. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/612 
12 December 2005 
 (05-5873) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
 
  
EXPERIENCES IN REGIONALIZATION: 
FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE 
 
Communication from Colombia
 
  
 The following communication, received on 5 December 2005, is being distributed at the 
request of the delegation of Colombia. 
 
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I. COLOMBIA'S CURRENT STATUS REGARDING FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE 
1. Colombia wishes to report to the internationa l community through the Committee on Sanitary 
and Phytosanitary Measures its experiences in regi onalization, particularly regarding foot and mouth 
disease (FMD), and the di fficulties encountered: 
(a) Free zone without vaccination:   In 1997, the World Organization for Animal 
Health (OIE) recognized the northern part of the Department of Chocó to be an 
FMD-free zone, a status that has been renewed annually by the OIE at its General 
Session. 
(b) Free zone with vaccination:   In May 2001, the OIE recognized as FMD-free with 
vaccination Colombia's northern region, wh ich includes many of the departments on 
the Atlantic Coast, part of the Departme nt of Antioquia and seven municipalities in 
the north of the Department of Caldas. 
2. In May 2003, the OIE recognized as FMD-free a new zone with vaccination covering most 
municipalities in the Departments of Antioquia, Bo livar, Cesar, North Sa ntander and Santander. 
3. In May 2005, two further regions were recogni zed as free with vaccination, bringing FMD-
free coverage in Colombia up to 61 per cent. 
General remarks: 
(a) Colombia has a bovine (including buffalo) population of 21,623,124 in 483,135 
herds, 47 per cent of which are located in zones recognized as being FMD-free, with 
and without vaccination. 
(b) The country covers an area of 1,141,748 square kilometres, of which 669,342 
constitute the area recognized as FMD-free. 
(c) The last outbreak of the disease in the country occurred in March 2005 in Bogotá, 
Capital District, on land belonging to the National University (not an OIE-recognised 
zone, and timely and effective measures were taken to avoid further outbreaks). G/SPS/GEN/612 
Page 2  
 
 (d) The vaccination coverage rates countrywide for the last four years have been as 
follows: 
   2002   92.7 per cent 
   2003   94    per cent 
   2004   94.2 per cent 
   2005   96    per cent 
(e) To control the movement of animals and animal products inside the country and at 
the border, the Animal Health Service has 101 control posts strategically located in 
accordance with the epidemiological status of the zones, movement patterns and 
production systems, at which compliance with established standards is verified. 
(f) In order to minimize the risk of introducing FMD through imports of live animals and 
animal products, the sanitary measures es tablished in the OIE Terrestrial Animal 
Health Code, the Andean Community rules and sanitary agreements with individual 
countries are applied. 
(g) Legislation has been adapted to requirements  regarding FMD status and is consistent 
with OIE standards. 
II. PROCEDURE FOR STATUS RECOGNITION BY THE UNITED STATES 
4. In November 2003, Colombia filed an applicat ion for recognition.  In September 2004, the 
United States notified to Colombia a number of problems and sought clarification on nine points, 
stating that, rather than recognizing the entire OIE zone, it was interested in the establishment of a 
smaller zone within the free zone for the purposes of trade in meat. 
5. In response, Colombia drew up a new application proposing a smaller area as requested by 
the United States. 
6. In April 2005, in the course of consultations held in Washington, Colombia enquired about its 
applications and the United States replied that th ey were still under study and that it would inform 
Colombia of its observations on the matter at a later date. 
7. In May 2005, Colombia sent in additional documentation that had been requested and in 
November 2005 the United States officially sent its observations on the evaluation so far. 
III. CONCLUSION 
8. Colombia is investing heavily in the control and eradication of pests and diseases, particularly 
foot and mouth disease.  The aim of such investment  is to establish pest- or disease-free areas with a 
view to eliminating losses and, above all, gaining access to import markets for agricultural products.  
That being so, we find the current process for free zone recognition to be somewhat complex and a 
cause of unwarranted delay. 
9. For Colombia, maintaining free or low-prevalence areas costs as much if not more than 
obtaining the status and basically depends on the degr ee of commercial benefit that the status affords 
producers.  Consequently, uncertainty in free zone recognition for access to international markets puts 
the sustainability of pest- and disease-free areas at risk. 
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