International Harmonisation
Source: http://www.rnw.nl
Adherence to common standards at a broader, global level is required in order to protect the health of both animals and consumers, and to ensure the availability of safe, high quality animal health products. International bodies such as
VICH and the Codex Alimentarius Commission are at the heart of IFAH’s effort to globally harmonise regulatory approaches to veterinary medicines.
The tripartite VICH is an initiative through which industry and regulators from the EU, the US and Japan have defined and implemented a series of harmonised regulatory guidelines.
IFAH and its members are also active participants in the work of Codex Alimentarius, which has developed a range of harmonised food safety standards impacting on the regulation of animal health products. These have been adopted by many smaller countries which may lack the resources required to generate their own national standards.
Key regulations have been simplified and harmonised in a number of markets as a result of IFAH’s work but the federation continues to pursue further improvements. It has turned its attention to issues such as product identification, and to the provision of incentives for innovation through appropriate protection of data linked to the registration of animal health products.
