Who can ask for recategorisation of diseases under the EADRA?
Any signatory to the Deed can apply to change the Category under which a disease is listed in Schedule 3 of the EADRA.
How does a Signatory apply for recategorisation?
- Write to the Chief Executive Officer of Animal Health Australia (AHA) using the form in Part 2, Schedule 3 of the Deed, and
- Provide sufficient evidence in the application to demonstrate that it is reasonable to recategorise the disease (including information on the nature of the disease, and public health, domestic and international markets, animal production and environmental implications of the disease).
What is the process and timelines for recategorisation requests?
If AHA finds that there is reasonable evidence for recategorisation they must refer the request to the Animal Health Committee (AHC) within 30 days.
The AHC has 30 days to convene an Emergency Animal Disease Categorisation Panel (see below for more information) and the panel must report back to the AHC within 90 days.
The AHC has 30 days to review the panel advice and provide a recommendation back to AHA.
AHA convenes a meeting of the Relevant Parties (those who are affected by the decision).
If all the Relevant Parties agree with the recommendation of the AHC, it is implemented by AHA.
Who funds the work associated with a recategorisation application?
Costs associated with the panel operations are retrospectively cost shared by the relevant parties according to the cost sharing arrangements for the Category of the disease after the recategorization work.
Who is on the Emergency Animal Disease Categorisation Panel?
The panel will be convened by the AHC. Panel roles may be filled by contractors, government staff including members of the AHC or their departments, representatives of Industries who are signatories to the Deed who will be impacted by an outbreak of the disease in question and other government, private or industry expert with relevant expertise. It must have:
- an independent chair
- a veterinarian with government disease control expertise
- a person with specific expertise in the disease
- a person with relevant economic expertise
- a nominee from each industry that is a signatory to the Deed and will be impacted by an outbreak of the disease.
It may include:
- a public health expert,
- a conservation representative,
- other relevant members determined by the independent chair.
What if the application to AHA is not supported?
If AHA does not refer a request for recategorisation to AHC (due to a perceived lack of justification), the Party may appeal to Members at a General Meeting of AHA.
If a majority of AHA Members pass the resolution the request is referred to the AHC and follows the process above.
What if all the Relevant Parties don’t agree with the recommendation of the AHC?
- If the Relevant Parties do not all agree on the recommendation from AHC, the AHA Board will consider the relevant information at its next meeting and make a final decision.
- AHA will advise Parties of the Board’s determination within 30 days.
- A further review will not be accepted by Animal Health Australia unless additional substantive information becomes available.
Who are Relevant Parties?
Under the Deed, Relevant Parties are the signatories to the Deed who are affected by the decision or action. For a decision about recategorization this includes:
- all the state and territory governments,
- the commonwealth and
- those industries who will be affected by an outbreak of the disease.