4 November 2011
Species: All
Country: All
Relevant to:
- Live animal Exporters
- Registered Premises Operators
- AQIS Accredited Veterinarians (AAVs)
- LiveCorp
- AQIS Regional Managers
- AQIS Live Animal Export Officers
- ALEC
Purpose
To inform participants in the livestock export industry of the release of the Independent Review of Australia's Livestock Export Trade (the Farmer Review) and the Government's response and preliminary plans for the implementation of the recommendations.
Background
On 21 October 2011, Minister Ludwig released the following documents:
- Independent Review of Australia's Livestock Export Trade (the Farmer Review)
- Government response to the Farmer Review
- Industry Government Working Group (IGWG) on live sheep and goats - Final report to DAFF
- IGWG on live cattle - Final report to DAFF
The documentation can be found at: www.liveexports.gov.au [archived].
The Government has agreed or agreed in principle to all recommendations of the Farmer Review. Some recommendations include actions for the Federal Government; other recommendations are for State and Territory Governments and industry action.
Recommendation 10 includes that the Australian Government will implement the exporter supply chain assurance system (ESCAS) approach developed for Indonesia, as appropriately modified to specific circumstances, to all export markets and for all livestock species intended for feeder and slaughter. This approach will be phased in over time.
The relevant implementation timeframes for the new regulatory framework in the information released by the Minister are included in Table 1 below. Any feeder or slaughter consignments exported on or after the date in table 1 will be required to meet the new supply chain assurance system. An export permit will not be issued on or after the date in the table unless the exporter has received approval of the supply chain assurance system for the consignment of livestock.
Table 1 - Implementation Timelines
|
Importing Country |
Implementation date (export permit issued from) |
|---|---|
|
Tranche 1 - Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Turkey |
1 March 2012 |
|
Tranche 2 - Israel, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, Philippines, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and UAE |
1 September 2012 |
|
Tranche 3 -, Brunei, Russia, Vietnam, Mauritius and other existing markets |
1 January 2013 |
Note 1: the ESCAS regulatory framework will be applied to new markets on their commencement.
Note 2: the ESCAS regulatory requirements and timeframes in Table 1 do not apply to breeder livestock.
The ESCAS regulatory arrangements place the responsibility on the exporter to demonstrate they have a supply chain assurance system in place and deliver:
- internationally agreed animal welfare requirements (OIE)
- control of animals throughout the supply chain to point of slaughter
- tracking/accountability of animals throughout the supply chain
- independent auditing and reporting to government
As a priority, DAFF will be assisting with the drafting of legislative amendments to implement the new regulatory arrangements. It is likely that the exporter will be required to seek approval for the ESCAS for each consignment at the same time as submission of the Notice of Intention to export (NOI) - further advice will be circulated when the legislation change has been progressed.
One important requirement of the regulatory framework is exporter provision of independent auditor reports for the control, traceability and animal welfare aspects of each supply chain. The auditor must be independent, have no conflict of interest, and possess an appropriate level of competence and expertise (through qualifications and experience).
In assessing these three requirements, DAFF will require that evidence be provided, by the exporter, of current accreditation of the proposed auditor by an appropriate authority such as the Joint Accreditation System - Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) or equivalent. This accreditation should be to an international standard (such as ISO) in a relevant area. DAFF will require evidence that the auditor meets these requirements prior to accepting an audit report.
To avoid delays in consideration of auditor reports, DAFF suggests that the evidence of the auditor competence and accreditation should be provided to DAFF prior to the proposed auditor commencing an audit of the exporter's supply chain elements. The early provision of auditor information will enable DAFF to provide advice on whether an auditor meets the criteria specified in the regulatory framework.
DAFF will contact exporters who have recently exported feeder or slaughter livestock to Tranche 1 countries soon to discuss the regulatory framework requirements and assist exporter planning.
Actions
Exporters intending to export to Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Turkey or new markets as defined above should commence planning their supply chain assurance system including attempting to source an appropriate independent auditor.
Exporters should provide evidence to DAFF of the proposed independent auditor's compliance with criteria in regulatory framework as soon as possible.
Exporters that have not recently exported to Tranche 1 countries listed above should contact DAFF to discuss the regulatory framework if planning to export to Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Turkey and new markets after 1 March 2012.
Lee Cale
Assistant Secretary
Animal Export Reform Taskforce
Contact officer: Michael Hibbert
Ph: (02) 6272 3933
Email: Michael Hibbert at Animal Exports