October 21, 2015
US recognises EU system to control animal diseases
The US has recognised the EU regionalisation system put in place to contain the spread of African swine fever (ASF), a disease affecting pigs and wild boar.
This means that the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recognises the EU as a single entity with a single animal health legislation, veterinary oversight and disease control programmes. Rather than carrying out its own assessment, the USwill accept EU decisions regarding regions affected by ASF, which can be transmitted either through direct animal contact or dissemination of contaminated food such as sausages or uncooked meat.
The European Commission welcomed the recent move by the US, saying this would help to avoid trade disruptions in the event of an outbreak of the disease.
Trade in pork products between the EU and the US was valued at around €335 million (US$380.5 million) in 2014 alone.
Vytenis Andriukaitis, EU commissioner in charge of health and food safety said: "This significant move reflects the confidence of the United States, one of our major trading partners, in our robust system to control animal diseases. It comes at a time when pig farmers across the EU face particular difficulties. It is of crucial importance that unjustified restrictions on imports of European pork are lifted".
The US used to restrict or prohibit imports of pork and pork products from regions where ASF existed. Such regions were listed on the APHIS website individually. Under the new rule, the list will simply refer to any restricted zone in the EU, as established by the EU.
Regionalisation, established in line with World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) standards and the principles of the World Trade Organisation, is a tool used to control diseases and/or maintain safe trade by restricting trade from areas affected by disease, whilst avoiding trade disruptions in goods from unaffected areas.
When ASF is detected in a part of an EU member state, the EU imposes restrictions on trade in the relevant animals/products from that area. Earlier the EU and the US established mutual recognition of regionalisation measures in response to avian flu outbreaks in both the EU and the US. --Rick Alberto