G/SPS/N/CHE/83  
 
24 March 2020  
(20-2368) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  SWITZERLAND  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  Plants, plant products and all matter liable to harbour or spread 
particularly dangerous pests, including soil and growing medium. Numerous positions 
under cha pters 6 (Live trees and other plants), 7 (Edible vegetables and certain roots 
and tubers), 8 (Edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruits or melons) and 44 (Wood and 
articles  of wood)  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Amendment of the Ordinance on the Protection of 
Plants against Particularly Dangerous Harmful Organisms (Plant Health Ordinance, PGesV, 
SR 916.20) . Language(s):  French . Number of pages:  8 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/CHE/20_2129_00_f.pdf  
6. Description of content:  Maintaining harmonisation with the European plant health 
legisla tion in accordance with the bilateral agreement on trade in agricultural products 
(agricultural agreement) between Switzerland and the European Union is the main reason 
for this revision. The amendments are mostly formal and linguistic in nature and do not  
directly affect trade in plants and plant products.  
7. Objective and rationale: [  ] food safety, [  ] animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [X]  protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   
8. Is th ere a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[X] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) : 
ISPM No: 1 and 7  
[ ] None  G/SPS/N/CHE/83  
 
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  Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/classified -compilation/20181626/index.html  
https://www.blw.admin.ch/blw/fr/home/nachhaltige -
produktion/Pflanzengesundheit/rechtsgrundlagen.html  
 (available in French)  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 24 June 2020  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 24 July 2020  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : 1 August 2020  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 23 May 2020  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [  ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax num ber and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:   
State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO  
Holzikofenweg 36, 3003 Bern  
Switzerland  
Email: sps@seco.admin.ch   
13. Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [  ] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO  
Holzikofenweg 36, 3003 Bern  
Switzerland  
Email: sps@seco.admin.ch