. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/COL/156 
4 June 2008 
 (08-2619) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
 
 
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  COLOMBIA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:  Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario , ICA  (Colombian Agricultural 
Institute)  
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):  Bovine animals, sheep, goats, swine a nd other species susceptible to foot-and-
mouth disease (FMD) and other products that pose a risk of transmitting the virus 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
 Ecuador  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Resolución Nº 001593 
del 22 de mayo de 2008 del Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario "Por la cual se suspende la 
importación a Colombia de animales y sus produc tos de riesgo susceptibles de transmitir o 
vehiculizar el virus de fiebre aftosa, procedentes de Ecuador"  (Colombian Agricultural 
Institute (ICA) Resolution No. 001593 of 22 May 2008 suspending the importation into 
Colombia from Ecuador of animals and the risk  products thereof capable of transmitting or 
carrying the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus) (3 pages, in Spanish). 
6. Description of content:  Suspension of the entry into Co lombia from Ecuador of animals 
susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and risk products capable  of transmitting or 
carrying the virus, for a period of six (6) m onths, during which time the ICA will assess the 
risk of the disease being introduced into Colo mbia by means of a review of the latest 
official information on the status of the disease and in situ  verification by ICA officials. 
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 reasons for urgent action:  According to the World 
Organization for Animal Health (OIE) notif ication of 21 May 2008, there have been 
outbreaks of serotype-O FMD in Esmeraldas, Ecuador.  G/SPS/N/COL/156 
Page 2  
 
  9. International standard, guideline or recommendation: 
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission,  [ X ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention,  [   ] None 
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations: 
10. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: 
11. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):  As from 23 May 2008, the 
date of publication in Official Journal No. 46.998 / six (6) months  
12. Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X ] National notification 
authority,  [ X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:  
Enquiry Point  
Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo Dirección de Regulación Calle 28 No.13A – 15, tercer piso 
Bogotá, D.C., Colombia 
Tel.: +(571) 241-0478 Fax: +(571) 241-0480 
or Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario – ICA
 
Grupo de Análisis de Riesgos Agropecuarios y Asuntos Internacionales 
Calle 37 #  8-43, Oficina 409 
Bogotá, D.C., Colombia Tel.: +(571) 285-3485 Fax: +(571) 232-4695 Web site: http://www.ica.gov.co
 
13. Texts available from:  [  X ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry 
point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  
Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo 
Dirección de Regulación Calle 28 No.13A - 15, tercer piso Bogotá, D.C., Colombia 
Enquiry Point
: 
Contact person:  Daniel Héctor Rico R. 
Tel.: +(571) 606-7676, Ext. 1690 Fax: +(571) 241-0480 E-mail:  drico@mincomercio.gov.co Web site: http://www.mincomercio.gov.co