PARTICULAR SANITARY ASPECTS OF TRADE IN ANIMALS AND ANIMAL
PRODUCTS
==============================================================
Prof. Dr Václav
K o u b a , DrSc.
TAB. 1
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
- COMPARISON BETWEN ANIMAL AND INDUSTRIAL
COMMODITIES - I
===================================================================
CRITERION ANIMAL COMMODITIES INDUSTRIAL COMMODITIES
===================================================================
Availability
of reduced
standards
reliable
or
minimum technical parameters
information or zero
for importing
country on
quality
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Certification of incomplete complete
quality covering only incl. risks of
side effects
limited
number of
pathogens
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Declaration of nil obligatory
side effects risks not required by current
(part of the international
certificate) organizations
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guarantee incomplete complete
responsibility relative absolute
(100%)
almost
non controllable
controllable
no
guarantee for pathogen
free export
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Duration of short (weeks) long (months –
years)
quality guarantee if any
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reclamation quite exceptional normal practice
of defects or not existing
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Covering losses
by
traders not existing
or normal practice
quite exceptional
by
taxpayers current
never
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Risk for traders not existing or always
to pay losses quite exceptional
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deficiency very difficult relatively
easy
detection (prove) or impossible
===================================================================
TAB. 2
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
- COMPARISON BETWEN ANIMAL AND INDUSTRIAL
COMMODITIES – II
===================================================================
CRITERION ANIMAL COMMODITIES INDUSTRIAL COMMODITIES
===================================================================
Risk analysis very problematic zero risk import
no
enough data = normal
risky import
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Risk influencing enormous number very limited
factors including biological (inanimate products)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deficiency
multiplying due to local only
consequences territorial spreading and not spreading
transfer
to next
generations;
up to catastrophic
impact
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feasibility to minimum or relatively easy
restore zero =
irreparable reparable
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ability to yes; often pathogen changes: no
change to worse new strains, drug resistance,
virulence
increase, etc.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ability of yes; often
irreparable product
life-time limit
consequences
long-time short
to last
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ability to very often no
reproduce negative
consequences
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Need for protective yes no
measures
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Risk of affecting yes no
problem
health including man health or minimum
==================================================================
TAB 3.
COMPARISON OF INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION SYSTEM USED
FOR TRADE
IN ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS BEFORE AND AFTER
1995 *)
===================================================================
CRITERION BEFORE 1995 AFTER 1995 (instead of more
and better information)
===================================================================
Global yearbooks - FAO/OIE/WHO Animal
Health yearbook (abolished
after 40 years)
- OIE
World Animal Health OIE World Animal
Health
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disease occurrence - exceptional cases abolished
regular reporting
on - sporadic cases abolished
- low
sporadic occurrence abolished
-
enzootic occurrence
abolished
- high
occurrence abolished
-
ubiquitous occurrence
abolished
- only
in imported animals abolished
-
recognized for the
the first time abolished
-
disease exists,
occurrence unknown abolished
all replaced by one
non interpretable
"+"
= reported present or
known to be present
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Data on zoonoses reported abolished
(except 2)
in humans
(22 diseases)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analytic data HANDISTAT software
+ mapping for 1. version providing
abolished and
decision
on many
useful methods, after 3 years
replaced by a “new”
import information and analyses significantly reduced version;
of animal diseases in the (mainly data available
world incl. maps in OIE World Animal Health)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Availability of only official numbers data sent by Chief Veterinary
data on livestock sent by member country Officers usually in discrepancy
(necessary for governments for FAO in comparison with official
morbidity Production Yearbook data provided by
governments
evaluation)
==================================================================
*) World Trade Organization “Agreement of the
Application of Sanitary and
Phytosanitary
Measures”, 1994
Motto:
“Facilitating trade through minimizing information for importing
countries !”
TAB. 4
AVAILABILITY AND RELIABILITY OF DATA ON ANIMAL
DISEASES OCCURRENCE
COLLECTED BY INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AS REPORTED
BY INDIVIDUAL
COUNTRIES
=======================================================================
CRITERION S T
A T U S
=======================================================================
Notifiability Internationally notifiable
diseases (OIE List A,B,C) cover
only
about 1/10 of known infectious diseases species,
i.e.
about 9/10 are not notifiable, not reported
and not
controlled: situation is unknown = they can
spread freely locally as well
as through trade (not covered by veterinary
certificates,
not included in the risk assessment);
not
considering emerging diseases and new pathogen strains
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Detectability
of clinical
detectability from 0 to 100 %; in chronic diseases close
notifiable diseases to zero; major in case of active
surveys using adequate sampling methods
and tests with high sensibility;
the
rest is not discovered = not reported = situation unknown
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Numeric data on incomplete, strong underreporting
= not corresponding with
notifiable diseases the reality = untrue data confusing
decision makers; no clear
as internationally difference between disease incidence
and prevalence
reported
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Information on active not
included in international information system
investigations
(to be (in spite of several repeated recommendations by the author)
able to distinguish reports
based on testing or
only on ad hoc reports)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Information on missing
(also in otherwise outstanding OIE Manual of
diagnostic tests standards for diagnostic tests
and vaccines) in all specific
quality, i.e. diseases – no
information on false negative results frequency
ability to detect specific
disease - sensitivity
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Availability of very limited or not available at all; quantification not
reliable;
reliable data on exact processing of
inexact data conduces to the confusion of
animal diseases
decision makers. (Computers, information software,
risk assessment modelling
or administrative work in offices cannot replace
for international active field investigations providing much more reliable data )
trade
======================================================================
Motto: “Garbage in, garbage
out !”
TAB. 5
COMPARISON OF THE DOCUMENTS OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
OF REFERENCE SYSTEM ESTABLISHED BY WTO FOR ANIMAL
TRADE BEFORE
AND AFTER WTO “AGREEMENT ON THE APPLICATION OF
SANITARY
AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES” (WTO/SPS) - I
====================================================================
CRITERION BEFORE AFTER
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Concept health first trade (profit –
business) first
following WTO/SPS
policy
also at the expense of animal and
human health
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Objectives to avoid diseases to admit, even to support,
diseases spreading
spreading not requiring
animals to
i.e.
requiring to be
healthy, products not to be
pathogen
free harmful, i.e. to
be pathogen free; instead
export very
problematic “measures”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Code text "avoid the
risk "Import
risk analysis is
of spreading" preferable to a zero
risk
= zero
risk approach approach" = risky import, i.e.
“unimpeded flow”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Obligatoriness
recommendations, i.e. obligations (regulation instead of
liberalization)
freedom for
decision i.e.
dictating limits for importing
on import
conditions country
protection
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Import recommendations obligatory
m a x i m u m (limit) for
conditions of m i n i m u m health
guarantee without freedom
health requirements for health to
improve them as necessary, i.e.
guarantee guarantee with freedom
to d i c t a t e
avoiding importing
complement
them, i.e. to country to require necessary
improve them as protection;
necessary
= the right exception only
if “scientifically
of importing
country justified” risk assessment *)
to
require better protection
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Right of full
reduced or no right
importing
to ask for necessary
country to decide
protection (however, legal
on its own
responsibility for country
protection protection is
left)
====================================================================
*) WTO SPS and mentioned documents themselves are not
scientifically justified (only consented) and they were agreed by the member
countries without having available any assessment of potential risks, i.e. not
being informed about negative impacts analysis.
Note: Importing countries need the guarantee of harmless
commodities, i.e. free of pathogens
avoiding post-import problems, and not wordy papers about falsely defined “measures” and incomplete information on exporting animal or
animal products health quality.
TAB. 6
COMPARISON OF
REQUIREMENTS FOR TRADE IN ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS
BEFORE AND AFTER WTO “AGREEMENT ON THE APPLICATION OF
THE SANITARY
AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES” - II
===========================================================================
CRITERION BEFORE AFTER
===========================================================================
Quality up to 1995 "business
first" also
requirement "health
first" at the expense of
priority = harmless animal/human health
export-import
= harmful export/import
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Permitting no
yes
quality deficiency
(pathogens)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Requiring
pathogen-free export yes no
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trade quality steady increase sudden decrease (as
never before)
tendency
= degradation
requirement
(only in animal trade)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Need for written nonsense
obligatory (as never before)
justification of
the unknown practice (only in animal trade)
commodity
refuse
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Requirement grade demanding import benevolent import conditions, i.e.
for animal health conditions motivated permitting risky
improvement through
exporting countries export without effective national
disease control to recover animal control programmes (e.g. abusing
programmes population health self-declaration of “disease-free
(eradication, etc.) = basic motivation zones” in spite of high incidence in
to
animal health the country)
= lost of motivation to
improvement to
animal health improvement
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Consequences in organization of local tendency
to “doing nothing”
diseases control and national eradication, (due to reduced pressure on
prevailing strategy elimination and reduction export
pathogen-free animals
of selected
diseases and animal
products)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Preparation of usually adequate mostly inadequate (due to
minimization of
veterinary services
courses in population preventive
medicine and
for trade problems
in diagnosis of healthy animals and products)
==========================================================================
TAB. 7
COMPARISON OF REQUIREMENTS FOR TRADE IN ANIMALS AND
ANIMAL PRODUCTS BEFORE
AND AFTER WTO “AGREEMENT ON THE APPLICATION OF THE
SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY
MEASURES” - III
===========================================================================
CRITERION BEFORE AFTER
===========================================================================
Risk current –
voluntarily; obligatory; not respecting all aspects;
assessment flexible;
quantification incomplete due to absence
logical; of necessary data;
complex; not
convincing methodology =
practical
approach aiming at
artificially minimizing
from
importing country the risk (camouflage to “facilitate
protection
needs trade”); theoretical
approach from exporting
country profit aspects
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attests mainly mainly
issuing government private
often d e p e n d e n t
officers
i n d e p e n d e n
t (sometimes
existentially) on
(incl. investigations on producers and/or producers and/or
on the spot) exporters exporters
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attest
reliability usually high usually
low (not confirming pathogen-free status)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Accredited relatively demanding mass phenomenon
veterinarians tests and strict
selection more benevolent selection, often
(due to lack of of better prepared without demanding tests of
gov. officers) professionals insufficiently
prepared professionals ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Corruption of export less frequency higher frequency
attests issuing due to stricter control due to more benevolent and non
frequent inspection,
veterinarians by government officers if any, on the spot by gov. service
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supervising usually frequent after
minimization of gov. services
private by significantly reduced (former
government
strong gov. services dismantled)
veterinarians and
somewhere close to zero
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supervising usually frequent minimal or nil
private diag.
laboratories
===========================================================================
TAB. 8
PREVAILING CONDITIONS FOR ANIMAL DISEASES SPREADING
THROUGH
INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN THE PAST AND THE PRESENT
================================================================
CRITERION IN THE PAST IN THE PRESENT
================================================================
Size of trade in animals comparative basic multiplied
and animal products value =
100
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trade increase slow - controllable speedy -almost uncontrollable
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of limited enormous
commodity usually
controllable almost uncontrollable
origin localities by gov. veterinary
services by gov. veterinary services
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commodity limited enormous
destination and final usually controllable uncontrollable
distribution by gov. veterinary
services by gov. veterinary services
localities
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Territory of limited often enormous
origin usually
controllable usually uncontrollable
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trade distances usually limited rapid
to anywhere on the planet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trade transport slowly increasing to
anywhere
speed
in one/few days
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Veterinary attests mostly by independent mostly by dependent
issuing (including government officers private veterinarians
investigations) and laboratories and laboratories
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Animal disease control priority of veterinary minimizing due to economic
(testing, prevention, services, government pressure and minimizing
eradication programmes) and international government services and
organizations support
diagnostic laboratories
=================================================================
TAB. 9
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DISEASE RISK ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS
FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND FOR LOCAL PROBLEM
SOLUTIONS
=================================================================
CRITERION
RISK ASSESSMENT FOR RISK
ASSESSMENT FOR
INTERNATIONAL
TRADE LOCAL PROBLEM SOLUTIONS
=================================================================
Risk requiring complex
approach admitting not to consider
all
assessment considering all basic influencing
factors;
principle basic factors evaluate
to avoid
disease g r a d
e of
d i s e a s e r i s k
"export", i.e. to with respective exactness
document z e r o
r i s k sufficient for
the local or national
for animal/human h e a l t h problems solution
by the
exporting country
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Risk active approach to
discover not so demanding as
for
assessment
animal health/disease reality the international trade;
tools in the territory
and it depends on the
purpose - for
(approach) population for export general orientation less
demanding
(field and
laboratory than for the
preparation and
investigations cannot be evaluation of disease eradication
replaced by
computer programme
data
processing or
mathematical
models)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Risk using the most
complex not so demanding as
for
assessment
and the most exact tests, the international trade
investigations
investigate all animals and
products to be
exported;
for the others
using the
most
representative sampling
methods as possible
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Risk diagnosis of the h
e a l t h usually diagnosis of d i s e a s e
assessment
based on individual based on individual and/or
population
purposes and epizootiological investigations or on processing
complex investigations reported data
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Risk disease spread disease spread
locally with relatively
assessment internationally up limited consequences in
comparison
error to other continents with international spread
consequences
with serious up to
catastrophic
consequences
=================================================================
Notes: Every
case is different. Uniform methodology does not exist. To confirm health
(freedom from pathogens) is much more demanding than to confirm a disease or
pathogen. The same is valid for animal products innocuousness. Biological
phenomena are usually not quantifiable (measurable) and therefore disease risk
assessments are very often not convincing.
TAB. 10
DEVELOPMENT OF VETERINARY SERVICES ABILITY TO CONTROL
INTERNATIONAL
TRADE IN ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS
========================================================================
CRITERION
THE PAST THE PRESENT
========================================================================
Service approach
active avoiding disease passive expectation of disease
introduction/
in importing introduction/spreading spreading – “fire brigade” concept
countries - preventive concept
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Undergraduate
reasonable balance considerable imbalance in favour
education and
between preventive of
individual curative medicine
training and curative medicine minimizing preventive + population
(between
population and medicine = insufficient (or zero)
individual
medicine) preparation for trade needs, e.g., for
ability to diagnose freedom from
transmissible
diseases pathogens at
individual, group and population levels
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ability of relatively good limited up to zero due to
government
due to its staff, minimizing government control
services to budget, facilities role, i.e. service staff, budget,
facilities,
control export
and other public support; considerable dismantlement
effectively support due to privatization
(somewhere
incl. issuing attests
ad absurdum)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Accredited strict selection benevolent selection;
veterinarians
special training and insufficient training often
issuing attests
examinations without examinations, i.e. usual
impact:
for export on attest not enough reliable = diseases
behalf of government “export”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Accredited
dtto dtto
diagnostic
minimal or zero supervision by
laboratories
government services
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supporting
reasonable balance
considerable imbalance in favour of
research between preventive individual curative medicine
minimizing
and curative
medicine preventive and
population medicine
(between
population and (priority at
herd-flock level only) research
individual
medicine); and
almost total underestimation of
relatively sufficient diseases spreading through trade;
deep gap between theory and practice !
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ability to control
limited, but carrying out minimal - due to reduced public services,
infectious diseases
many successful disease lost
motivation and extreme benevolence
to facilitate trade
eradications as condition for
exporting countries in documents
(export) for export of key
international organizations
======================================================================
TAB. 11
WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION AGREEMENT ON THE APPLICATION OF SANITARY AND
PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES (WTO/SPS) – COMMENTS
I
=====================================================================================================
P r e p a r a t i o n: No any scientific approach, no any risk
assessment was presented to governments. The document was not based on scientific
principles, scientific oponency and on complex
analysis of practical impact.
U s e of f a l s
e a r g u m e n t s such as in “attractive” Preamble:
“Desiring to improve the human health, animal health in all
Members;” This is a l i e , no one word is dedicated to
health improvement. In contrast, the
whole document is concerned only how to facilitate trade at the expense of
human and animal health = irresponsible cheating member countries. The true was concealed !
A d o p t i o n :
During ministerial meeting in Marrakesh on 15 April 1994 the document
was approved, in good faith in WTO HQs fairness, thanks to incorrect informed participants
being asked to accept it in bloc with other documents as condition sine qua non for WTO membership, not permitting discussions on the particular subject.
C o n c e p t :
Full support to the export also at the expense of animal and human health, permitting and even supporting
infection diseases “export” and their
international spreading.
U n i l a t e r a l
a p p r o a c h: Duties and
responsibilities only for importing countries minimizing their rights to
protect their populations; maximizing
the right of exporting countries to export
also if their exporting commodities are not pathogens-free; no one world on the duties of exporting
country to cover the losses due to the
export of inadequate health quality
(export of infectious diseases), often with catastrophic consequences.
I n e q u a l i t y :
Discrimination of importing countries, mainly the developing ones, having weak government veterinary services
(staff and diagnostic laboratories in terms of quantity and quality) very often
unable: to resist the pressure of the exporting and importing countries businessmen,
politicians, international
organizations, to carry out adequate risk assessment (mainly due to missing
information on true health status in exporting country and lack of
specialists), to control and investigate imported animals and animal
commodities, to control “imported” diseases conducing to the deterioration of
the national situation (additionally to negative consequences of dumping prices
of imported commodities), i.e.
increasing the need for more import,
often problematic from the health quality point of view.
========================================================================================================
TAB. 12
WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION AGREEMENT ON THE APPLICATION OF SANITARY AND
PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES (WTO/SPS) –
COMMENTS II
=======================================================================================================
THE ONLY PURPOSE OF THE WTO/SPS WAS TO “FACILITATE
TRADE” AND TO INCREASE BUSINESS PROFIT AT THE EXPENSE OF ANIMAL AND HUMAN
HEALTH !
WTO/SPS does not know words such as “healthy animals”,
“disease free animals”, “pathogen-free animal products”, “innocuous animal
products” , etc.
WTO/SPS changed the fair practice in international
trade, normal for all commodities, which was sufficient in the past also for
the trade in animal and animal products:
a) instead to
protect the farmers, animal owners, products users, food consumers of importing
countries – protects the businessmen of exporting countries (profit first, not
quality = health first)
b) instead to protect importing country against
introduction of infections through trade – supports exporting countries to
export at the expense of animal and human health in importing countries
c) instead to let the countries themselves to find
solutions on bilateral basis (including eventual compromises) - dictates
importing countries to limit their protective measures and to accept also non
healthy animals, no pathogen-free products, etc.
d) instead to require exporting countries to guarantee
the health / sanitary quality = harmlessness and to document it in convincing
and proper manner – dictates importing countries to “scientifically” document
the refuse or their import conditions through diseases risk assessments in
spite of the fact that necessary information are not available;
e) instead to require exporting country to inform in
advance importing country and declare in written form (as normal “label” in
non-animal commodities) the true about health quality of the animal commodities, e.g. to warn about
the risks (“side effects”) and accepting full responsibility for covering their
possible negative impacts – requires the duties only for importing countries to
accept insufficient guarantee and to import “problems” with often catastrophic
consequences;
f) instead to require import conditions to be
sufficient for the importing country – requires
conditions not guaranteeing country protection, such as to accept to
import the commodity infected by agents already existing in importing country
(i.e. to make situation worse), not to ask for stricter import conditions than
usually for national trade (not respecting fact, that the situation at home is
always better known than the situation in foreign countries), etc.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: History does not
know any official international documents requiring that purchaser must
scientifically justify in written the refuse or his conditions; in fair trade
the seller must try to convince the
purchaser about the merchandise quality. Reverse logic and professional
incompetence represent the characteristics of the WTO/SPS.
TAB. 12
INTERNATIONAL OFFICE OF EPIZOOTICS (OIE) - INTERNATIONAL ANIMAL HEALTH CODE 2001 –
SELECTED TEXTS - I
=================================================================
Introduction:
Main objective of the OIE: Facilitating international
trade. In the world economy, the unimpeded flow of international trade in
animals and animal products requires: the harmonization of requirement for such
trade, in order to avoid unjustified trade barriers. (OIE Overview 1999).
Texts from the Code 2001:
- page VI, para C2: „It would be irresponsible and
contrary to the principles of encouraging international trade to insist on guarantees
as to the absence of commonly found infections that are present in the
importing country.“
- page VI, para C4: “ The steps to be followed when
drafting international veterinary certificates are as follows: a) list diseases
against which the importing country is justified in seeking protection; b) list
the health requirement for each of these diseases…..”
- p.15, article 1.2.1.2, para 2: “The international
veterinary certificate should not include requirements for the exclusion of
pathogens or animal diseases which are present within the territory of the
importing country and are not subject to any official programme. The
requirements applying to pathogens or diseases subject to official control
programme in a country or zone should not provide a higher level of protection
on imports than that provided for the same pathogens or diseases by the measures
applied within that country or zone.”
- p. 18, article 1.2.2.1:” It is essential no to
include in the requirements additional specific matters which cannot be
accurately and honestly signed by a veterinarian. For example, these
requirements should not include certification of an area as being free from
non-notifiable diseases the occurrence of which the signing veterinarian is not
necessary inform about. Equally, to ask certification for events which will
take place after the document is signed in unacceptable when these events are
not under direct control and supervision of the signing veterinarian.”
“Certification of freedom from diseases based on
purely clinical freedom and herd history is of limited value. This is also true
of diseases from which there is no specific diagnostic test, or the value of
the test as a diagnostic aid is limited.”
Page 18, Art. 1.2.2.2, para 5: “They should not
require a veterinarian to certify matters that are outside his-her knowledge or
which he-she cannot ascertain and verify.”