PROTOCOLBETWEEN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND WATER MANAGEMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA AND THE GENERAL ADMINISTRATION OF CUSTOMS OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ON QUARANTINE AND HEALTH REQUIREMENTS FOR PIG MEAT TO BE EXPORTED FROM THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA TO THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA("Off. Herald of RS - Treaties", No. 7/2019) |
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia (hereinafter referred as MAFWM) and the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (hereinafter referred as GACC), have agreed on the following quarantine and health requirements for pork meat (hereinafter referred as the pork meat) to be exported from the Republic of Serbia to the People’s Republic of China.
Article 1
The MAFWM is responsible for inspection and quarantine of the pork meat to be exported to the People’s Republic of China, as for the issuance of health certificates.
Article 2
The MAFWM shall provide GACC with the following documents: laws and regulations on slaughtering, cutting and storing hygiene control of the pork meat, as well as inspection and quarantine programs, which include the items and methods of analysis, administrative procedures and relating standards.
The MAFWM shall provide GACC, for filing purposes, with the samples of the official marks, the health certificates bearing official anti-counterfeit technology, list of authorized official veterinarians with their signatures. If any modifications and changes occur, the MAFWM shall in due time notify the GACC.
Article 3
In accordance with the requirements of the GACC, the MAFWM shall provide the preventive and control system for the diseases listed in Articles 4 and 5 of this protocol, and should submit an updated data of notifiable diseases to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
The MAFWM should implement annual residue monitoring plan and submit information on its implementation. If there is an obvious need, nuclear radiation and other environmental pollutants parameters shall be included in the monitoring plan.
If there is a need for reduction of pathogenic microorganism, GACC shall inform the MAFWM. The MAFWM shall carry out pathogenic microorganism reduction plan and provide the relevant assessment information for the GACC.
If there is a need, the GACC may designate experts to verify the above-mentioned control system and management status. The MAFWM shall provide necessary assistance.
Article 4
The MAFWM officially confirms that:
1. the Republic of Serbia is free from Foot-and-Mouth Disease, African swine fever and swine vesicular disease.
2. in the holdings of origin of pigs and holdings around, in an area of 10 km radius, there has been no case/outbreak of the classical swine fever.
Article 5
The slaughtered animal for the pork meat to be exported to the People’s Republic of China shall be complied with the following requirements:
1. born or imported, raised and slaughtered in the Republic of Serbia, with traceable identity;
2. originated from farms where
- have been no occurrence of Aujeszky's disease, Anthrax, Tuberculosis, Brucellosis,
- have been no occurrence of Pasteurllosis in the past 12 months,
- over the past 12 months, have not been subjected to quarantine restriction according to requirements of OIE terrestrial-code and the Serbian animal health regulations;
3. have never been fed on prohibited feeds;
4. have been subjected to the monitoring of the national residue monitoring program and does not contain drugs, chemical residues, other toxic and harmful substances which harmful to human health.
Article 6
The establishments (slaughterhouses, cutting plants, cold stores, packing plants) intended to export the pork meat to the People’s Republic of China:
1. shall be supervised by MAFWM;
2. shall meet the requirements on veterinary health and public health of the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Serbia;
3. shall be registered by the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA) according to the Regulations for Administration of Registration of Foreign Food Establishments.
Products from establishments that have not obtain the registration from CNCA must not be exported to the People’s Republic of China.
Article 7
The official veterinarians of the Republic of Serbia are responsible for:
1. undertaking ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection to the animals from which the pork meat derived, in accordance with the relevant Serbian and Chinese laws and regulations;
2. make sure that the slaughtered animals are healthy, showing no clinical signs of infectious diseases, carcasses and viscera are free from lesions and comply with Article 5 of the protocol;
3. make sure that, in accordance with the Serbian Residues Monitoring Plan, the residue level of veterinary medicine, pesticides, heavy metals, poisonous, hazardous articles contained in the products is below the limits stipulated by the Republic of Serbia and the People’s Republic of China,
4. make sure that all carcasses of pig animals, after slaughtering and before cutting apart, have been chilled and matured at 0-4℃ at least 24 hours. The pH value in the center of loin fillet of all carcasses shall be no more than 5.9 after maturing.
5. make sure that the pork meat is free from the pollution of pathogenic agent in conformity with Serbian and Chinese laws and regulations, produced under the quality management system which is based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point and supervised by competent authority of the Republic of Serbia,
6. certify that the pork meat is wholesome and safe, and fit for human consumption,
7. certify that the pork meat has been subjected to an examination by a digestion method with negative results
8. any cases found not in compliance with provisions referred to in Article 1 to 6, MAFWM should notify GACC immediately, stop exporting the pork meat from the relevant establishment(s). The MAFWM will investigate the cause and take appropriate corrective measures, including the recall of the pork meat which is or/and may be contaminated.
Article 8
The slaughterhouse for exporting the pork meat to the People’s Republic of China, shall not slaughter animals not complying with the provisions in Article 5 of this Protocol at the same time. The cutting plants for exporting the pork meat to the People’s Republic of China, shall not cut the pork meat not in conformity with the provisions referred to in Article 5 and Article 7 of this Protocol at the same time.
The traceability of the pork meat to be exported to the People’s Republic of China should be ensured. A designated area within cold store should be available exclusively for the storage of the pork meat exported to the People’s Republic of China.
Article 9
The pork meat to be exported to the People’s Republic of China must be packed with new packaging materials in compliance with the international hygienic standards.
The specification, place of origin (region/city), destination country, name, weight, manufacturer, establishment registration number, batch number, storage temperature, production date, shelf life shall be labeled on the outside package in Chinese and English. The surface of package should bear the official mark, the sample of which has been filed by GACC. The label on the outside package should indicate that the pork meat to be exported to the mainland of the People’s Republic of China.
The country of origin, product name, establishment number and batch number of the pork meat shall be marked on the inner package.
Article 10
During the whole process, including packaging, storage and transportation, the pork meat to be exported to the People’s Republic of China should meet the veterinary hygienic requirements and be prevented from being contaminated by poisonous and harmful substances.
After it has been loaded with the products, the container should be sealed under the supervision of official veterinarian; the seal number should be indicated in the veterinary certificate. During transportation, the package of products should remain intact.
Article 11
Each consignment of the pork meat should be accompanied with an original veterinary certificate attesting that it is in compliance of this Protocol. When a container is used for transportation of the pork meat, each container should be accompanied with an original veterinary certificate.
The veterinary certificate should be written in Serbian, Chinese and English. The format and content of the certificates should be mutually determined in advance by both sides.
Article 12
If there is any occurrence of infectious disease listed in Article 4, which may affect the pork meat, MAFWM should stop the exportation of pork meat to the People’s Republic of China immediately, initiates recall of the affected products, and notify GACC with information in detail.
If there is any occurrence of infectious disease listed in Article 5 or contaminant event in the region exporting the pork meat to the People’s Republic of China, MAFWM should stop the exportation of the pork meat to the People’s Republic of China from the corresponding area immediately, initiates recall of the affected products, and notify GACC with information in detail.
When the disease is complete eliminated or contamination event is over, MAFWM should provide a detailed information to GACC if wishes to resume exportation to the People’s Republic of China, both side may negotiate to reach agreements in advance.
If the pork meat to be exported to the People’s Republic of China is found by Chinese side not to be compliance with the requirements of the Protocol, GACC will immediately notify MAFWM and take the measures of rejection, detention, destruction, or disposal of the product MAFWM should cooperate with GACC to investigate in addressing any problems, including notifying GACC of any corrective actions to be taken, such as the recall of any other potential affected products and to prevent recurrence of the incompliance.
Article 13
For the purposes of this Protocol, the pork meat refers to the bone in meat or/and deboned skeletal muscle meat and edible offal excluding viscera.
Article 14
This Protocol can be amended with the mutual consent of both sides.
Article 15
Any side may terminate this Protocol by notifying the other side in written six (6) months in advance.
Article 16
This protocol shall come into force on the date of signing.
Done in Belgrade on 17 June, 2018 in two copies, each in Serbian, Chinese and English, all texts being equally authentic. In case of any divergence in interpretation of the provisions of this Protocol, English text shall prevail.
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