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Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture

International Standard Setting Activities - OIE

Last Modified: Jun 2, 2020
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International Animal Health Standards Services

Successful competition of US animals and animal products within the global marketplace requires participation in the activities of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The United States, through its International Animal Health Standards Team, actively participates in helping shape the draft Animal Health standards proposed by the OIE.

What is the Role of the OIE?

The World Trade Organization recognizes the OIE as the body for setting animal health standards. The major functions of the OIE are to collect and disseminate information on the distribution and occurrence of animal diseases and to ensure that scientifically based standards govern international trade in animals and animal products. The OIE helps to achieve this through the development and revision of international standards for diagnostic tests and vaccines, and for the safe trade of animals and animal products.

OIE Specialist Commissions and Working Groups undertake the initial analysis and preparation of draft standards which are then circulated to Member Countries for review and comment. Draft standards are revised accordingly and then presented for adoption to the International Committee at the annual General Session of the OIE.

The OIE has five Regional Commissions to address specific problems facing its Members in the different regions of the world. The United States is a member of the Regional Commission of the Americas.

The OIE also annually collects data on antimicrobial use in animals. The data that the United States of America submitted to the OIE in 2019 can be viewed here.

What is the Role of Veterinary Services?

The Deputy Administrator of Veterinary Services (VS), as the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) is charged with managing U.S. animal health standard-setting activities related to the OIE.  The CVO coordinates the U.S. comments to animal health standards proposed for adoption or for consideration by OIE.

Generally, if a country has concerns with a particular draft standard and supports those concerns with sound technical information, the pertinent Specialist Commission will revise that standard accordingly and present the revised draft for adoption at the General Session in May. In the event that a country's concerns regarding a draft standard are not taken into account, that country may refuse to support the standard when it comes up for adoption at the General Session.

While it is the intent of the United States to support adoption of international standards -- and to participate actively and fully in their development -- it should be recognized that the U.S. position on a specific draft standard would depend on the acceptability and technical merit of the final draft.

The draft proposals on this site will come from the following OIE Specialist Commissions:

  • Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission (Aquatic Animals Commission)
    Compiles information on diseases of fish, crustaceans and mollusks, recommends methods for controlling these diseases, harmonizes rules for the safe trade in aquaculture commodities, and recommends methods for the diagnosis of aquatic animal diseases.

  • Biological Standards Commission
    Establishes standards for methods of diagnosing diseases of animals and for testing biological products, such as vaccines, used for disease control purposes.

  • Terrestrial Animal Health Standards Commission (Code Commission)
    Establishes standards governing the safe trade of terrestrial animals and animal products.

Chapters for comment are offered in Microsoft Word Format (doc). The Microsoft Word Format files must be downloaded and saved to a disk or your hard drive. These files can be opened with Microsoft Word.

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