WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/EGY/27 
18 April 2007 
 (07-1579) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  EGYPT
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Agriculture a nd Land Reclamation – General 
Organization for Veterinary Services (GOVS) 
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 cattle for immediate slaughter and pregnant heifers, frozen bovine 
semen, hides and frozen embryos  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  Canada 
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Allowing importation of 
live cattle for immediate slaughtering and pregna nt heifers, frozen bovine semen and hides  
from Canada under GOVS conditions and not a llow frozen embryos (available in Arabic, 
2 pages – Description of content, mentioned in this notification, is considered unofficial 
translation of the content of the decree) 
6. Description of content:   
Art.1:  GOVS approved the importation of  live cattle for immediate slaughter from 
Canada under the following conditions:  
1. The age of the animals does not exceed 24 months and an ear tag records the code 
numbers of previous tests and vaccinations that the animal has had. 
2. The animals are derived from regions and farms where BSE has not been recorded 
during the seven successive years prior the export. 
3. The cattle derived from cows have not been  fed on rations that contain MBM and/or any 
concentrates of animal origin. 
4. Presence of registration system, numeration a nd traceability of the animals for control of 
infectious and contagious diseases, and according to the OIE guidelines. 
5. With a requirement that the importer ca rries out in coordination with the importing 
authorities the preparation of slaughterhouses (El-Basatin – Girko – El-Aameria) according 
to the following: 
(a) Tool of spinal cord suction and separation of the nerves attached to it; 
(b) Saw for getting rid of the vertebral column bones; (c) Tools for head de-boning and gettin g rid of the jawbones and the skull; 
(d) Resulting bones crusher; 
(e) Equipping of laboratories specialized for the examination test of BSE; (f) Getting rid of lowest portion of the small intestine (Distal Ileum). G/SPS/N/EGY/27 
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  Art.2:  GOVS approved importation of pregnant heifers from Canada under the 
following conditions:  
1. The age of the animals does not exceed 24 months at the time of import. 
2. The animals are derived from regions and fa rms free from any infectious and contagious 
diseases, especially the production diseases. 
3. The animals are from a herd free from Leucosis disease. 
4. In case Leucosis being recorded, the serological  tests should be applied 30 days prior to 
importation. 
5. The heifers are taken from mothers that ha ve been tested twice for Leucosis disease 
during 24 months and the duration between the two tests is four months.  In case of 
Leucosis being recorded, the result should be negative. 
6. The animals are derived from regions a nd farms where BSE had never been recorded 
during the seven successive years prior to the export. 
7. The animals must be from mothers that were born after the decision on feed ban on 
animal protein part and seven years n eed to have passed since that birth. 
Art.3:  GOVS approved the importation of  frozen semen from Canada under the 
following conditions:  
1. The age of animals that the collection of semen takes place from them does not exceed 
24 months. 
2. The animals are derived from regions and fa rms that where BSE has not been recorded 
during seven successive years prior to imports. 
3. The animals have not been fed on rations that contain MBM and/or any concentrates of 
animal origin. 
4. Presence of registration system, numeration a nd traceability of the animals for control of 
infectious and contagious diseases, and according to the OIE guidelines. 
5. The animals are derived from regions and fa rms free from any infectious and contagious 
diseases, especially the production diseases. 
6. Bulls and mothers (from which semen are ta ken) are negative for the infectious and 
contagious diseases, especially Leucosis disease. 
7. The collection of the semen and its storage should be in an healthy way. 
An Article (4):  GOVS approved the import of hides from Canada. 
An Article (5):  GOVS did not approve the im port of frozen embryos from Canada at 
the current time. 
7. Objective and rationale: [   ] food safety,  [   ] animal health,  [   ] plant protection, 
[ X ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [   ] protect territory from other damage from pests    G/SPS/N/EGY/27 
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  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:   
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  GOVS decree 
N1 3/2007 (available in Arabic) 
10. Proposed date of adoption:  14 March 2007- 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  Date of adoption 
12. Final date for comments:  14 May 2007 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X ] National notification 
authority, [   ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
Department of Foreign Agricultural Relations 
Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Nadi El Saïd St., Dokki, Cairo, Egypt Tel:  +(20) 2 337 65 89 
Fax:  +(20) 2 335 29 37 
E-mail:  enq_egy_sps@yahoo.com 
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notifi cation authority, [   ] National enquiry 
point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: