RECOGNITION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
AS A COUNTRY FREE FROM FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE
COMMUNICATION FROM THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
The
following communication, received on 6 November 2025, is being circulated at
the request of the delegation of the Russian
Federation.
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1. Pursuant to Article 6 of the Agreement on the Application of
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, which concerns regional conditions,
including pest- or disease-free areas and areas of low pest or disease
prevalence, and following the decision of the 92nd General Session
of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) of 29 May 2025 to recognize
the Western Siberia-Urals zone as free from foot and mouth disease (FMD) with
vaccination and all the Russian Federation as a country free from FMD, we
hereby notify the SPS Committee.
2. This WOAH's
acknowledgment represents the achievement of a key strategic objective to
control and eradicate FMD within the Russian Federation, demonstrating the
result of continuous and coordinated efforts implemented by the Federal Service
for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance in close cooperation with the
WOAH. Obtaining the FMD-free status confirms safety of trade in Russian
livestock products.
3. The strategy of total systematic vaccination that has been in place
in the Russian Federation since the 1970s allowed to bring FMD epizootics under
control throughout the country. In 1996‑1999, the Russian Federation
implemented for the first time a new FMD control strategy, guided by Chapters
4.4 and 8.8 of the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code, enabling the
establishment of zones with high and moderate levels of FMD risk across the country.
The strategy of blanket systematic vaccination was refined, with efforts now
targeted specifically at high-risk zones.
4. In May 2016, the Russian Federation received its first official WOAH
certificate recognizing its national FMD zoning system. It confirmed the status
of "FMD free zone without vaccination" for a major part of country's territory, comprising 50 regions that
had been free from the disease for over 20 years.
5. From 2020 to 2025, the Russian Federation successfully obtained WOAH
status as an "FMD-free zone with vaccination" for five more zones,
based on the principles of zoning, controlled movement of animals and livestock
products, and adherence to the disease surveillance recommendations in Chapters
1.4. and 8.8. of the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code. These zones are
South, Eastern Siberia, Sakhalin, Far East, and Western Siberia-Urals.
6. The launching of the national veterinary information system has also
significantly contributed to achieving and maintaining official WOAH statuses
for FMD. This system enhanced traceability and significantly improved the
capacity to respond to potential disease introduction and spread.
7. The WOAH's recognition of the entire territory of the Russian
Federation as free from FMD demonstrates the nation's full control over the
disease and reflects the highest standard of resilient veterinary
infrastructure and capacity.
8. It facilitates safe international trade in Russian animals and
animal products with over 110 countries, contributing to a stable
epizootic situation without posing a threat to it. By acquiring WOAH FMD-free
status the Russian Federation demonstrates its transparency and helps to
promote animal health and public health worldwide.
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