ATTI DEL XV CONVEGNO NAZIONALE SIPI Società Italiana di ...

Abstract Workshop
THE ROLE OF OIE IN SETTING INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS FOR
PREVENTING SPREAD OF AQUATIC ANIMAL DISEASES
Barry HILL
Vice-President, OIE Aquatic Health Standards Commission.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (www.oie.int) provides guidelines,
through the Aquatic Animal Health Code, for preventing the international spread of aquatic
animal diseases. The OIE provides the only standards recognised under the SPS
Agreement of the World Trade Organisation for animal health conditions applying to
international trade in animals and animal products. The aim is to ensure the sanitary safety
of international trade in live animals and their products. This is achieved by providing
guidelines on the health measures to be used by the veterinary authorities of importing and
exporting countries to prevent the transfer of agents pathogenic for animals, while avoiding
unjustified trade barriers.
The development of guidelines for aquatic animals (fish, molluscs, crustaceans and
amphibians) is the result of the continuous work of one of the OIE's Specialist
Commissions, the OIE Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission (“Aquatic Animals
Commission”). The Aquatic Animals Commission is assisted by internationally renowned
independent experts, OIE ad hoc groups and expertise at the many OIE Reference
Laboratories for aquatic animal diseases. The main published standards produced by the
OIE for aquatic animals are the Aquatic Animal Health Code (“Aquatic Code”) and the
Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals (“Aquatic Manual”). The views of OIE
Member Countries are systematically sought through the circulation of draft and revised
texts and other proposals appended to the Commission‟s meeting reports to the National
Delegates of all OIE Member Countries. In addition, the Aquatic Animals Commission
collaborates closely with the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Standards Commission on
issues needing a harmonised approach in the Terrestrial Code and the Aquatic Code, and
meets with the OIE Biological Standards Commission and the OIE Scientific Commission
to ensure consistency of scientific standards in the two Diagnostic Manuals.
The Aquatic Animals Commission comprises five elected members experienced in the
fields of methods for surveillance, diagnosis, control and prevention of infectious aquatic
animal disease and meets twice a year. The Commission also draws upon the expertise of
internationally renowned experts to prepare draft texts for new chapters of the Aquatic
Code and the Aquatic Manual or to revise existing chapters in light of advances in
scientific knowledge. The Aquatic Manual provides a uniform approach to the diagnosis
of, and surveillance for, the diseases listed in the Aquatic Code, so that the requirements
for health certification in connection with international trade in aquatic animals and aquatic
animal products can be met. The Aquatic Manual is continually revised and updated as
new information on aquatic animal diseases in general, and new emerging diseases in
particular, becomes available.
The five members of the Aquatic Animals Commission are elected for a 3 year term by the
International Committee of the OIE at the General Session in May of the election year. The
OIE requires that the Commission members shall be internationally recognised specialists
in the fields of methods for surveillance, diagnosis and prevention of infectious aquatic
animal diseases and shall have extensive international experience, at the regional or global
level. Key functions of the Commission are to:
- propose the most appropriate methods for surveillance, diagnosis and disease
prevention for sanitary security of trade or international movement of aquatic animals
and their products covering diseases listed in the Aquatic Code;
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