International Exchange and Trade Presentation «Trade - TFA - Trade Facilitation Agreement» (in the framework of the OIE-WCO collaboration) 14th JPC REMESA Naples, Italy 19 and 20 July 2017 Dr JP Dop, OIE Deputy Director General 1
Ø OIE WCO Collaboration First version agreed in 2008 Revised agreement signed at the WCO Council Session in June 2015 Securing and facilitating international trade, and overall to stimulating the growth of legitimate and safe trade worldwide à Safe Trade facilitation (that avoids disease facilitation) Aims to strengthen cooperation and boost collaboration between national Customs Administrations and Veterinary Services, in matters of common interest 2
Ø OIE WCO Collaboration Matters of common interest to the OIE and WCO Implementation of the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation Good governance practices at borders Fight against smuggling and fraud in trade in live animals, products of animal origin and veterinary medicinal products Biological threat reduction Animal welfare aspects during transport (by land, sea and air) and quarantine Facilitation of international competition horse movements Facilitation of cross-border movements in natural disaster situations [animals, animal products, animal feed products, veterinary medicinal products and biological samples] 3
Ø The WTO TFA Agreement One of the Key areas of common interest identixied is the implementation of the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation with a focus on Coordinated Border Management including : Single window concept Coordination between national Custom Administrations and Veterinary Services International certinication Dematerialisation of supporting documents 4
Ø The WTO TFA Agreement What is the WTO TFA Agreement? - Adopted in December 2013; came into force on 22 February 2017 - Aims to simplify, modernize and harmonize export and import processes, in particular with regards to customs procedures - BeneXits: - Full implementation of the Agreement could reduce trade costs globally by an average of 14.3% - By 2030 the Agreement could add 2.7 percentage points per year to world trade growth and more than half a percentage point per year to world GDP growth. This impact would be greater than the elimination of all existing tariffs around the world. 5
Ø The WTO TFA Agreement What is the WTO TFA Agreement? The TFA and the related political will to implement its measures and to carry forward the trade facilitation agenda, will bring positive impetus for cooperation of all relevant border agencies and their connectivity through Coordinated Border Management (CBM). The ability of Customs administrations to successfully implement TFA provisions will depend largely on their direct engagement, agility and cooperation with other border regulatory agencies [including the VS] 6
Ø The WTO TFA Agreement -- Article 8 7
Ø The WTO TFA Agreement Article 23.2 - each WTO member shall establish and/ or maintain a National Committee on Trade Facilitation or designate an existing mechanism to facilitate both domestic coordination and implementation of the provisions of this Agreement 8
Ø OIE Survey on NCTF (2015) As a Xirst step to operationalize the revised Agreement, the OIE suggested to use the WCO Survey on NCTFs (December 2014), adjusted to OIE purposes, to gain a better understanding of the participation of Veterinary Services in NCTFs OIE Survey modeled on WCO questionnaire Launched in July 2015 (reminder in October 2015) Dual purpose: ü Raising awareness amongst Veterinary Services ü Data to evaluate the current situation (and possibly build CB activities) 9
Ø OIE Survey on NCTF (2015) OIE (September 2015) WCO (December 2014) 49 OIE MCs from the 5 OIE regions, of which 26 indicated the establishment of NCTFs: 3 from the Americas and Caribbean 4 from Europe 10 from Africa 2 from the Middle-East 7 from the Asia/PaciXic Region 11 Countries in the process of establishing a NCTF Results 66 Members from the six WCO regions of which 23 indicated the establishment of NCTFs: 5 from the Americas and Caribbean 5 from Europe 4 from East and South Africa 2 from North Africa, Near and Middle East 1 from West and Central Africa and 6 from the Asia/PaciXic Region 10
Ø OIE Survey on NCTF (2015) Response rate: 49 Countries responded (27%) 60 4 REMESA Countries had - France - Italy 50 40 30 - Morocco - Tunisia 20 10 Ques+onaire replies vs OIE Member Countries answered: 7 12 2 15 13 0 Americas AFEO ME Africa Europe [China, Australia, Japan, Brazil, Argentina, USA, France, Italy, UK, etc.] 11
Ø OIE Survey on NCTF (2015) Main questions: Has your country a National TFA Committee in Place? [YES: Q2-9; NO: Q10-11] Are the VS a member in the national TFA Committee? Are the VS an observer in the national TFA Committee? Does VS representative attend all meetings of the national TFA committee? How often those meetings take place? Who is leading the national TFA committee? How many different ministers and/or agencies are part of the NCTF? Are the VS involved in the preparation of the meeting agendas? According to you, are the VS perspective properly taken into account? 11 Is your country in the process of establishing a national TFA committee? 12
Ø OIE Survey on NCTF (2015) (49 Countries responded) At that time 26 MCs had a National TFA Committee Ministries of Trade typically lead NCTF (11); MoA (2) 5-23 Ministries or Agencies on TFA Committees VS: (14) Members of the NCTF; (7) Observers of the NCTF VS: 6 countries attend all NCTF meetings; 2 ad hoc presence VS: 7 countries involved in the meeting agenda preparation Veterinary Services perspectives generally accepted Strong interest from the VS to participate in the NCTF More cooperation / CB needed 13
Ø OIE Survey on NCTF (2015) (4 REMESA countries responses) Has your country a NCTF in Place? Is your country in the process of establishing a NCTF? France No Premature at this stage Italy Yes / Morocco Yes / Tunisia No No 14
Ø OIE Survey on NCTF (2015) Update 2017 for REMESA countries Has your country a NCTF in place? If YES, how are the VS involved? Are their opinion considered? If NO, is your country in the process of establishing a NCTF? 15
Ø OIE Survey on NCTF (2015) OIE Bulletin 2016-2 16
Ø OIE activities to facilitate TFA implementation 17 Example of a recent PVS evaluation CC II.IV - recommendations OIE PVS Evaluation 47 Critical Competences 1 CC on Quarantine and Border Tool (CC) Security 1 CC on International Harmonisation 1 CC on International certixication 1 CC on Equivalence and other types of sanitary agreements 17
Ø OIE activities to facilitate TFA implementation Joint OIE-WCO seminar on Border security for national Customs Administrations and Veterinary Services to facilitate the implementation of article 8 of the WTO TFA (and other provisions of the WCO-OIE Cooperation Session 1 Introduction and strategic outlook on the TFA Agreement Session 2 - Private Sector Perspectives and International Standards Pilot: Americas region (30 countries) If successful, to be replicated in other regions Session 3 Coordinated Border Management (include. single window) in practice Session 4 - Cooperation under the TFA Session 5 - Cooperation on other subjects of common interest 18
Ø OIE activities to facilitate TFA implementation STDF activities Possible application of an STDF project on e-veterinary certinication at the request of OIE MCs, OIE should consider further support to Members regarding e-certixication Work in progress WCO Context: The theme adopted by the WCO in 2016 was Digital Customs, a carefully selected theme which rexlected the challenges and opportunities offered by the global phenomenon of digitization. Issues around the development of Customs technologies, implementation of the complete cycle of Customs administrative documents in electronic form, the reduction of barriers through the development of paperless trade, the implementation of Single Window mechanisms, advance information algorithms and automatic release of goods each of these trends have become an integral part of the process of simplixication and streamlining of Customs procedures in recent years. Application of these technologies will undoubtedly become a generally accepted global standard. 19
Ø Other on-going OIE-WCO activities Transport of biological (infectious) samples New OIE ad hoc Group (July 2017) WCO as a member OIE regional seminar on Focal Point for Veterinary Laboratories WCO as speaker Fight against counterfeit Veterinary Products OIE regional seminar on Focal Point for Veterinary Products WCO as speaker Temporary International Movement of Competition Horses (HHP) IHSC-OIE Workshop on Temporary International Movement of Competition Horses (Johannesburg, South Africa, 14 July 2017 ) - WCO as speaker 20
Ø Conclusions OIE supports the implementation of the WTO TFA agreement, in close cooperation with WCO Trade Facilitation YES Diseases Facilitation NO! 21
Thank you for your attention
Ø OIE Survey on NCTF Has your country a NCTF in place? (49 replies) Is your country in the process of establishing a NCTF (11 countries said yes out of 22 countries without a TFA Committee) Yes, 11, 50% No, 11, 50% 23
Ø OIE Survey on NCTF Are VS a Permanent Member in the NCTF (49 replies) 24
Ø OIE Survey on NCTF Do VS attend all meetings of the NCTF No: 6 countries Yes: 6 countries When it is necessary, according to agenda: 2 countries No meeting held since the establishment: 1 country No response: 34 countries 25
Ø OIE Survey on NCTF How often those meetings take place? Once a month (2 countries) Twice a year (4countries) 3 times a year (3 countries) 4 times a year (1 country) Often (1 country) As needs arise (6 country) 26
Ø OIE Survey on NCTF Who is leading the NCTF? Ministry of Trade (11 countries) Ministry of Finance, including Directorate General of Customs (3 countries) Ministry of Agriculture (2 countries) Ministry of Economic (2 countries) Several Ministries (1 country) 27
Ø OIE Survey on NCTF Are the VS involved in the preparation of the meeting agendas? Yes: 8 countries No: 7 countries Unknown: 34 countries 28