Following the adoption of the Terms of Reference of the OIE National Contact Point (NCP) on long-distance transportation in November 2020, the OIE Platform Secretariat invited all 53 European OIE Delegates to nominate their NCPs.
The first meeting for the NCPs took place on 18 November 2021 as an online event.
The main objective of this kick-off meeting was to build understanding among NCPs on their role and responsibilities. The meeting also aimed to initiate the definition of working procedures for collaboration within the network, identifying common issues and priorities for future activities of the network as well as other ways of collaboration through animal transport-related activities planned by the OIE Platform. The meeting was an opportunity to present previous OIE activities on animal transport and share best practices among OIE Members as well as the experience gained through the EU Contact Point network.
The participants, representatives of 33 countries, highlighted the importance of establishing the network as a tool to facilitate communication between Competent Authorities. The network will focus its work on two topics: transport by land and transport by sea, according to specific countries’ interests. The NCPs confirmed the relevance of the activities on animal transport included in the Third Action Plan of the Platform, especially multi-regional activities between Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. The network proposed to organise the next meetings in 2022, if possible, as physical events to provide a better opportunity to build a strong communication network and thoroughly share and discuss best practices that have been only briefly introduced during the kick-off meeting (e.g., vessel authorisation, regular feedback from destination countries, development guidance documents etc.)
