World Trade Organization disputes related to animal diseases

Stanton, Gretchen Heimpel; Prakash, Gowrav M.

doi:10.20506/rst.39.1.3060

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…However, only in seven cases did the complainant follow up to request the establishment of a panel to review the matter. These disputes have been concluded in as many reports, which provide further guidance on the applicable SPS disciplines (29).…”

Section: World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Proceedingsmentioning

confidence: 97%

International regulatory cooperation: contribution of the OIE and the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and SPS Committee

Daswani¹,

Bücher²

2020

Rev. Sci. Tech. OIE

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The World Trade Organization (WTO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) play an important role in supporting efforts to facilitate the safe trade of animals and animal products by promoting international regulatory cooperation among their Members. International regulatory cooperation is embedded in the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) and is an integral part of the work of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Committee. The OIE plays a crucial part in this cooperation, as the OIE is the WTO reference organisation for international standards related to animal health and zoonoses. The SPS Agreement encourages governments to apply national sanitary measures that are consistent with OIE standards, particularly when making decisions on the importation of animals and animal products. This principle of harmonisation is key to integrating the reference frameworks of the WTO SPS Agreement and the OIE standards. This paper describes international regulatory cooperation, the principle of harmonisation and its expressions, and, finally, the various ways in which the WTO and the OIE cooperate towards the achievement of their goals.

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Section: World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Proceedingsmentioning

confidence: 97%

International regulatory cooperation: contribution of the OIE and the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and SPS Committee

Daswani¹,

Bücher²

2020

Rev. Sci. Tech. OIE

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“…the evaluation of the probability of disease introduction, establishment and spread, is provided in Annex A. 4 relevant inspection, sampling and testing methods; prevalence of specific diseases; and existence of disease-free areas, among others. In addition, Article 5.3 provides more detail on the economic factors to be considered in a risk assessment for disease risks.…”

Section: Risk Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As such, it would be expected that the exporting Member would need to know the importing Member' s ALOP in order to meet its obligations to provide the necessary evidence to objectively demonstrate its disease-free areas (14). Legal findings from the Russia -Pigs dispute, as well as other animal healthrelated disputes, are further explored by Stanton and Prakash (see Stanton and Prakash, this issue [4]).…”

Section: Make a Determinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facilitating market access: risk assessment, equivalence and regionalisation provisions in the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures

Hamilton¹

2020

Rev. Sci. Tech. OIE

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The World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures contains several key provisions that are important for trade in animals and animal products, namely on risk assessment, equivalence and regionalisation. The risk assessment provision allows countries to adopt, on the basis of a risk assessment, measures which achieve a higher level of sanitary protection than that embodied in existing relevant international standards. The equivalence provision requires importing countries to acknowledge that, while the production methods of the exporting country may differ from their own, they may still provide an equivalent level of health protection. Finally, the regionalisation provision enables countries to export animals and animal products from diseasefree areas, even if other areas within that country have experienced outbreaks of a particular animal disease. This paper explores how these provisions, and the scientific concept of the appropriate level of protection, facilitate trade while at the same time allowing Members to establish their sanitary measures. This paper also provides information on the relevant discussions of these provisions within the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.

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“…Fourteen of the 49 SPS-related formal WTO disputes initiated by members have related to animal health issues. 15…”

Section: Trade Policy and Safe Trade In Animals And Animal Productsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Future Resilience to Diseases of Animal Origin

2020

Covid-19 Reports

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The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the risk that animal diseases pose to human health. A 2012 study estimated that some 56 zoonoses (i.e. diseases affecting human health that originate in animals) were together responsible for around 2.5 billion cases of human illness and 2.7 million human deaths a year. The impact of COVID-19 has far eclipsed that of other recent outbreaks of such diseases. Experts warn that zoonotic pandemics may become more frequent due to factors including further environmental degradation, intensive farming practices, and the effects of climate change.WTO rules recognize the right of WTO members to take measures to protect human, animal and plant health. The Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) underscores their right to take measures to address the health risks arising from the spread of zoonoses through international trade in animals and animal products, including wildlife, while aiming to avoid unjustified trade barriers.The SPS Agreement strongly encourages WTO members to base their SPS measures on certain international standards. In the area of animal health and zoonoses, it recognizes the standards developed by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).According to both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the OIE, the COVID-19 pandemic is being sustained through human-to-human transmission and not through international trade in animals and animal products. Based on currently available information, and with the support of expert advisory groups, the OIE does not recommend that any COVID-19-related sanitary measures be applied to the international movement of live animals or animal products without a justifying risk analysis. Trade in animals and animal products can take place safely if risk reduction measures are applied based on international standards.Risks associated with trade in animals and animal products, including wildlife, may increase when animal disease risks are not monitored and controlled. The OIE Working Group on Wildlife and other international organizations are examining how better to address sanitary risks linked to wildlife trade. Efforts are also being made to address illegal wildlife trade.Around 20 per cent of livestock production is lost due to animal diseases every year -leading to an estimated annual economic loss within the sector of about US$ 300 billion. The impact of COVID-19, which primarily affects people, has already dwarfed these figures. Global economic output is projected to shrink by 4.5 per cent in 2020 because of the pandemic, according to estimates by the IMF. As of 6 October 2020, WTO economists expect global trade to contract by 9.2 per cent in 2020.

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World Trade Organization disputes related to animal diseases

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

International regulatory cooperation: contribution of the OIE and the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and SPS Committee

International regulatory cooperation: contribution of the OIE and the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and SPS Committee

Facilitating market access: risk assessment, equivalence and regionalisation provisions in the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures

Future Resilience to Diseases of Animal Origin

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