. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/ALB/33 
12 November 2007  
 (07-4912) 
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 of the ruminant family an d all kind of herbivores susceptible to 
the blue tongue virus, semen of ruminant s, embryos/eggs of ru minants and pathologic 
material and the biological products originating from ruminants 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable :  
Switzerland, Basel-Stadt 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 virus in the region of Basel-Stadt in Switzerland" (available in 
Albanian, 2 pages)  
6. Description of content:  This Order of the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Consumer 
Protection presents some protective measures ag ainst the outbreak of blue tongue virus in 
the region of Basel-Stadt in Switzerland, stopping the import and transit of live animals of 
the kind of ruminants and all kind of herbivores susceptible to the blue tongue virus from 
the region of Basel-Stadt in Switzerland into  the territory of the Republic of Albania, 
stopping the import of semen of ruminants and of any kind of herbivores susceptible to the blue tongue virus, embryos/eggs of ruminant s and of any kind of herbivores, susceptible to 
the blue tongue virus, pathologic material  and the biological products originating from 
ruminants and of any kind of herbivores, susceptible to the blue tongue virus.  
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  The objective is to protect animal health from the blue tongue 
virus by stopping the import and transit of live animals of the kind of ruminant and all kind of herbivores susceptible to the blue tongue  virus from Switzerland (Basel-Stadt region) 
into the territory of Republic of Albania. 
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:  Protection of animal 
health in the territory of Albania. G/SPS/N/ALB/33 
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 Hea lth, dated 25 September 2007, related to the 
outbreak of blue tongue virus in Switzerland (Basel-Stadt region), according to the International Terrestrial Animal Health Code.  Law "On Service and Veterinary 
Inspection" No 9038 dated 4 November 2004. 
11. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):  30 October 2007 
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) 22 62 55  Fax:  +(355 4) 24 71 77 
 E-mail:  info@dps.gov.al 
 Website:  http://www.dps.gov.al