. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/EU/18 
11 April 2012 
 (12-1872) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  EUROPEAN UNION 
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  European Commission, Health and Consumers Directorate-General  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where applicable):  Semen of domestic animals of the bovine species (CN 05 11 10) 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[ ] All trading partners   
[X] Specific regions or countries:  Australia, Canada, Chile, Greenland, Croatia, 
Iceland, New Zealand, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Switzerland, the United States.  
5. Title of the notified document:  "Draft Commission Implementing Decision amending the 
Annexes to Decision 2011/630/EU on imports into the Union of semen of domestic animals 
of the bovine species"   Language(s):  English   Number of pages:  8 
 http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2012/sps/EEC/12_1260_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:   
The purpose of this Decision is to: 
- detail the wording for each of the guarantees chosen to be provided by the exporting third 
country as regards bluetongue depending  on the epidemiological situation; 
- delete from Annex I to Decision 2011/630/EU and the model of health certificate in 
Section A of Part 1 of Annex II to that Deci sion the requirement for annual testing for those 
diseases to prove the absence of the vector. 
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. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex standard 
or related text)   
[X] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)  The Terrestrial Animal Health Code  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    G/SPS/N/EU/18 
Page 2  
 
  [ ] None 
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
 [X] Yes   [ ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:    
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:  "Council 
Directive 88/407/EEC of 14 June 1988 laying down the animal health requirements applicable to intra-Community trade in and imports of semen of domestic animals of the 
bovine species" (OJ L 194, 22.7.1988, p. 10.).  In particular the first subparagraph of 
Article 10(2), Article 11(2) and the second para graph of Article 17 (available in English). 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  August 2012 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  September 2012 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  1 January 2013 
[X] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments:  [X] Sixty days  from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  10 June 2012 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [X] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
European Commission 
DG Health and Consumers, Unit G6 - Multilateral International relations 
Rue Froissart 101 B 1049 Brussels 
Tel:  +(32 2) 29 68185/59922 
Fax:  +(32 2) 2998090 E-mail:  sps@ec.europa.eu 
13. Texts available from:  [X] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:    
European Commission  
DG Health and Consumers, Unit G6 - Multilateral International relations 
Rue Froissart 101 
B 1049 Brussels 
Tel:  +(32 2) 29 68185/59922 Fax:  +(32 2) 2998090 E-mail:  sps@ec.europa.eu