GUIDELINES FOR THE EVALUATION OF VETERINARY.pdf

Evaluation of Veterinary Services is an important element in the risk analysis process which countries may legitimately use in their policy formulations directly applying to animal health and sanitary controls of international trade in animals, animal-derived products, animal genetic material and animal feedstuffs. Any evaluation should be carried out with due regard for Chapter 1.3.3. of the International Animal Health Code. In order to ensure that objectivity is maximised in the evaluation process, it is essential for some standards of discipline to be applied. The OIE has developed guidelines which can be practically applied to the evaluation of Veterinary Services. These are relevant for evaluation of the Veterinary Services of one country by those of another country for the purposes of risk analysis in international trade. The guidelines are also applicable for evaluation 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 intended to cover all of these purposes. In carrying out a risk analysis prior to deciding the sanitary/zoosanitary conditions for the importation of a commodity, an importing country is justified in regarding its evaluation of the Veterinary Services of the exporting country as critical.