DECLARATION OF THE STATE OF MEXICO AS AN AREA
FREE FROM AUJESZKY'S DISEASE

COMMUNICATION FROM MEXICO

The following communication, dated 4 February 2014, is being circulated at the request of the delegation of Mexico.

_______________

1.  Pursuant to Article 7 of the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and paragraph 3(b) of Annex B thereto, Mexico hereby advises WTO Members that the Decision declaring the State of Mexico to be an area free from Aujeszky's Disease was published in the Mexican Official Journal (Diario Oficial de la Federación) on 27 January 2014.

2.  The Decision declares the State of Mexico to be an area free from Aujeszky's disease, in accordance with point 5.4 of the Amendment to Mexican Official Standard NOM‑007‑ZOO‑1994 on the national campaign against Aujeszky's disease.

3.  The Decision is being published in order to ensure that the State of Mexico remains free from Aujeszky's disease, and that the sanitary measures pertaining to diagnosis, prevention, control, epidemiological surveillance, movement control, transport, transit, marketing and swine traceability, found in the Amendment to Mexican Official Standard NOM‑007‑ZOO‑1994 on the national campaign against Aujeszky's disease and in the relevant regulations currently in force, are applied.

4.  The recognition of the State of Mexico as an area free from the above‑mentioned disease will favour the marketing of swine and swine products and byproducts from this State, which will have a positive impact on the promotion of swine production in the area, making it more competitive and profitable.

5.  The Decision is available in Spanish at http://www.dof.gob.mx and http://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5330832&fecha=27/01/2014 or from the National Enquiry Point (normasomc@economia.gob.mx).

6.  Lastly, Mexico wishes to state that this communication is being made for the purposes of transparency, without prejudice to the country's rights and obligations under the SPS Agreement.