Avian influenza (bird flu): Questions & answers
This page was last updated on 13 June 2008.
Bird exports
- What are the main countries to which the UK poultry industry exports?
- Will this incident affect our OIE recognised disease free status?
- Will this incident affect intra-Community trade?
- What about trade with Non-EU Countries?
- Are there any non-EU countries that have banned imports from the UK?
- When will non-EU import bans be lifted?
- When will the UK regain its official HPAI disease free status?
- Does the proposed EU safeguard measure affect trade?
Oxfordshire 2008
What are the main countries to which the UK poultry industry exports?
Most exports from the UK go to other EU Member States. The UK has also exported to many countries outside the EU though many of these markets are still blocked as we do not have Notifiable Avian Influenza disease free status.
Will this incident affect our OIE-recognised disease free status?
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) sets down guidelines which determine whether a country is regarded as disease free. OIE defines both low pathogenic and high pathogenic H5 or H7 as Notifiable Avian Influenza (NAI). Currently, due to the H5N1 outbreak in November 2007, the UK does not hold NAI disease free status. A country like the UK which had previously been free from NAI, regains its NAI free status under OIE rules, 3 months after secondary cleansing and disinfection of an infected premise has been completed. Continued surveillance is also required. Secondary cleansing and disinfection had been completed following the November 2007 outbreak on the Suffolk/Norfolk border and the 3 months freedom clock had started ticking from 29 April 2008. Given this further outbreak, the UK’s NAI freedom will now depend on when secondary cleansing and disinfection can be completed on the premises near Banbury.
Will this incident affect intra-Community trade?
Trade from the UK to other Member States can carry on, and in practice is carrying on, unaffected by the incident, the only provisos being as follows: intra-community trade TRACES certificates (ITAHCs) for live poultry and hatching eggs can continue to be issued as normal provided the poultry or eggs do not come from premises under restriction or premises within the protection and surveillance zones. Any exporters wishing to export from the zones are advised to contact their local Animal Health Divisional Office.
Exporters outside the zones can continue to apply for intra-Community trade export health certificates for poultry, hatching eggs and captive birds from local Animal Health Divisional Offices in the normal way. Such certificates give ‘area’ freedom from avian influenza.
Poultry meat and poultry meat products can continue to move to other Member States on commercial documents. Exporters have a responsibility to know the origin of their product and whether it has originated from within the zones.
What about trade with Non-EU Countries?
Many non-EU export markets have remained closed to UK exporters of live poultry, captive birds, poultry meat and poultry products since as far back as 3 February 2007 (because of the Suffolk outbreak of H5N1).
Subsequent outbreaks of low pathogenic avian flu in North Wales and Merseyside, high pathogenic avian flu in Norfolk in November 2007, and now this most recent outbreak in Banbury have kept these markets shut. Over the past months, Defra has agreed with certain overseas governments to accept UK consignments subject to additional health assurances, but we now need to confirm with those overseas governments whether they are willing to accept consignments in view of the confirmation of high pathogenic avian influenza outbreak in Banbury.
The proposed EU safeguard measure does not impose any additional restrictions on the UK with regard to exports to non-EU countries. We now therefore are able to make export health certificates available for poultry meat and poultry based products to non-EU countries provided the condition relating to avian influenza can be signed by an Official Veterinarian and that we have not been informed the destination country has instigated a ban on the import of such products from the UK. Animal Health would issue these certificates entirely at the exporters risk with a disclaimer.
As before, Animal Health will only issue export health certificates for live poultry and other birds if we have positive confirmation from the veterinary authorities of the destination country that they are content to accept the consignment. Exporters who have an imminent consignment or who have a planned export within the forthcoming weeks should contact Animal Health urgently. In these priority cases Defra will contact the overseas veterinary authorities and the FCO Overseas Post to try to get confirmation that the consignment will be accepted. Exporters need to be aware that in the current situation, many export consignments for live birds may not be able to go ahead. A customer information note has been sent out explaining the situation.
Are there any non-EU countries that have banned imports from the UK?
Export health certificates agreed with non-EU countries vary and reflect the destination country's import conditions. Some certificates offer GB freedom from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) for a period while others offer area, premises or flock freedom from HPAI. Certifying UK veterinarians are unable currently to sign certificates which offer GB or UK freedom from HPAI.
Some countries will suspended UK imports even though the export health certificate can be signed. Regular Customer Information Notes will be issued concerning trade restrictions and placed on the Defra website.
When will non-EU import bans be lifted?
During previous outbreaks of notifiable avian influenza, we successfully liaised with exporters, British Embassies overseas and non-EU countries’ veterinary authorities to keep many export markets open and to facilitate exports. We are again working with them to limit the impact of this outbreak as regards exports.
However, some export health certificates require GB to be free from highly pathogenic avian influenza for 6 or 12 months. Defra will again try to renegotiate these conditions to a 3 month period to tie in with the OIE position. Defra can give no guarantee that these negotiations will be successful. It is also conceivable that some countries will not lift import bans until after the period specified in the export health certificate.
When will the UK regain its official HPAI disease-free status?
For trade with non-EU countries, the OIE (the World Animal Health Organisation) position is that notifiable avian influenza (NAI) free status is regained 3 months after a stamping-out policy, including disinfection of all affected establishments and provided that surveillance is carried out during that three-month period. The trigger for the beginning of the 3 month period for regaining NAI-free status for the UK is the completion of final cleansing and disinfection of the infected premises.
Does the proposed EU safeguard measure affect trade?
Intracommunity: A proposed EU safeguard measure confirms, at an EU level, the measures already put in place by Defra. As a result, there is no change to intracommunity trade conditions.
Third countries: The proposed EU safeguard measure does not impose any additional restrictions on the UK with regard to exports to non-EU countries. We now therefore are able to make export health certificates available for poultry meat and poultry based products to non-EU countries provided the condition relating to avian influenza can be signed by an Official Veterinarian and that we have not been informed the destination country has instigated a ban on the import of such products from the UK. Animal Health would issue any certificates entirely at the exporters risk with a disclaimer. As before, Animal Health will only issue export health certificates for live poultry and other birds if we have positive confirmation from the veterinary authorities of the destination country that they are content to accept the consignment. Exporters who have an imminent consignment or who have a planned export within the forthcoming weeks should contact Animal Health urgently. In these priority cases Defra will contact the overseas veterinary authorities and the FCO Overseas Post to try to get confirmation that the consignment will be accepted. Exporters need to be aware that in the current situation, many export consignments for live birds may not be able to go ahead. A customer information note has been sent explaining the situation.
Page last modified:
13 June, 2008