1. World Organisation for Animal Health created in 1924 in Paris

2. Scientific and Technical Department OIE
The OIE and its Standards. PHARE Conference, Food and Feed Safety. New Approaches October 2005, Bucharest, Romania
Dr. Alejandro Schudel
Head
Scientific and Technical Department OIE

3. 167 Member Countries (May 2004)
Americas: 29 – Africa: 50 – Europe: 49 – Middle East: 13 – Asia: 26

4. Regional Representations
INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE
Administrative Commission
Specialist Commissions Code, Laboratories, Aquatic Animals, Scientific
Regional Commissions
Africa, Americas, Europe, Asia- Far East and Oceania, Middle East
Central Bureau
Director General
Collaborating Centres
Reference Laboratories
Ad hoc Groups
Working Groups
Administrative
and Financial
Department
Animal Health
Information
Department
International Trade
Department
Scientific and
Technical
Department
Regional Activities
Department
Publications
Department
Regional Representations

5. International relationships
Institutional cooperation:
World Health Organization (WHO)
Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
World Trade Organization (WTO)
Codex Alimentarius
International Plant Protection Commission (IPPC)
International Dairy Federation (IDF)
International Equestrian Federation (IEF)
World Bank
International Federation for Animal Health (IFAH)
International Association for Biologicals (IABs)
World Veterinary Association (WVA)
International Meat Secretariat (IMS)
International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)
Other Regional Organisations (AU-IBAR, PAHO, OIRSA, IICA)
Technical and scientific cooperation with more than 20 regional organisations and international professional associations.

6. OIE’s Missions
To promote transparency in the animal health situation throughout the world.
To collect, analyse and disseminate veterinary information.
To strengthen international coordination and cooperation in the control of animal diseases.
To promote the safety of world trade in animals and animal products.
To improve the legal framework and resources of national Veterinary Services.

7. OIE Information System
OIE Early Warning System is based on official reports from Member Countries
Active search and verification of unofficial information
Improve data quality at the field level
OIE Global Information System

8. OIE
Early
Warning
System

9. OIE Global Information System

10. Source of Early Warning Disease Reports
Reports from Member Countries
Reports from OIE Reference Laboratories with Member Country verification
Active search of unofficial sources, such as scientific publications and ProMed, and lay publications, with Member Country verification
Improved Member Country surveillance is encouraged

11. Global Early Warning System (GLEWS)
Joint initiative OIE/FAO/WHO
Animal disease tracking
Emergency response
Trends analysis predictions
Capacity building of Veterinary Services
List of priority animal diseases, zoonoses and emerging diseases

12. OIE’s WTO mandate
SPS Agreement recognises OIE as one of three reference organisations for international standards (three sisters)
for food safety, the standards established by Codex (*)
for animal health and zoonoses, the standards developed under the OIE
for plant health, the standards developed under the IPPC

13. OIE Specialist Commissions
Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases (Scientific Commission)
Biological Standards Commission (Laboratories Commission)
Terrestrial Animal Health Standards Commission (Code Commission)
Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission (Aquatic Animals Commission)
Working Groups and Ad hoc Groups (Wildlife Diseases, Animal Welfare, Food Safety, Ad hoc Group on BSE, etc.)

14. OIE Standards
Develops and publishes health standards for animals and animal products
Develops and publishes biological standards

15. advice of experts or other Specialist Commissions
COMMITTEE, COMMISSIONS, DELEGATES
problem
Specialist
Commission
Updating OIE standards
review
advice of experts or other Specialist Commissions
draft text 1 2
comments
Delegates
International Committee
OIE STANDARD
adoption

16. OIE Standards Terrestrial Animal Health Code (the Terrestrial Code)
Manual of Standards for Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals (the Terrestrial Manual)
Aquatic Animal Health Code (the Aquatic Code)
Manual of Standards for Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals (the Aquatic Manual)

17. OIE Codes
Recommend sanitary measures to be used by veterinary or other competent authorities
Establish health regulations for the safe importation of animals and animal products while avoiding unjustified sanitary barriers

18. Animal Health Codes: General Provisions
Requirements for Disease reporting
Standards for Veterinary Services
Obligation and ethics in international trade
Requirements for disease surveillance and monitoring
Guidelines for zoning and regionalisation
Procedures for establishing disease free country or zone
Risk analysis methods
International transfer and laboratory containment of animal pathogens (Chapter 1.4.6)

19. OIE Manuals Describe internationally agreed laboratory methods
for disease diagnosis
for production and control of biological products
‘prescribed’ and ‘alternative’ tests for
OIE listed diseases, and ‘other diseases of importance’ for terrestrial animals
diagnostic tests for
OIE listed diseases of aquatic animals

20. OIE Manuals
Individual chapters for 100 terrestrial and 35 aquatic animal diseases
Chapters contain description of:
Disease
Agent identification procedure
Serological procedures
Vaccines (when available)

21. OIE Manuals - Introductory chapters
Sampling methods, including surveillance
Good Laboratory Practices
Validation of diagnostic assays
Human safety in the veterinary microbiology laboratory, including agent biosecurity (Chapter 1.1.6)
Shipment of diagnostic specimens
Tests for sterility and freedom from contaminants
Veterinary vaccine production

22. OIE biological standards
The Manuals
OIE harmonises diagnostic testing and vaccination through use of
standard methods – OIE Manuals
Reference Laboratories/Collaborating Centres
International Reference Sera
quality assurance guidelines
Supports laboratories in Member Countries  reliable results
Coordinated by OIE Laboratories Commission and Aquatic Animals Commission
OIE Quality Standards and Guidelines for Veterinary Laboratories

23. OIE Reference Laboratories and Collaborative Centres
17 OIE Collaborative Centres
Expertise in 92 Animal Diseases and zoonoses
In 31 Member Countries
Involving 150 world renowned experts

24. OIE Reference Laboratories
Purpose
Facilitate standardisation of diagnostic tests by designating a source of expertise and standard reagents for Lists A and B diseases

25. OIE Reference Laboratories Functions and responsibilities
1. Act as a centre of expertise for a disease and standardisation of methodology
2. Storage and distribution of standard strains and diagnostic standard antisera, antigens and other reagents
3. Development of new diagnostic methods
4. Collection, processing and analysis of epizootiological data

26. OIE’s new mandate for food safety
Standards of OIE involved zoonoses and zoonoses transmissible by food. Why a new mandate for food safety?

27. BSE
Lancet 1996; 347:
A new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the UK
R G Will, J W Ironside, M Zeidler, S N Cousens, K Estibeiro, A Alperovitch, S Poser, M Pocchiari, A Hofman, P G Smith
This article in the Lancet in 1996 proved definitively that BSE was transmissible to humans. It promoted BSE from a possible zoonosis to a zoonosis. Until now the most important zoonosis in international trade. It underlined the importance of the OIE standards for Food Safety.

28. OIE’s food safety goal
To reduce food borne risks to human health by preventing, eliminating or controlling hazards arising from animals
prior to slaughter of the animal or primary processing of the product
primary focus on food safety measures applicable at the farm level

29. Food safety priorities
dual roles and functionalities of veterinary services throughout the food chain
public health and animal health
good farming practices
to minimise hazards at farm level
zoonoses
those not up to date in OIE Code
those not always affecting animals
antimicrobial resistance
prudent use
traceability of animals

30. OIE food safety work coordinated by Animal Production Food Safety WG
In 2002 the Animal Production Food Safety Working Group was established.

31. OIE - Codex
Still no specific mutual agreement between OIE and Codex, but cooperation is continuing based on OIE’s observer status in Codex.
OIE and CAC recommended that collaboration be strengthened at the national and regional levels.
Cooperation throughout the whole process of standard development.
OIE – Codex cooperation

32. Coordination with Codex
need for Codex and OIE to jointly review standards and identify gaps / duplications
joint standards
mutual recognition of standards
linkages between standards
priorities
zoonoses not currently appropriately addressed in the Code
eg brucellosis and tuberculosis
those not always affecting animals
eg salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis

33. Coordination with Codex
OIE involved in work of Codex
Codex Committee on General Principles
Codex Committee on Meat Hygiene
Codex Committee on Food Hygiene
Codex Committee on Milk (-Products)
Ad hoc Task Force on Animal Feeding
Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Food
Task Force on foods derived from Biotechnology
And of course the Codex Alimentarius Commission

34. Introduction to the Working Group
Request from OIE’s International Committee to strengthen activities in the food safety area and further develop collaboration with Codex
Role: Coordinate OIE activities related to animal production food safety and advise OIE’s Director-General and the relevant Specialist Commissions
First meeting November 2002, fourth meeting March First three meetings chaired by Dr Andrew McKenzie and fourth by Stuart Slorach

35. Animal Production Food Safety WG
terms of reference
consider all food-borne hazards arising from animals before slaughter, or before primary processing of the product
primary focus on food safety measures applicable at the farm level
develop work programme taking into account food safety priorities and current work of relevant international organisations, especially Codex
manages OIE food safety activities
The Working group acts as a steering committe on food safety for OIE.

36. Working Group participants
Members:
Codex Alimentarius, WHO, FAO, specialists from all regions of OIE.
High level participation of these organisations

37. Modus operandi
Acting in a steering group capacity, as required by DG OIE, regarding the work of OIE expert groups:
Provide advice to DG OIE on policy and strategic issues related to OIE’s work on animal production food safety.
Priorities:
 a) Identifying and addressing gaps, contradictions, areas where harmonisation is necessary and duplications in the work of OIE and other organisations (esp. Codex) involved in food safety standards;
b) Strengthening the relationship to other relevant standard-setting organisations (esp. Codex) through enhanced informal exchange;
c)Improving coordination between competent national/regional authorities with animal health and food safety responsibilities;
       d) Recommending a work programme to address the mandate of the OIE on animal production food safety.

38. Antimicrobial resistance (1)
Two OIE/FAO/WHO expert meetings recommended the creation of a Joint Codex/OIE Task Force on antimicrobial resistance. DG OIE has indicated that OIE would accept the proposal to establish such a Joint ad hoc Task Force
Codex Alimentarius Commission has not yet decided on its approach, which will be discussed in July 2005.
The Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods finalised its discussions on a draft Code of Practice to Minimize and Contain Antimicrobial Resistance in October 2004 and forwarded it to the CAC for adoption.

39. Antimicrobial resistance (2)
The Working Group
encouraged Member Countries and relevant organisations to provide comments to the OIE on the proposed revisions to the Code Appendices on ‘Guidelines for the Responsible and Prudent Use of Antimicrobial Agents in Veterinary Medicine’ and ‘Risk Assessment for Antimicrobial Resistance Arising from the Use of Antimicrobials in Animals’
encouraged FAO and WHO to take into account the OIE work when developing guidelines on risk assessment for antimicrobial resistance
concurred with the proposed OIE definition for antimicrobials
noted the work on critically important antimicrobials underway in the OIE and WHO and recommended that the organisations work together to ensure a coordinated list.
What did the Working Group

40. Good farming practices
The Working Group
reviewed a revised document on good farming practices
requested OIE Headquarters to redraft the document in line with the comments received and taking into account the draft FAO paper on Good Agricultural Practices, the Codex Recommended Code of Practice on Good Animal Feeding, the Codex draft Code of Hygienic Practice for Meat and the IDF Guide to Good Dairy Farming Practices.

41. Guide to Good Farming Practices
help competent authorities and stakeholders, especially farmers
covers the “farm end” of the food chain
the recommendations complement the responsibilities of the competent authorities at the farm level
This guide adresses:

42. Guide to Good Farming Practices
covers:
Premises
Introduction of new animals into the farm
Animal feeding and watering
Farm management
Veterinary Drugs
Preparation of animals for slaughter
Takes into account and references with other standards (Coxed, FAO, IDF)
The guide contains:

43. World Organisation for Animal Health
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