WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/JPN/54
13 June 2000
(00-2319)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  JAPAN
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
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). Cloven-hoofed animals and their meat products  Regions or countries likely
to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  People's Republic of China
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Amendment of the Enforcement
Regulations of the Domestic Animal Infectious Disease Control Law (Available in English,
1 page)
5. Description of content:  The measure is to review the categorization of import prohibition
areas concerning cloven-hoofed animals and their meat products.  Japan had grouped
countries into four categories.  There had been two categories for non-FMD free countries
depending on the degree of FMD occurrence.  However, it has become evident that some
types of FMD do not show typical clinical signs, as indicated in some parts of Asia.  The
regulation has been amended in such a way as to unify these two categories into onecategory for non-FMD free countries in accordance with the OIE International Animal
Health Code.
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):  Taking account of the long FMD free status of Japan,
there is no doubt that recent outbreaks were caused by a FMD virus introduced from
overseas.  Therefore, the Japanese Government decided to review the regulations to protect
Japan from re-introduction of FMD through imported cloven-hoofed animals and their meatproducts.
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:  This measure is based on the OIE International
Animal Health Code
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  The Enforcement
Regulations of the Domestic Animal Infectious Disease Control Law (Available in
Japanese)
10. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):  31 May 2000
11. Texts available from/and agency or authority designated to handle comments:
[    ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point or address, fax
number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:           