WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/AUS/128
2 April 2001
(01-1641)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES
1. Member to Agreement notifying: AUSTRALIA
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible: Biosecurity Australia, Department of Agriculture Fisheries and
Forestry – Australia (AFFA)
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where
applicable). Animals susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and their products
Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: The
European Union (EU) and any country in which FMD is endemic or in which there is an
outbreak.
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document: Australia strengthens temporary
'foot and mouth' controls (2 documents - 3 pages).
5. Description of content:  The documents detail the temporary suspension of imports of a
range of animals susceptible to FMD and their products.  The action follows the recent
outbreak of the disease in the European Union.  The following products from countries or
zones formerly permitted to export these products to Australia have been exempted from thesuspension: acidic processed cheeses, commercially prepared and packaged chocolate,
shelf-stable, hermetically sealed meat and dairy products, prepared meals, flavours,
biological products (veterinary and human pharmaceuticals, and laboratory reagents),
scoured wool and animal hair and leather products other than horse equipment. The list of
suspended products is reviewed on a daily basis.
6. 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           
7. Nature of the urgent problem(s):  The outbreak of FMD in the United Kingdom and other
areas of the European Union.
8. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [     ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give its appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  English
10. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):  14 March 2001
11. Texts available from/and 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: