Funes G, Merlo A L, Sowul M, Rendine N, Melon X, Marcos A
Rev Sci Tech. 2020 Apr;39(1):119-130. doi: 10.20506/rst.39.1.3067.
According to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), zoning is a risk management strategy for achieving the progressive control and eradication of animal diseases, and for providing guarantees for international trade. The implementation and effectiveness of zoning relies on the quality of Veterinary Services. Eradicating a disease and securing trading partners' recognition of this disease-free status demands resources, and promotes economic and fruitful development. It also guarantees the sanitary safety of trade, provided that OIE standards are applied and the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) is complied with. The OIE international standards and the SPS Agreement lay down provisions for the effective implementation of zoning and the recognition of disease-free zones. Although animal-disease-free statuses place such zones in a favourable position with regard to exporting their products to the international market, they can create internal restrictions between regions of the same country with differing statuses. As a general rule, each importing country implements its own evaluation procedure, independent of OIE official recognition. While this usually provides for information evaluation and an on-site inspection mission, there is no harmonisation between countries regarding the methodology or the information required for risk assessment. Recognition of a disease-free zone does not imply automatic permission to export any product from that zone. Firstly, it is necessary to request that the market be opened for each product in question, guaranteeing the conditions demanded by the target market (risk analysis and animal health certification). To benefit from external markets, there are ways of speeding up bilateral recognition of disease-free zones, such as bilateral veterinary agreements or free trade agreements that establish clear areas and procedures to be implemented by trading partner countries. The ongoing exchange of information among countries builds trust among their Veterinary Services and authorities, which leads to expedited recognition procedures. The work of the OIE (Pathway for the Evaluation of Performance of Veterinary Services [PVS Pathway], OIE Observatory) and the WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Committee) (enforcement mechanisms) should be strengthened to assist countries in implementing zoning.
根据世界动物卫生组织（OIE）的说法，分区是一种风险管理策略，用于逐步控制和根除动物疾病，并为国际贸易提供保障。分区的实施和有效性依赖于兽医服务的质量。根除一种疾病并确保贸易伙伴认可该无病状态需要资源，并促进经济和富有成效的发展。只要应用了OIE标准并遵守世界贸易组织（WTO）《实施卫生与植物卫生措施协定》（SPS协定），它还能保证贸易的卫生安全。OIE国际标准和SPS协定为有效实施分区和认可无病区制定了规定。尽管无动物疾病状态使这些区域在向国际市场出口产品方面处于有利地位，但它们可能在同一国家不同状态的地区之间造成内部限制。一般来说，每个进口国都实施自己的评估程序，独立于OIE的官方认可。虽然这通常包括信息评估和现场检查任务，但各国在风险评估所需的方法或信息方面没有统一标准。认可一个无病区并不意味着自动允许从该区域出口任何产品。首先，有必要要求为每种相关产品开放市场，保证目标市场所要求的条件（风险分析和动物健康认证）。为了从外部市场中受益，有加快双边认可无病区的方法，例如双边兽医协定或自由贸易协定，这些协定确定了贸易伙伴国家要实施的明确领域和程序。各国之间持续的信息交流在其兽医服务部门和当局之间建立信任，这会加快认可程序。应加强OIE（兽医服务绩效评估途径[PVS途径]、OIE观察站）和WTO卫生与植物卫生措施委员会（SPS委员会）（执行机制）的工作，以协助各国实施分区。
