Plant and animal health

Goal:

Maintain a good plant and animal health status

Norway has a favourable plant and animal health status. We shall maintain this situation through continued efforts and good cooperation between the general public, the agricultural sector and relevant authorities. Such efforts are based on a common understanding among all stakeholders of the importance of maintaining the good plant and animal health status. Our monitoring and inspection programmes for plant and animal health are to be evaluated, followed up more closely and become more distinguished. Involvement and cooperation with relevant partners and the development and transfer of knowledge are necessary.

New challenges to the plant and animal health situation can arise as a result of climate change, increasing/changing travel and trade activities, changes of growing conditions, new and altered plant and animal diseases, changing farming conditions or new environmental requirements and consumer demands.

Healthy plants and animals are important for food safety, as well as for economical,

environmental and ethical reasons. By keeping such a leading position, we can also prevent serious livestock and crop diseases from infecting wild populations and thus posing a threat to biodiversity. A good plant health status can also contribute to reducing indirect negative effects, such as deteriorating growing conditions and an increasing need for pesticides.

Strategies and measures:

Prevent the introduction, spread and establishment of harmful organisms/infectious agents to plants and animals through active Norwegian participation in international fora, and by implementing national measures and international cooperation

Secure effective and targeted inspection and contingency based on persistent research and knowledge development by closely following up the monitoring and inspection

programmes in the field of plant and animal health

Ensure appropriate information to increase knowledge about environmental aspects and regulations, and assign responsibility to and involve policy makers, organisations, consumers and commercial players

Influence and follow up the European Union‟s new animal health strategy - Norway shall continue to be in the top division

Introduce import regulations for wood packaging material to prevent the introduction of forest pests

Work on providing aid to developing countries to increase plant and animal health status Ensure that the primary industry takes on responsibility through involvement and cooperation, e.g., via the Quality Assurance System in Agriculture

(Kvalitetssikringssystemet i landbruket, KSL) and its focus on the environment

Update relevant regulations if climate change should alter the risk status concerning the introduction of new species that are either harmful or pathogenic to plants, animals and humans

Together, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority are working to prevent the introduction, spread and establishment of harmful animal diseases and plant pests, e.g., via their regulatory and strategic work. The Norwegian Food Safety

Authority is also responsible for monitoring and inspection measures, surveillance of import and marketing, control measures and advisory services. Closely following up the monitoring and inspection programmes helps to ensure appropriate measures. Pursuant to public orders and restrictions, a compensation scheme has been established to contribute to the control of plant pests and animal diseases, help secure food safety and provide financial compensation to reduce the burden of various control measures. Such a scheme promotes active producer participation, as farmers issue early warnings as soon as they suspect an outbreak of harmful plant pests or animal disease, and implement measures in compliance with orders issued by the authorities.

Priority has been given to increased knowledge and improved contingency associated with increasing travel and trade activities through the Strategy for Research and Research-based Innovation 2007-2012. It is important to develop risk analysis, analysis tools and monitoring to prevent the introduction, spread and establishment of plant and animal diseases. It is a goal to strengthen animal health alert so that serious animal diseases can be detected as quickly as possible. Surveying and controlling livestock pathogens are also important with regard to the spreading to wild populations (cf., bird flu, tuberculosis, rabies, etc.). Strong international cooperation through common regulations and animal health contingency planning within the European Economic Area and through active participation in such organisations as the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health), the United Nations, etc. is also vital.

It is necessary to increase public information and knowledge about regulations and the environmental consequences of illegally imported plants and animals. Raising public

awareness, ensuring a common understanding and creating public responsibility are essential for maintaining the good plant and animal health status in Norway. The Ministry of

Agriculture and Food will work on providing and utilising appropriate forms of dissemination and information channels. An example are the posters that were jointly developed by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and customs authorities to inform travellers about the risks associated with illegal plant and animal imports. The posters are placed in clearly visible locations at customs offices in ports, airports and train stations.

In connection with the efforts to influence the EU‟s preparation of new animal health and welfare regulations, emphasis must be placed on providing leeway for the continuation of national management strategies. Norway shall remain one step ahead and defend its position in the ”top division”. At the same time, efforts must be made to assign more responsibility to policy makers, organisations, industry and consumers.

Forest pests can be introduced with wood packaging material (WPM) used in international shipments. Norway is therefore introducing import regulations on WPM in accordance with an International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM 15) under the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).

Technical specifications regarding food, animal health, plant health and farm inputs (fertilizer, feedstuffs, pesticides etc.) frequently impede trade with developing countries. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food is actively participating in the development of international rules and standards for the trade with food, animals and plants. The Ministry can provide assistance on

issues covered by the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) in order to improve plant and animal health standards, and thereby also reducing local and global environmental impacts.

A responsible primary industry must ensure good routines through quality assurance

requirements, involvement and cooperation. Compulsory environmental plans, required of all farms by public authorities and the KSL standards (Quality Assurance System in Agriculture), help to secure an environmentally sound agriculture. The plans include demands on correct and reasonable pesticide and fertilizer use. This ensures that the produced food is “pure” and that agricultural runoff is minimised. The KSL standards also include requirements to prevent the spread of plant diseases. Via KOORIMP (the Norwegian Livestock Industry's Biosecurity Unit) and KSL, the agricultural sector places strict demands on livestock imports.KSL also has a specific standard for the use of medicines in commercial livestock production. This standard aims to secure animal welfare and ensure the appropriate and restricted use of medicines, which are important factors for maintaining Norway‟s good animal health status and avoiding increasing antibiotic resistance in livestock and humans.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food focuses strongly on climate change, and will make considerable efforts to assess the consequences of and challenges associated with plant production and livestock husbandry.