. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CAN/244/Rev.1 
22 April 2010  
 (10-2096) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
Revision
 
 
1. Notifying Member:  CANADA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Bovine origin products (ICS Codes: 65.020, 67.020, 67.040 and 67.120) 
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:  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Import Policy 
for Bovine Animals and their Products and By-products  Language:  English and French  
Number of pages:  12 and 13, respectively 
6. Description of content:  The notification amends Canada 's BSE import policy for bovine 
animals and their products.  There are a number of  changes and additions to this directive.  
The main proposed changes are highlighted below. 
The proposed amendments take into account Ca nada's utilization of the OIE classification 
for country BSE risk categorization.  The list of the BSE status of OIE members within the 
proposed import policy is that of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code (May 2009).  The list will be updated annually to refl ect any changes in the status of OIE classification for 
country BSE risk categorization.  The CFIA  will not routinely carry out independent 
assessments regarding a country's BSE categorization. 
The proposed amendments also reflect the CFIA  and Health Canada's legislative and policy 
requirements for the removal of Specified Risk Material (SRM) from all cattle at slaughter.  
SRM is any of the skull, brain, trigeminal ganglia, eyes, tonsils, spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia of cattle aged 30 months or older, and the distal ileum of cattle of all ages.  All 
removed SRM are to be diverted away from the products for human consumption and from 
the animal food supply.  The requirement to remove all SRM from cattle does not apply to 
products originating from a country that is d esignated as having negligible risk of BSE. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [X] food safety , [X] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[X] protect humans from animal/plant pest or  disease, [ ] protect territory from other 
damage from pests.    G/SPS/N/CAN/244/Rev.1 
Page 2  
 
  8. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex standard 
or related text)   
[X] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)  OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code 
(Chapter 11.6) http://www.oie.int/eng/normes/mcode/en_chapitre_1.11.6.htm
 
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    
[ ] None Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
 [X] Yes   [ ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:    
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:  Recognition 
of the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Status of Members, Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the OIE (May 2009) (available in English, French and Spanish) http://www.oie.int/eng/info/en_statesb.htm?e1d6
 (English)  
http://www.oie.int/fr/info/fr_statesb.htm  (French) 
http://www.oie.int/esp/info/es_statesb.htm  (Spanish)   
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  13 August 2010 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :    
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  13 August 2010 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  14 June 2010 
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
Dr. Ann Allain 
Senior Staff Veterinarian Imports Products & By-products Import/Export Tel:  +(613) 221 4136 
Fax:  +(613) 228 6630 
E-mail:  ann.allain@inspection.gc.ca 
13. Texts available from:  [ ] National Notification  Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:    
The electronic version of the BSE Import Policy can be downloaded at:  
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2010/sps/CAN/10_1589_00_e.pdf  (English) 
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2010/sps/CAN/10_1589_00_f.pdf  (French)