined part of a c ountry containing an animal subpopulation with a 
distinct health status with respect to a specific disease (see Figure 1, Attachment 1). 
2. Compartment: one or more establishments (p remises in which animals are kept) under a 
common biosecurity management system containing an  animal subpopulation with a distinct health 
status with respect to a specific disease (see Figure 2, Attachment 1). 
II. DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONCEPT WITHIN THE TERRESTRIAL ANIMAL 
HEALTH CODE   
3. The Terrestrial Animal Health Code (the C ode) Chapter 1.3.5 on Zoning and Regionalisation 
was introduced with a Section on Import Risk Analys is in 1993 in response to Members’ need for a 
clear understanding of the concepts  of "zone" and "compartment".  
4. The OIE has participated in several discussi ons within the SPS Committee on the need to 
clearly define the pathway for applying th ese concepts in international trade.  
5. Extensive revisions to the Chapter were adopt ed in 2005 and in 2007.  The Code (English 
text) may be found at http://www.oie.int/eng/normes/en_mcode.htm?e1d10 .  French and Spanish texts 
are also available on the OIE website www.oie.int . 
III. OBJECTIVES OF REGIONALIZATION 
6. Based on discussions within the OIE and th e SPS Committee, regionalization and related 
concepts can be used to help resolve practi cal difficulties in national disease eradication:  
"Given the difficulty of establishing and maintaining a disease free status for an 
entire country, especially for diseases the en try of which is difficult to control G/SPS/GEN/789 
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  through measures at national boundaries, there may be benefits to a Member 
Country in establishing and maintaining a subpopulation with a distinct animal 
health status within its territory." 
7. The Code clarifies the purpose of using zoning  and compartmentalisation, as "procedures 
implemented by a country to define subpopulations of distinct animal health status within its territory 
for the purpose of disease control and/or international trade". 
8. A zone is defined primarily on a geographical  basis (using natural, artificial or legal 
boundaries) and a compartment is defined primarily  by management and husbandry practices relating 
to biosecurity.  However, both concepts can in corporate a range of management and geographic 
features depending on the epidemiology of the disease concerned.    
9. In all cases, the final authority for defining,  maintaining and certifying the zone, region or 
compartment rests with the Veterinary Authority of the country concerned. 
IV. RECOGNITION OF ZONES/COMPARTMENTS BY TRADING PARTNERS 
10. In addition to explaining the potential applica tions and benefits of these concepts, Chapter 
1.3.5 outlines a sequence of steps that can be taken to  define a zone or compartment.  It recognizes the 
need for negotiations between Veterinary Authorities in  order to recognize the application of a zone or 
compartment with a view to international trade conditions.  The OIE also emphasizes the need for 
accurate animal health information 
V. APPLICATION TO PARTICULAR DISEASES 
11. The Code contains recommendations for zones a nd compartments in regard to those diseases 
for which the concepts are appropriate.  These in clude foot and mouth disease, avian influenza, 
Newcastle disease, and classical swine fever.  The recommendations depend on:  
• the epidemiology of the disease; 
• environmental factors;  
• biosecurity measures that are required and feasible to apply; 
• the conduct of required disease surveillance. 
VI. RECOGNITION OF DISEASE-FREE ZONES BY THE OIE 
12. The OIE has procedures for official recognition of  Member status for only four diseases, i.e. 
foot and mouth disease (FMD), rinderpest, contag ious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) and bovine 
spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).1  The work of evaluating country status, including free zones and 
zones that are free-with-vaccination (for FMD), is  done under the auspices of the Scientific and 
Technical Commission of the OIE.  The Comm ission’s proposals are addressed to the OIE 
International Committee and decisions made via the adoption of Resolutions at the General Session. 
The Resolutions passed in 2007 in regard to Me mbers' status for these diseases may be found in 
annexes to the OIE Activity Report to the 39th meeting of the SPS Committee (G/SPS/GEN/788). 
                                                      
1 Details of the OIE's evaluation and approval procedure are available in G/SPS/GEN/542 and 
G/SPS/GEN/640/Rev.1/Add.1.  G/SPS/GEN/789 
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  VII. ONGOING WORK OF THE OIE 
13. The OIE distributed a 'Checklist on the Practical Application of Compartmentalisation for 
Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease' at the Gene ral Session in May 2007.  This publication will 
also be made available to the public on the OIE Inte rnet site.  This is not an OIE standard but is 
provided to help Members wishing to implement compartments for these two important poultry 
diseases.  
14. In 2007, the OIE circulated a draft text on ‘General guidelines for Compartmentalisation’, 
which will be proposed for inclusion in the Code in  May 2008.  This text will provide more specific 
guidance in the form of an Appendix to Chap ter 1.3.5 on zoning and compartmentalisation.  
VIII.  FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE –DEVELOPMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF 
ZONING 
15. In 2007, the OIE introduced some important new zoning-related concepts in regard to FMD.  
The "containment zone" was introduced into Code Chapter 2.2.10 (FMD) as a mechanism to provide 
for rapidly regaining free status in the case of an FMD incursion into a previously free country or 
zone, providing that specified technical criteria are satisfied.  Also, the need  for countries to work 
together in managing FMD was strongly endorsed via the undertaking of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil 
and Paraguay to establish a 15-km ar ea contiguous to their relevant  national borders that will be 
excluded from the OIE-recognized FMD free zones until such time as this status can be reconsidered. 
16. These concepts will be considered for inclus ion as appropriate in other disease chapters.  
IX. IMPORTANCE OF ADEQUATE VETERINARY INFRASTRUCTURE 
17. Both zoning and compartmentalisation depend on countries having appropriate veterinary 
infrastructure to develop, implement and certify the relevant zone or compartment.  It goes without 
saying that if infrastructure is lacking, it may be very difficult to implemen t a zone/compartment and 
to obtain the agreement of trading partners to r ecognize it for the purposes of international trade.  
X. EVALUATION OF CAPABILITY OF VETERINARY SERVICES (PVS TOOL) 
18. The OIE is aware that the Veterinary Services in many Member Countries have shortfalls in 
regard to capability and infrastructure. With the objective of helping members to strengthen their 
Veterinary Services, the OIE has introduced a pro cedure for evaluating Veterinary Services, using a 
defined approach - the PVS Tool - and veterina ry experts specially trained by the OIE.  
19. As defined in the PVS Tool, the fundamental components of Veterinary Services are: 
• human and financial resources as evidenced by the level of professional/technical and 
financial resources available;  
• technical authority and capability to addr ess current and new issues based on scientific 
principles; 
• sustained interaction with stakeholders - to carry out relevant joint programmes and services; 
and 
• the ability to access markets through complia nce with existing standards and the 
implementation of new disciplines. G/SPS/GEN/789 
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  20. An evaluation of capability is based on a review  of six to nine critical competencies within 
each fundamental component.  On the basis of a field visit lasting one to two weeks, the OIE PVS Evaluation Team reports on the countries' capabilities, having regard to five levels of advancement 
defined according to performance indi cators for each critical competency. 
21. Under Fundamental Component IV, "the ability to access markets through compliance with 
existing standards and the implementation of ne w disciplines" the OIE has defined the following 
critical competencies: 
• Preparation and implementation of  legislation and regulations  
• Stakeholder compliance with legislation and regulations 
• International harmonization 
• International certification 
• Equivalence and other types of sanitary agreements 
• Transparency 
• Traceability 
• Zoning 
• Compartmentalization 
22. In the PVS Tool, Zoning refers to the authorit y and capability of the Veterinary Services to 
establish and maintain disease free zones, as necessar y and in accordance with the criteria established 
by the OIE (and by the SPS Agreement where applicable). 
XI. PVS EVALUATION OF CAPABILITY TO APPLY ZONES  
23. The PVS evaluation identifies the following levels of capabilities: 
• Level 1: The Veterinary Services cannot establish disease free zones.  
• Level 2: As necessary, the Veterinary Serv ices can identify animal sub-populations with 
distinct health status suitable for zoning.  
• Level 3: The Veterinary Services have implem ented biosecurity measures that enable it to 
establish and maintain disease free zones fo r selected animals and animal products, as 
necessary.  
• Level 4: The Veterinary Services collaborat e with their stakeholders to define 
responsibilities and execute actions that enab le it to establish and maintain disease free 
zones for selected animals and animal products, as necessary.  
• Level 5: The Veterinary Services can demonstrate the scientific basis for any disease free 
zones and can gain recognition by trading part ners that they meet the criteria established 
by the OIE (and by the SPS Agreement where applicable). 
 24. Similarly, compartmentalization is described in  the PVS Tool as:  the authority and capability 
of the Veterinary Services to establish and main tain disease free compartments as necessary and in 
accordance with the criteria established by the OIE (and by the SPS Agreement where applicable).  G/SPS/GEN/789 
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  XII. OIE INFORMAL VOLUNTARY DISPUTE RESOLUTION 
25. In the situation where an importing country  does not recognize the zone/compartment 
established by an exporting country, the OIE can provide assistance through an informal voluntary dispute resolution mechanism.  
26. At the request of both parties and under agr eed terms of reference, the OIE may act as a 
"mediator" in animal health-related trade di sputes, including on the recognition of zones or 
compartments.  This is a technical procedure.  The OIE nominates scientific experts to review the details of the case.  The outcomes are not binding on  the parties, unless agreed beforehand.  The OIE 
informal process provides a useful alternative mechanism to formal WTO dispute resolution 
procedures.  
27. To date, the OIE dispute resolution mechanis m has been used on two important occasions. 
The possibility of using a compartmentalization appro ach was flagged in one of the resulting reports.  G/SPS/GEN/789 
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  Attachment 1:  Figures Illustrating the Concept of "Zone" and "Compartment"  
as used by the OIE 
FIGURE 1 
 
7
INFECTED ZONE
INFECTED ZONEBUFFER ZONE
railwaymajor 
road
riverzones
BUFFER
ZONEFREE ZONE
 
FIGURE 2 
8
BREEDING
FLOCKFEED
SUPPLY
GROWING
FLOCK
SLAUGHTER
HOUSEGROWING
FLOCKEquipment
BirdsEquipment
Birds
Equipment
EquipmentFeedEquipmentCompartment
Equipment
Birds
FeedFeed
Equipment
Birds
 
 
 
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