TABLE OF CONTENTS
Members of the Committee
Conclusions and Recommendations
CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF INQUIRY
Terms of reference
Conduct of the Inquiry
Scope of the Inquiry
Acknowledgments
CHAPTER 2: QUARANTINE RESPONSE TO IMPORTATION
PROPOSAL
Introduction
Responsibility for decisions
International obligations
Risk assessment of imported chicken meat
Newcastle disease (ND)
Infectious Bursal Disease
Heat treatment of chicken meat
Alexander's study of inactivation of Infectious Bursal Disease virus
Bureau of Resource Sciences' review of thermal heat treatment of chicken
meat
Application of IBD data to Newcastle disease virus
AQIS's conclusion on heat inactivation Importation protocol
Technical working group
Reaction to AQIS's risk assessment
Scope of the Committee's inquiries
CHAPTER 3: SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR THE PROTOCOL
Overview
Industry concerns
Lack of data about ND
Protective effect of different heating media
Alexander's view of AQIS's use of his test results
AQIS response to industry concerns
Use of IBD as a reference organism
Lack of data about ND
Protective effect of different heating media
Alexander's concerns
Committee's conclusions
CHAPTER 4: APPLICATION OF THE PROTOCOL
Introduction
Performance of commercial ovens
AQIS response
Post processing contamination
AQIS view
Certification and verification
Industry concerns
AQIS views
Health requirements
Committee's view
CHAPTER 5: USE OF CHEMICALS AND FOOD SAFETY
IN POULTRY PRODUCTION
Committee view
CHAPTER 6: POTENTIAL IMPACT OF AVIAN DISEASE
ON AUSTRALIAN NATIVE BIRDS
Committee view
CHAPTER 7: THE TRADE AND ECONOMIC POSITION OF
THE CHICKEN MEAT INDUSTRY
Introduction
The Uruguay Round Outcomes
The URO and Chicken Meat
The URO and Quarantine
Disputes over SPS Measures
International tariff structure currently applying to chicken meat
Tariffs
Subsidies
Trade prospects of the Australian industry
Current Australian export market for chicken meat
Tariffs and Australian access to other markets
Industry views and concerns
Economic effect of importation on the Australian chicken meat industry
Economic Impact of imports - ABARE 1994 estimates
Economic Impact - Commonwealth 1995/6 Inter-Departmental Committee
Economic Impact - Minister's 1996 Government/Industry Working Group
Proposals for adjustment considered by the Working Group
Committee's Observations
CHAPTER 8: APPROPRIATE FRAMEWORK FOR ASSESSMENT
AND CONSULTATION ON IMPORTATION DECISIONS
Introduction
Current approach to assessments of importation assessments
Committe observations
Consultation with Industry - Committee's 1995 AQIS Inquiry
Appendices
Appendix 1: Submissions
Appendix 2: Witnesses
Appendix 3: Chapters 6-8 of the Committee's
1995 AQIS Report
Appendix 4: Summary of WTO Dispute Settlement on Sanitary and Phtyosanitary
Measures
Appendix 5: Report dated 9 July 1996 to Minister for Primary Industry
from Government/Industry Working Group on Economic impact of importation
of cooked chicken meat
Appendix 6: Letter dated 10 September 1996 from
Dr D Alexander to Mr Bob Baldwin, MP