International Veterinary Certificates (WOAH)

Document name

International veterinary certificates of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH):

• Veterinary certificate for international trade in live animals and hatching eggs
• Veterinary certificate for international trade in oocytes, embryos or semen
• Veterinary certificate for international trade in products of animal origin
• Veterinary certificate for international trade in bees and brood combs
• Veterinary certificate for international movement of dogs, cats and ferrets originating from countries considered infected with Rabies
• Veterinary certificate for international trade in laboratory animals

Passport for international movement of competition horses

International aquatic animal health certificates:

• Health certificate for international trade in live aquatic animals and gametes
• Health certificate for international trade in products of aquatic animal origin

Purpose

To assure that commodities introduced into the importing country comply with the standards of the WOAH.

Sender/receiver

The veterinary certificate is issued by the exporting country’s veterinary authority and received by the veterinary authority of the importing country.

The aquatic animal health certificate is issued by the exporting country’s certifying official authorised by the competent authority and received by the competent authority of the importing country.

Legal requirement

International veterinary certificates, issued in accordance with Chapter 5.2. of the Terrestrial Code, describes the animal health and public health requirements that are fulfilled by the exported commodities.

International aquatic animal health certificates, issued in conformity with the provisions of Chapter 5.11. of the Aquatic Code, describe the aquatic animal health and public health requirements that should be fulfilled prior to export of commodity.

Usage

A rough estimation based on the answers of the 25 countries which answered a recent OECD survey is that currently a maximum of 8% of the certificates has been covered by electronic exchanges. An unknown percentage of these exchanges is paperless

Standards

• Section 5, Veterinary certification (chapters 5.1, 5.2, 5.10-5.13) of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code
• Section 5, Health certification (chapters 5.1, 5.2 and 5.11) of the Aquatic Animal Health Code
• UN/CEFACT Electronic SPS Certificate (eCert)
• WCO Data Model, LPCO package, WOAH Derived Information Package (WCO work expected to start in 2024)

Differences

Basically there are no differences.

The WOAH reference data models of the WOAH international veterinary certificates and the WOAH international aquatic animal health certificates will be modelled using the UN/CEFACT Electronic SPS Certificate (eCert).

The WOAH reference data models of the WOAH international veterinary certificates and the WOAH international aquatic animal health certificates certificate will become the primary guidance for any data standardisation initiatives, including for updates of the WCO Data Model Codex Derived Information Package.

Platforms

Exchanges are on a bilateral G2G basis.

1. The electronic certification system of the importing competent authority retrieves (information is “pulled”) or receives (information is “pushed”) certificates data directly from the electronic certification system of the exporting competent authority or certifying body through a web service interface (e.g. Simple Object Access Protocol, short SOAP).
2. The electronic certification system of the exporting competent authority or certifying body provides certificates to the competent authority or certifying body of the importing country through Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP).

Data

Data modelling standardisation WOAH work is expected to start in 2024 with regards to the following certificates:

• Chapter 5.10 of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code
• Chapter 5.11 of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code
• Chapter 5.12 of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code
• Chapter 5.13 of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code
• Chapter 5.11 of the Aquatic Animal Health Code

Adoption

• Development of reference data models of the WOAH international veterinary certificates and the WOAH international aquatic animal health certificates
• Alignment of the WCO Data Model, LPCO package, WOAH Derived Information Package with the reference data models of the WOAH international veterinary certificates and the WOAH international aquatic animal health certificates.
• Identification of automation needs for SPS-certification systems in a single window environment at the national level and consideration of the appropriate expansion of use of digital technologies for the capability to electronic exchange SPS certificates  through single window interoperability[1].

Other

Examine the potential for further contributions from relevant international organisations to the identification of appropriate digital technological solutions to facilitate international paperless exchanges of veterinary and aquatic animal health certificates in a single window environment[2].

1. OECD (2021), "Digital opportunities for Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Systems and the trade facilitation effects of SPS Electronic Certification", OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Papers, No. 152, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/cbb7d0f6-en.
2. Ibid,