MAFF UPDATE No.693 (Published on APRIL 4, 2008)

 

Number 693
APRIL 4, 2008
A weekly update of news from the Japanese
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
International Policy Planning Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Kasumigaseki 1-2-1, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8950
Fax: 81-3-3502-8084
Editor: Yoshiyuki Ohtani

  

 

Disclaimer This is a provisional translation of the standard procedure. Only the original Japanese text was adopted as an authentic legal text. This translation is prepared solely for a reference material to aid in the understanding of Japanese text.

Standard Procedure for Approval for Import of Designated Items into Japan to be Quarantined

Article 1
Objectives and Scope

 

  This procedure has been developed taking into account relevant international standards and aiming to ensure fairness and transparency. The Standard Procedure applies to the consideration
  by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of the requests for import of designated items to be quarantined (as listed in Article 37 of “Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases
  Control Law” (Law No. 166 of 1951, hereinafter referred to as “the Law”)).

 

Article 2
Definitions

 

  For the purpose of this standard procedure, following definitions shall apply in addition to those defined in the Law:
  (1) “Animal health authorities” mean the Animal Health Division and the Animal Quarantine Service of the Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau of MAFF;
  (2) “Animal health requirements” mean the conditions to be maintained for import of designated items to be quarantined, laid down for animal health purpose by the Japanese Government;
  (3) “Requesting country” refers to a country which made a request for lifting an import ban on designated items to be quarantined, and/or establishing or revising the animal health requirements;
  (4) “Questionnaire” refers to a document containing questions to be answered and requests for information to be provided from requesting countries for consideration of the request;
  (5) “Risk assessment” refers to an evaluation of the likelihood and the biological and economic consequences of entry, establishment, or spread of a pathogenic agent within Japan;
  (6) “MAFF website” refers to the website managed by MAFF; and
  (7) “Veterinary services” refers to governmental and non-governmental organizations which implement animal health measures under the overall control and direction of the veterinary
        authority of the requesting country, including monitoring of occurrence of contagious animal diseases in the requesting country.

 

Article 3
Acknowledgement of Request

 

   1. When a country requests the animal health authorities to lift import ban on designated items to be quarantined or establish or revise the animal health requirements, the animal health
       authorities shall ask the requesting country to provide details of the request; and give any additional explanations on the Standard Procedure. The animal health authorities shall develop
       and send a questionnaire to the requesting country (the Questionnaire).

   2. The requesting country submits an official letter of request with answers to all the questions and information requested in the Questionnaire (hereinafter, referred to as “submittal
       package”).  In the case the submittal package is incomplete when checked against the Questionnaire, the animal health authorities shall ask the requesting countries to submit the
       required information together with the original submission.

   3. When the submittal package is complete, the animal health authorities shall accept the submittal package and notify its receipt to the requesting country. The animal health authorities
      shall, without delay, post the name of requesting country, the date of receipt of the submittal package, and the relevant designated items to be quarantined on the MAFF website.

 

Article 4
Evaluation of Veterinary Services

 

  1. The animal health authorities, if necessary, evaluate veterinary services of the requesting country.

  2. If the animal health authorities, during the evaluation mentioned in paragraph 1 of this article, have identified that certain information is missing, they should make sure to acquire the information

      by asking the requesting country to provide it or conducting an on-site visit.

  3. The animal health authorities shall utilize the evaluation for further consideration of the request.

 

Article 5
Risk Assessment

 

  1.The animal health authorities shall conduct risk assessment of hazard(s) relevant to the request unless they recognize such risk assessment is not necessary, e.g., the cases where it
     is obvious that relevant pathogenic agents are completely inactivated.
  2. If the animal health authorities, during risk assessment mentioned in paragraph 1 of this article, have identified that certain information is missing, they should make sure to acquire the
     information by asking the requesting country to provide it or conducting an on-site visit.

 

Article 6
Notification of Summary of Risk Assessment

 

    When the animal health authorities complete risk assessment, they shall notify the summary of the risk assessment to the requesting country and shall publish their conclusions on the MAFF website.

 

Article 7

Establishing Animal Health Requirements

 

 When the animal health authorities find it appropriate to accept the request with or without modifications, based on the results of the risk assessment when conducted, they shall accordingly
  establish or revise the animal health requirements. For this purpose, the animal health authorities shall take necessary administrative steps, including revision of relevant MAFF ministerial ordinance
  if applicable. The animal health authorities shall notify the established animal health requirements to the requesting country and publish the establishment of them on the MAFF website without
  delay. In other cases, the animal health authorities shall notify the justifications for the decision to the requesting country.

 

Appendix

 

   1. This Standard Procedure shall take effect on April 1, 2008.
   2. This Standard Procedure is not applicable to the request whose submittal package has been presented prior to April 1, 2008 and/or requests regarding which an “assessment of the effect of
       food on health” is conducted by Food Safety Commission as defined in Article 11 of “the Food Safety Basic Law” (Law No. 48 of 2003).

 

  Notification of reviewing of some Japanese Agricultural standards (JAS standards) and Quality Labeling standards

 

   MAFF will review the following Japanese Agricultural standards (JAS standards) and Quality Labeling standards. Those who are interested in the review may provide questions and/or
   comments to the Labelling and Standards Division, Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau of MAFF, no later than April 30th, 2008.
  1. Scope of review
       The Japanese Agricultural standards to be reviewed for:
  a. Bacons;
  b. Hams;
  c. Dried Japanese noodles;
  d. Processed tomato products;
  e. Refined lard;
  f. Raw silk;
  g. Aged bacons;
  h. Aged hams;
  i. Aged sausages;
  j. Hand-made Somen; and
  k. Organic plants.

      The Quality Labeling standards to be reviewed for:
  a. Bacons;
  b. Hams;
  c. Dried noodles;
  d. Instant noodles;
  e. Raw type instant noodles;
  f. Processed tomato products;
  g. Tuyu (dipping soup) for noodles; and
  h. Pure lard.

  2. Presentation of the drafts of review.
      The drafts of review will be presented at the Subcommittee of the JAS Council.

   3. Public hearing
       Public hearing will be held at the Subcommittee of the JAS Council.

   4. Commencement of review
 

  May 2008
  Mails should be addressed to the following address:
  Labelling and Standards Division, Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau
  Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
  1-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8950
  For further information, please contact the Labelling and Standards Division.
  Tel. (03) 6744-2096, FAX (03) 6744-2369

 

 

Statistics The following statistics are available from the Statistics Planning Division of the Statistics Department (Tel. 03-6744-2037) 1. Outline of Status Survey on Food Industry Activities (Survey on Corporation expanding business overseas), 2007 2. Statistical Survey on Farm Management and Economy, Balance of Farm Management and Economy for Commercial Farm Households (Individual management), 2006 3. Statistics on Lumber, February 2008. 4. Statistics on Plywood, February 2008. 5. Statistics on Meat Marketing, February 2008. 6. Statistics on Milk and Milk Products, February 2008 7. Index Numbers of Commodity Prices in Agriculture, February 2008. 8. Status Survey on Local Production and Consumption of Agricultural Products, 2007 9. Periodical Statistics on Marketing of Fruits and Vegetables, middle 10 days of March 2007.

 Notes: 1. All materials are in Japanese unless otherwise noted.
              2. Contacts may not be able to respond to inquiries in any language except Japanese.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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