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Aquatic Animal Health Code - Seventh Edition

The aim of the Aquatic Animal Health Code (hereafter referred to as the Aquatic Code) is to assure the sanitary safety of international trade in aquatic animals (fish, molluscs and crustaceans) and their products. This is achieved through the detailing of health measures to be used by the Competent Authorities of importing and exporting countries to avoid the transfer of agents pathogenic for animals or humans, while avoiding unjustified sanitary barriers.
The health measures in the Aquatic Code (in the form of standards, guidelines and recommendations) have been formally adopted by the OIE International Committee, the general assembly of all Delegates of OIE Member
Countries, which constitutes the organisation’s highest decision-making body. This 7th edition incorporates the modifications to the Aquatic Code agreed by the OIE International Committee during the 72nd General Session in May 2004. These include revised chapters on the following subjects: general definitions, Disease listing and notification criteria, notification and epidemiological information, obligations and ethics in international trade, Aquatic animal
health measures applicable before and at departure, Aquatic animal health measures applicable on arrival, General recommendations on disinfection and the model international aquatic animal health certificates.
The development of these standards, guidelines and recommendations is the result of the continuous work of one of the OIE’s Specialist Commissions, the OIE Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission (in brief ‘Aquatic
Animals Commission’). This Commission, which comprises five elected members and two observers experienced in the fields of methods for surveillance, diagnosis, control and prevention of infectious aquatic animal diseases, meets twice
yearly to address its work programme. The Commission also draws upon the expertise of internationally renowned specialists to prepare draft texts for new chapters of the Aquatic Code or revise existing chapters in light of advances
in veterinary science. The views of the Delegates of Member Countries are systematically sought through the circulation of draft and revised texts. As well, the Aquatic Animals Commission collaborates closely with the OIE Terrestrial
Animal Health Standards Commission on issues needing a harmonised approach, and with the Biological Standards and Scientific Commissions to ensure the Aquatic Animals Commission is using the latest scientific information in its
work.
The value of the Aquatic Code lies in the fact that measures published in it are the result of consensus among the Competent Authorities of OIE Member Countries.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) conferred on the OIE new responsibilities under international law by specifying ‘the standards, guidelines and recommendations developed under the auspices of the OIE’ as the international standards for animal health and zoonoses. The SPS Agreement is aimed at establishing a multilateral framework of rules and disciplines to
guide the development, adoption and enforcement of sanitary measures in order to minimise their negative effects on international trade. Essentially, two options are available to Member Countries to provide a scientific justification for an import health measure. The first, and most encouraged by the WTO, is for Competent Authorities to base their import health measures on the OIE’s international standards, guidelines and recommendations. Where these do not exist, or in cases where a government chooses to apply stricter measures, the importing country must be able to show that its measure is based on a scientific assessment of the potential health risks. Guidelines for conducting risk analyses
are described in the Aquatic Code. The Aquatic Code thus forms an integral part of the regulatory reference system established by the WTO.
The Aquatic Code is published annually in the three official OIE languages (English, French and Spanish).
ISBN français : 92-9044-603-X
ISBN español: 92-9044-623-4