. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/COL/106 
21 February 2006 
 (06-0728) 
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 may be provided in addition, where 
applicable):   Bovine animals, sheep, goats, swin e and other susceptible species, semen and 
embryos thereof, fresh, chilled or frozen meat , raw offal and entrails, untanned hides and 
skins, unwashed and greasy wool;  non-sterile  organic products, fodder and hay and other 
products that pose a risk and are capable of transmitting foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:   
 Argentina 
5. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Resolución N° 00381 
del 8 de Febrero de 2006 del In stituto Colombiano Agropecuario  "Por la cual se suspende 
la importación a Colombia de bovinos, ov inos, caprinos, porcinos y otras especies 
susceptibles, semen o embriones de estas espec ies, carne fresca, refrigerada o congelada, 
vísceras y menudencias crudas, cueros y pieles si n curtir, lanas sin lavar ni desgrasar; 
productos biológicos no estériles, forrajes y he nos y otros productos de riesgo de estas 
especies capaces de transmitir o vehiculizar el virus de fiebre aftosa, procedentes de la 
zona libre de Fiebre Aftosa con vacunación de  Argentina, por presencia de un foco de 
Fiebre aftosa en ese país".  (Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) Resolution No. 00381 
of 8 February 2006 "Suspending imports into Colombia of bovine animals, sheep, goats, 
swine and other susceptible species, semen and embryos thereof, fresh, chilled or frozen 
meat, raw offal and entrails, untanned hides and skins, unwashed and greasy wool;  non-
sterile organic products, fodder and hay and other products of these species that pose a risk 
and are capable of transmitting or carrying the FMD virus, from Argentina's FMD-free zone where vaccination is practised, owing to an outbreak of FMD in that country".) (4 pages, in Spanish.)  
6. Description of content:   Suspension of imports into Colombia of bovine animals, sheep, 
goats, swine and other susceptible species, se men and embryos thereof, fresh, chilled or 
frozen meat, raw offal and entrails, untanned hi des and skins, unwashed and greasy wool;  
non-sterile organic products, fodder and hay; a nd other products of these species that pose 
a risk and are capable of transmitting or ca rrying the FMD virus, from Argentina's FMD-
free zone where vaccination is practised, for a period of six (6) months, during which time 
the ICA will assess the risk of  the disease bei ng introduced into Colombia, by means of a 
review of the latest official information on the status of the disease and in situ  verification 
by ICA officials. G/SPS/N/COL/106 
Page 2  
 
  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 report 
by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (Alert Message dated 8 February 2006), 
a focus of FMD serotype O virus has been  located in the province of Corrientes 
(27º 30' 24.2" S - 58º 22' 59.6" W). 
9. International standard, gu ideline 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 of 13 February 2006, 
date of its publication in the Diario Oficial  (Official Gazette) No. 46.181.  
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:  
Servicio Nacional de Información 
Ministerio Comercio, Industria y Turismo Dirección de Regulación Calle 28 No. 13A - 15, tercer piso 
Tel.:  (571) 6067676 Ext. 1690 
Fax:  (571) 2410480 or Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario Grupo de Análisis de Riesgos Agropecuarios y Asuntos Internacionales - ICA 
Calle 37 #  8-43 Oficina 409 
Bogotá, D. C., Colombia Tel.:  (571) 2853485 Fax:  (571) 2324695 Web site:  http://www.ica.gov.co
 
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National noti fication 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.  
E-mail:  danielrico@mincomercio.gov.co   
Tel.:  (571) 6067676 Ext. 1690 
Fax:  (571) 2410480 Web site:  http://www.mincomercio.gov.co