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Ranchers.net

Tam, before you start thinking that the OIE is all about food safety and animal health, read this. The OIE is as much about trade as it is anything.



1. Letter dated 4 May 1998 from the Director General of the
World Trade Organization to the Director General
of the Office International des Epizooties


I have the honour to refer to the provisions of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization, and in particular to the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, annexed as an integral part thereof, particularly the provisions which concern the Office International des Epizooties.

I refer notably to Article V, paragraph 1, of the Marrakesh Agreement and to Article 6.k of the Organic Rules of the Office International des Epizooties.

Bearing in mind these provisions and taking into account the conversations held between representatives of the Office International des Epizooties and the World Trade Organization, it seems to me that official relations need to be established between our two organizations. They should be established on the following basis:

Cooperation and Consultation
1.
The Office International des Epizooties, hereinafter the OIE, and the World Trade Organization, hereinafter the WTO, agree, in order to facilitate the accomplishment of their respective missions as set out in the International Agreement for the creation of the OIE, and the texts relating to the WTO, notably the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, hereinafter the SPS Agreement, and to act in collaboration and to consult each other on questions of mutual interest, in particular those concerning the sanitary aspect of international trade in animals and products of animal origin and zoonoses.

Participation
2.
Representatives of the OIE shall be invited to attend meetings of the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures of the WTO and to participate, without voting rights, in deliberations on items of the agenda in which the OIE has an interest, with the exception of meetings limited to the delegates of WTO Members.
3.
Representatives of the WTO shall be invited to attend the Annual General Sessions of the International Committee of the OIE and to participate, without voting rights, in deliberations on items of the agenda in which the WTO has an interest, with the exception of meetings limited to the delegates of OIE Members.
4.
Appropriate arrangements shall be made to ensure the participation of the OIE and the WTO in other meetings of a non-confidential nature convened under the auspices of either organization, during which questions in which the other organization has an interest are to be examined.

Exchange of Information and Documents
5.
The OIE and the WTO agree to keep each other informed of all projects and work programmes which may be of interest to the two organizations.
6.
Subject to any arrangements which may be necessary to safeguard the confidential nature of certain documents, the OIE and the WTO shall undertake the exchange of technical documents.

Actions
7.
The Secretariats of the OIE and the WTO may agree on the procedure to be followed when the SPS Committee submits specific questions to the OIE concerning the standards, guidelines or recommendations of the OIE within the meaning of Article 12, paragraph 6, of the SPS Agreement.
8.
In order to promote the proper application of the provisions of the SPS Agreement, particularly Article 9, paragraph 1, the Secretariat of the OIE and that of the WTO may agree on joint actions, such as seminars and interventions during conferences, as well as other actions considered necessary, particularly as regards the granting of technical assistance for the benefit of developing countries.
9.
The Secretariats of the OIE and the WTO may also agree on other joint or separate actions, concerning the spheres of activity of their respective organizations, when they consider such actions to be necessary.
10.
They may also agree on procedures for designating scientific and technical experts with a view to the application of the provisions of the SPS Agreement, notably as provided for in Article 11, paragraph 2, in respect of dispute settlement.
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