. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/ARG/127
20 August 2003
(03-4344)
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:   ARGENTINA
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food (SAGPyA)
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers and 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:   Idem  National
enquiry point.
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 applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Genetically modified
plant organisms (GMPOs)
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Release of
Genetically Modified Plant Organisms (GMPOs) into the Environment  (31 pages, in
Spanish).
6. Description of content:  Application for Authorization to Release Genetically Modified
Plant Organisms into the Environment.
"… Authorization for the commercial release of a GMPO is granted by the Ministry
of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food on the basis of three (3) independent reports
drawn up by advisory bodies under its jurisdiction. These reports are as follows:
(a) Determination that the extensive release of the GMPO will not have a significantly
different environmental impact from that of the equivalent non-genetically modified
(GM) organism , produced by the National Advisory Committee for  Agricultural
Biotechnology (CONABIA); the relevant standard is that set out in this document;
(b) Determination of the suitability of GMPO-derived food for human and animal
consumption , produced by the Technical Advisory Committee on the Use of
Genetically Modified Organisms under the National Agriculture and Food Quality
and Health Service (SENASA); the relevant standard in this instance is SENASA
Resolution No. 412/2002 of 10 May 2002;
(c) Determination that the release would not have an undesirable impact on Argentine
international trade , produced by the National Office of Agri-Food Markets, also
under the SAGPyA.
CONABIA assesses all applications to release GMPOs into the environment and
advises the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food on the
advisability or otherwise of authorizing such releases. These assessments haveTWO (2) phases:G/TBT/N/ARG/127
Page 2
6. Description of content:   (cont'd)
(1) assessments of experimental releases, the purpose of which is to determine that
there is no significant probability of adverse environmental effects - first
assessment phase , and
(2) assessments of extensive releases, the purpose of which is to determine that
such GMPO releases will not have a significantly different environmental impact
from those of the equivalent non-genetically modified (GM) organisms - second
assessment phase …".
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Update the existing legislation.
8. Relevant documents:  Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food (SAGPyA)
Resolution No. 39/2003.
9. Proposed date of adoption:  17 July 2003  (Official Journal)
Proposed date of entry into force:  10 January 2004
10. Final date for comments:   Not indicated
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax
numbers and E-mail and Web site addresses, if available, of the other body:
Focal Point of the Argentine Republic
National Directorate of Domestic Trade (DNCI)
Avda. J. A. Roca 651, 4th floor, Sector 2
(C1067ABB) Buenos Aires
Tel.: (54 11) 4349-4067
Fax:  (54 11) 4349-4072E-mail: focalotc@mecon.gov.ar