After a one-year transition period, the requirements of the recently adopted BSE Chapter (adopted in May 2023) and of the chapter on submissions of applications for official recognition of BSE risk status are now fully in effect. The main changes include a shift from a point-based surveillance system to targeted surveillance and the need to conduct an exposure risk assessment, regardless of the result of the entry risk assessment. At Members’ request and to support the setup of a national BSE surveillance system aligned with WOAH requirements, WOAH developed Guidelines for targeted BSE surveillance.
Similarly, this year’s BSE annual reconfirmation campaign of official risk status will involve the implementation of a new form that is aligned with the current BSE standards and focuses on changes implemented during the year.
Additional information can also be found in the presentation given in June 2024 to the Eurasian Economic Community: https://rr-europe.woah.org/app/uploads/2024/09/EEC_BSE_062024-1.pdf