. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/COL/23
27 February 2003
(03-1173)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  Spanish
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  COLOMBIA
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):
2. Agency responsible:  Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA)
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicab le, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Fertilizers and soil
conditioners and the raw materials thereof
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Colombian
Agricultural Institute (ICA) Resolutio n No. 00150 of 21 January 2003 Adopting the
Technical Regulation on Fertilizers and Soil Conditioners for Colombia  (18 pages, in
Spanish).
Description of content:  Requirements and procedures harmonized with existing
international regulations for the registration and legal and technical control of fertilizers and
soil conditioners, in particular with regard  to terminology, classification, guaranteed
composition, labelling, tolerances, minimum permissible content and conformity assessment
parameters;  definitions;  registration of manufacturing, formulation and packing and
packaging firms;  registration of importers and distributors;  obligations;  experimentation;
efficacy trial technical units;  suspension and cancellation of sales records;  garden products;
labelling;  technical information, advertising and publicity.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
Provide guidance for the marketing and appropriate and rational use and handling of
fertilizers and soil conditioners, both to prevent and minimize harm to human, animal and
plant health and the environment under authorized conditions and to facilitate international
trade.
8. Relevant documents:  Colombian Technical Standards NTC 40, NTC 1927 and NTC 4435
and Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) Forms 3-423, ICA 3-641, ICA 3-894, ICA 3-
895, ICA 3-896, ICA 3-898 and ICA 3-904.
9. Proposed date of adoption:  21 January 2003
Proposed date of entry into force:  Upon publication in the Official JournalG/TBT/N/COL/23
Page 2
10. Final date for comments:  20 May 2003
11. Texts available in:  Spanish
National enquiry point [ X]:  
Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism
General Directorate of Regulation
Calle 28, No. 13A - 15, 1st floor
Bogota, D.C., ColombiaTel.:  (571) 350-5500, ext. 713
Fax:  (571) 350-9564
E-mail: normalizacion01@mindesa.gov.co
             COLOMBIA@mindesa.gov.co  (Enquiry point)
Web site: www.mindesarrollo.gov.co
or address, telephone and fax numbers and E-mail and Web site addresses, if
available, of other body:  
Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA)
Agricultural Risks and Intern ational Affairs Analysis Group
Calle 37 #8-43, Office 409
Bogotá, D.C., ColombiaTel:  (571) 285-3485
Fax:  (571) 232-4695
E-mail: analisis.riesgos@ica.gov.co
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