CCP: ME 04/4-Supp.1


COMMITTEE ON COMMODITY PROBLEMS

INTERGOVERNMENTAL GROUP ON MEAT AND DAIRY PRODUCTS

Twentieth Session

Winnipeg, Canada, 17 – 20 June 2004

GUIDELINES FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION OF THE LIVESTOCK AND MEAT SECTOR1

Table of Contents



I. GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

(i) The broad objective of international cooperation in the livestock and meat sector should be to secure a balanced expansion in meat production and consumption – particularly in countries where animal protein deficiency exists – and trade. The attainment of this objective should be beneficial to both producers and consumers and should create equitable conditions for sustaining the development efforts of developing countries. In particular, measures taken should:

  1. support the efforts of developing countries to develop their livestock and meat industry through integrated technical assistance, aid and investment programmes, including genetic improvement, research, training and extension, so as to help develop fully their production potential to satisfy the growing domestic demand for meat. Such development efforts should pay particular attention to promoting livestock production at the small farmers’level and to improving their standard of living, taking into consideration the development of indigenous technology and the sustainable utilization of natural resources;
     
  2. improve consumption and nutritional levels and promote the efficiency of meat production and marketing, and thereby farm incomes, as well as the overall conditions of international trade in meat;
     
  3. take into account the interests of both exporting and importing countries and the special contribution which the livestock and meat sector makes to the development process of developing countries;
     
  4. aim at mitigating the impact of market instability on the incomes and foreign exchange earnings of countries engaged in international trade in livestock and meat, and in particular of the developing countries;
     
  5. promote greater participation of developing countries in the international trade of meat, and in particular of the developing countries;
     
  6. ensure that meat and meat products marketed for consumption are safe and meet all relevant quality requirements;
     
  7. pay due attention to animal welfare concerns in the rearing, transportation and slaughtering of livestock, taking into consideration the special situation of small farmers and pastoralists in the developing countries.

II. NATIONAL MEASURES

(i) Since policies in other sectors, in particular feed, milk and wool may have important influences on the meat sector, governments should endeavour to ensure that such policies and policy instruments avoid any destabilizing effects on domestic and external livestock and meat economies, and are without prejudice to the meat imports especially from developing countries.

(ii) Improvements in the processing and marketing of meat should be encouraged as a means of facilitating a continuing adjustment of meat supply and demand and of reducing market instability and of expanding overall production and consumption.

(iii) In order to promote greater harmonization among national meat policies, the Intergovernmental Group on Meat should periodically review national policies affecting production, consumption and international trade of meat.

III. TRADE POLICIES

(i) Governments should endeavour to ensure that the consequences of instabilities arising in national livestock and meat industries do not harm the livestock sectors of other countries and in particular those of developing countries.

(ii) To the extent that an overall world imbalance between demand and supply of meat is due to developments within the livestock and meat industries of countries engaged in international trade in these products, an exchange of views should take place among governments of the countries concerned with a view to assuring under satisfactory conditions, both outlets for the production of exporters and continuity of supplies to meet requirements of importers. Such exchange of views should take full account of the need for developing countries with production potential to expand output and exports at remunerative prices as part of their development efforts.

(iii) In order to safeguard the interest of meat exporting and importing countries, consultations should take place in the appropriate manner and fora and in particular within the WTO, among governments of the countries concerned whenever either side intends to take action which could cause harmful interference with the normal patterns of international trade or which could adversely affect the development efforts of developing exporting countries.

(iv) When trade restrictions and other measures of a temporary and exceptional nature are introduced by importing countries, they should be in accordance with the procedures established by the WTO and they should pay particular attention to safeguarding the development interests of meat exporting developing countries; to this end, when necessary, special and preferential arrangements should be made by developed countries in favour of imports from developing countries.

(v) When accumulated stocks of meat are disposed of on concessional terms in foreign markets, such disposals should be carried out in accordance with the FAO Principles of Surplus Disposal and Consultative Obligations.

(vi) Importing countries should provide for the uniform and consistent application over time of their animal health and meat hygiene regulations, consistent with the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Meausres.

(vii) Governments should use the opportunity offered in the Intergovernmental Group on Meat for the regular exchange of information on national measures affecting international trade and for consultations on possible remedial action when any special difficulties arose.

IV. ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES

(i) National environmental policies on livestock and meat should adhere to the general principles of: non-discrimination between countries; transparency; necessity; legitimacy; proportionally and minimal restriction of trade. In particular, they should be applied without discrimination to domestically produced and imported livestock or meat products and should not be used as a disguised restriction on trade.

(ii) Governments should promote the development and adoption of environment-friendly and sustainable technologies in the production and marketing of livestock and meat products.

(iii) Developed countries should provide technical assistance and incentives to developing countries to help them to raise the level of environmental protection in their production and processing of livestock and meat.

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1 As adopted by the FAO Intergovernmental Group on Meat at its sixth Session, in 1976 and revised at its sixteenth Session in 1996.