. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/ALB/77 
13 August 2008  
 (08-3852) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
 
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES  
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   ALBANIA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:   Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Protection 
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):  Live animals, herbivores, ruminants, embryos, biological products, 
pathological material  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable :  
Portugal, Alcacer do Sal region  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Order of the Minister of 
Agriculture, Food and Consumer Protection "On some protective measures against the 
outbreak of Blue Tongue disease in Portugal, Alcacer do Sal region" (available in Albanian, 2 pages)  
6. Description of content:  This Order of the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Consumer 
Protection presents some protective measures against the outbreak of Blue Tongue disease 
in Portugal, Alcacer do Sal region, stopping the import and transit of live animals like 
ruminants, and all herbivores that are infected by Blue Tongue disease from Portugal, 
Alcacer do Sal region, into the Albanian territory;  Stopping the import from Portugal, Alcacer do Sal region, into the Albanian terr itory of the products such as:  semen of 
ruminants and of all other herbivores that are infected by Blue Tongue Virus, embryos of ruminants and of all other herbivores that are infected by Blue Tongue Virus, pathological material and biological products originating from ruminants and from any others that are 
infected by Blue Tongue Virus. 
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  The objective is to protect the c onsumers and animal health in 
the territory of Albania from the Blue Tongue  disease appeared in Portugal, Alcacer do Sal 
region. 
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:  This Order aims to 
protect the consumers and animal health  from the harmful disease of Blue Tongue 
appeared in Portugal, Alcacer do Sal region. G/SPS/N/ALB/77 
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:   Notifications taken 
from the World Organization for Animal Health , OIE, dated 29 July 2008, according to the 
International Terrestrial Animal Health Code. 
11. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):  31 July 2008 
12. Agency or authority designated to handl e comments: [ X ] National notification 
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  
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:  
General Directorate of Standardization 
WTO Enquiry Point - Albania Tel:  +(355 4) 222 62 55 Fax:  +(355 4) 224 71 77 E-mail:  info@dps.gov.al Website:  http://www.dps.gov.al