. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/NZL/388 
22 November 2007  
 (07-5148) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  NEW ZEALAND
  
If applicable, name of local government involved:     
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numb er(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Dogs and cats from the United Ki ngdom and the Republic of Ireland 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable :  United 
Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland 
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Import health standard for 
the importation of dogs and cats into Ne w Zealand from the United Kingdom and the 
Republic of Ireland  (availab le in English, 16 pages) 
6. Description of content:  The Republic of Irelan d has been added to  the import health 
standard for dogs and cats from the United Ki ngdom to ensure consistency between the health 
measures for both countries. 
The import health standard for dogs and cats  from the Republic of Ireland does not include 
health measures for heartworm or Ehrlichia ca nis, despite having an open border with the 
United Kingdom (from which we  require tests for both).  
The Irish Government has conf irmed that they ar e no longer comfortable signing out country 
freedom for heartworm or Ehrlichia canis and th erefore testing is requi red to mitigate any 
potential risk from dogs from the Republic of Ireland. 
We have also added a requirement that the anim al's pet passport (if it exists) must be sighted 
to confirm that the animal has only been in the United Kingdom and/or the Republic of 
Ireland for the six months prior to export. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [   ] food safety, [ X ] animal health,  [   ] plant protection, 
[ X ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease,  [ X ] protect territory from other damage from pests    
8. 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:    G/SPS/N/NZL/388 
Page 2  
 
  9. Relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:   Import health standard 
for dogs and cats from the United Ki ngdom and the Republic of Ireland   
10. Proposed date of adoption:  16 November 2007   
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  16 November 2007   
12. Final date for comments:  15 January 2008 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification 
authority, [   ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: 
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notificati on authority, [   ] Na tional enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: 
Ms Sally Griffin, Coordinator, SPS New Zeal and, PO Box 2526, Wellington, New Zealand.  
Tel:  +(64 4) 894 0431; Fax: +(64 4) 894 0731; E-mail:  sps@maf.govt.nz  
Website:  http://www.maf.govt.nz/biosecurity/sps /transparency/notifications/index.htm