WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/896 
29 January 2009 
 (09-0418) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
CONTROL REGIME APPLICABLE FOR IMPORTS FROM THIRD COUNTRIES OF 
CERTAIN PRODUCTS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN AND OF LIVE ANIMALS WITH  
REGARD TO PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN  
THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND THE SWISS CONFEDERATION  
ON TRADE IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS 
 
Communication from the European Communities
 
  
 The following communication, received on 26 January 2009, is being circulated at the request 
of the European Communities
. 
 
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I. AIM OF THIS COMMUNICATION 
1. The aim of this communication is to clarify the new import control regime  applicable for 
imports from third countries of certain products of animal origin and of live animals following recent 
amendments to the Agreement between the Eur opean Communities and the Swiss Confederation on 
trade in agricultural products.  Heading VI provides a clear reference to the corresponding legislation. 
II. BACKGROUND 
2. The Agreement between the European Communiti es and the Swiss Confederation on trade in 
agricultural products (the "Agreement") entered in to force on 1 June 2002.  The Agreement contains 
11 Annexes.  Annex 11 deals with animal health, vete rinary public health and zoo technical measures 
applicable to trade in live animals and animal products. 
3. For animal health, the Agreement is based on the principle of recognition of "similar 
legislation leading to identical result" as regards tr ade in live animals, semen, ova, embryos and other 
products of animal origin and based on rules applic able for intra-Community trade.  For veterinary 
public health, the Agreement is based on principles of  equivalency with a view to facilitate trade of 
products of animal origin.  The main consequences of this Agreement are th at live animals, semen, 
ova and embryos traded between EC member States and Switzerland are accompanied by intra-community trade animal health certificates only.  Products of animal origin are accompanied by 
commercial documents only as foreseen fo r trade between EC member States. 
4. The last equivalence determination between  the European Communities and the Swiss 
Confederation led to the reciprocal abolition of  veterinary checks between Switzerland and the 
European Communities.  For this to happen, Switzer land undertook to apply EC legislation relating to 
import conditions of certain products of animal origin and of live animals as well as EC import 
control procedures. G/SPS/GEN/896 
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  5. This development impacts on goods  transiting either the Europ ean Communities or the Swiss 
territory and intended to be placed on the market of the other Party.  In particular, it leads to border 
control simplification for products of animal orig in and live animals imported from third countries. 
III. CERTIFICATION REQUIRED FOR IMPORTS OF CERTAIN PRODUCTS OF 
ANIMAL ORIGIN AND OF LIVE ANIMALS INTO SWITZERLAND AND FOR 
TRANSIT THROUGH THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES TERRITORY 
6. Conditions to be met for exportin g products of animal origin and live animals to Switzerland 
are those that have to be met for correspondi ng export to the European Communities.  Those 
conditions relate to the lists of third countries from which imports of the said commodity are allowed 
by the European Communities taking into account the animal health situation; the residues, 
contaminants and additives controls; the microbi ological and zoonosis controls; the food safety 
standards in processing establishments; the BSE-rela ted import controls;  and the national authority 
standards.  The import conditions to be met include also lists of establishmen ts as well as models of 
health certificates and additional attestati ons as laid down in EC legislation. 
7. Health certificates designed for consignments th at transit through the European Communities 
territory are no longer required for goods intended to  be placed on the Swiss market considering that 
they have to be accompanied with usual EC animal and public health import certificates. 
8. Special import conditions are applied by Swit zerland for imports of meat and meat products 
treated with hormones for growth purposes. 
9. Finally, as a consequence of the Agreement, modifications of EC import conditions apply 
simultaneously in Switzerland as they apply in EC member States. 
10. For more information on EC  import conditions see:  
http://ec.europa.eu/food/inte rnational/trade/index_en.htm
 
 
IV. RULES FOR VETERINARY BORDER CONTROLS 
11. The Agreement recognizes the adoption and the implementation by Switzerland of identical 
import control rules of certain products of animal or igin and of live animals to those that apply within 
the European Communities, including the collection of fees for controls.  For more information on EC 
import rules see:  http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/bips/index_en.htm  
12. Border inspection posts of Geneva and Zuri ch airports are both approved for border 
veterinary controls of all packed products for hum an consumption, other products not intended for 
human consumption and small anim als (including zoo animals). 
13. As a consequence of the Agreement, a reciprocal  control delegation is given to both the EC 
member States and the Swiss competent authorities to  control incoming products of animal origin and 
live animals from third countries irrespective of thei r final destination.  The phasing out of border 
veterinary controls between Switzerland and th e European Communities also leads to control 
simplification for goods in transit.  These goods ar e no longer subject to veterinary exit formalities 
when transiting through the territory of one of the Parties, leading to major simplification for third 
country suppliers. 
V. ENTRY INTO FORCE 
14. The Decision n°1/2008 of the Joint Veterinary  Committee set up by the Agreement between 
the European Communities and the Swiss Confeder ation on trade in agricultural products of  G/SPS/GEN/896 
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  23 December 2008 regarding the ame ndment of Appendices 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10 to Annex 11 to the 
Agreement (2008/.../EC)  entered into force on 1 January 2009. 
VI. LEGISLATION MENTIONED AND LINKS TO WHERE THEY ARE AVAILABLE 
15. Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in 
agricultural products (OJ L132, 30.4.2002, p.132)  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/pri/en/oj/d at/2002/l_114/l_11 420020430en01320349.pdf  
 
16. Decision No 1/2008 of the Joint Veterinary Committee set up by the Agreement between the 
European Community and the Swiss Confederation on trade in agricultural products regarding the 
amendment of Appendices 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10 to Annex 11 to the Agreement  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUr iServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:006:0089:0116:EN:PDF  
 Contact within the European Commission:  
Directorate General Health & Consumer s (DG SANCO), B-1049 Brussels (Belgium) 
Ghislain Maréchal, tel: +(32-2)295.68.04;  E-mail:  Ghislain.Marechal@ec.europa.eu
 
 
 
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