. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/ALB/26 
8 October 2007  
 (07-4291) 
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):  All live animals of the ruminant family and any kind of herbivores 
susceptible to the blue tongue virus 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable :  
Portugal  
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 Portugal " (available in Albanian language,  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 the blue tongue virus 
in Portugal, in the region of Volta dos Nogais -Barrancos, stopping the import of all kind of 
live animals of the ruminant family and any kind of herbivores susceptible to the blue tongue virus into the territory of Republic of  Albania; stopping the import of semen of 
ruminants and any kind of herbivores, embr yos/eggs of ruminants and any kind of 
herbivores, pathologic material and the biolog ical products originating from ruminants and 
of any other 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 human and animal health by 
stopping the export of the ruminant family a nd any kind of herbivores susceptible to the 
blue tongue virus from Portugal (Volta dos Noga is-Barrancos region) into the territory of 
Republic of Albania. 
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:  Protection of consumers 
and animals in the territory of Albania. 
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:    G/SPS/N/ALB/26 
Page 2  
 
  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 Portugal (V olta dos Nogais-Barrancos region), according 
to the International Terrestrial Animal Hea lth Code.  Law "On Service and Veterinary 
Inspection" No 9038 dated 4 November 2004.   
11. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):  3 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