GUIDELINES FOR THE EVALUATION OF VETERINARY.pdf

Evaluation of Veterinary Services is an important element in the risk analysis processwhich countries may legitimately use in their policy formulations directly applying toanimal health and sanitary controls of international trade in animals, animal-derivedproducts, animal genetic material and animal feedstuffs.Any evaluation should be carried out with due regard for Chapter 1.3.3. of the InternationalAnimal Health Code. In order to ensure that objectivity is maximised in the evaluation process, it is essential forsome standards of discipline to be applied. The OIE has developed guidelines which canbe practically applied to the evaluation of Veterinary Services. These are relevant forevaluation of the Veterinary Services of one country by those of another country for thepurposes of risk analysis in international trade. The guidelines are also applicable forevaluation by a country of its own Veterinary Services — the process known as self-evaluation or self-assessment— and for periodic re-evaluation. This document is intendedto cover all of these purposes.In carrying out a risk analysis prior to deciding the sanitary/zoosanitary conditions for theimportation of a commodity, an importing country is justified in regarding its evaluation ofthe Veterinary Services of the exporting country as critical.