RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/SPS/W/82
23June1997
ORGANIZATION(97-2557)
Committee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures
APROCEDURE TOMONITOR THE PROCESS OF
INTERNATIONAL HARMONIZATION
Proposal bytheChairman
Introduction
1. Articles 3.5and12.4oftheSPSAgreement requires theCommittee todevelop aprocedure
tomonitor theprocess ofinternational harmonization andtheuseofinternational standards, guidelines
andrecommendations. Theunderlying purpose ofthisprocedure istoidentify where thereisamajor
impact ontrade resulting from thenon-application ofinternational standards, guidelines or
recommendations andtodetermine thereasons forthenon-application ofthestandard concerned. This
requires (a)identification oftheinternational standards, guidelines orrecommendations ofconcern;
and(b)information fromMembers ontheiruseornon-use oftheidentified standards, andthereasons
therefor. InthelightofMembers 'reasons fornon-application, theSPSCommittee might want to
make anappropriate recommendation toMembers, ortotherelevant international standard-setting
bodytoconsider reviewing andpossibly revising theexisting standard, guideline orrecommendation.
2. Thedevelopment ofamonitoring procedure hasbeendiscussed atevery formal meeting of
theSPSCommittee. Three submissions from Members have suggested possible approaches:
G/SPS/W/51 from theEuropean Communities (March 1996), G/SPS/W/76 from theUnited States
(October 1996) andG/SPS/W/81 fromtheUnited States (March 1997). During thediscussion ofthese
various submissions participants havemade itclear thattheydonotwantaburdensome procedure,
thatduplication ofthework undertaken bytherelevant standard-setting bodies mustbeavoided, and
thatthemonitoring procedure should focus onthose standards, guidelines orrecommendations that
haveamajor impact ontrade.
3. Onthebasisofthese concerns, andtoavoid further delays, itisproposed thattheCommittee
agree toimplement thefollowing monitoring procedure onaprovisional basis. Theproposal isdrawn
fromthesubmissions bytheMembers mentioned above, aswellasfromthediscussion intheCommittee
onthese submissions. TheCommittee should alsoagree toreview theoperation oftheprovisional
monitoring procedure [18]months afteritsimplementation, withaviewtodeciding atthattimewhether
tocontinue withthesame procedure, amend itordevelop another one.
Proposed Monitoring Procedure
4. Intheinitial stages, thescope ofamonitoring system should belimited tothestandards,
guidelines orrecommendations developed bytheso-called "three sisters". TheCommittee should,
atasubsequent stageandiftheneedarises, consider standards, guidelines orrecommendations produced
byinternational organizations other thanthethree specifically citedintheSPSAgreement.G/SPS/W/82
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5. Theinternational standards proposed byMembers tobemonitored (seeparagraph 6)should
belimited tothose which haveamajor trade impact. Thetrade impact ofaninternational standard,
guidelineorrecommendationshouldbedeterminedprimarilyonthebasisoftheextenttowhichMembers
usethestandard (apply ittoimports) andthefrequency orseverity ofproblems experienced inthe
trade ofthegoods covered bythestandard.
6. Members should submit, atleast[15]daysinadvance ofeachregular meeting oftheCommittee,
concrete examples ofsignificant trade problems which theybelieve arerelated tothenon-application
ofrelevant international standards, guidelines andrecommendations. Intheirsubmissions, Members
should describe thenature ofeachtrade problem andnotewhether itistheresult of:
(a) thenon-use ofanappropriate existing international standard, guideline or
recommendation; or
(b) theinappropriatenessofanexistinginternationalstandard,guidelineorrecommendation,
i.e.thatitisout-dated, technically flawed, etc.
7. Thestandards, guidelines orrecommendations identified byMembers asabove willbecompiled
bytheSecretariat. TheSecretariat should circulate thesubmissions ithasreceived toallMembers,
asmuch inadvance oftheCommittee 'smeeting aspossible, inorder toprovide allMembers which
haveaninterest intheidentified standards, guidelines orrecommendations withsufficient opportunity
toprepare anyresponses theydeem appropriate, inparticular withrespect totheiruseornon-use of
thestandards andthereasons therefor. Should anyMember sorequest, theSecretariat willnotinclude
initsannual report onthismonitoring procedure (seeparagraph 10)anyspecific issueraised inthese
submissions untilMembers havehadtheopportunity toprovide further comments andtodiscuss those
comments inoneadditional Committee meeting subsequent tothemeeting inwhich theissue isfirst
raised.
8. TheCommittee ortheChairperson mayinvite therelevant standard-setting body toprovide
information, either inwriting orthrough presentations attherelevant regular meeting oftheCommittee,
onthestandard under consideration, including withregard toanychanges oron-going revisions.
9. Iftheinformation submitted byMembers indicates theexistence ofissues thathaveamajor
impact oninternational trade andareofwidespread concern toMembers, suchissues maybeplaced
ontheregular agenda oftheCommittee meeting, or,asappropriate, theChairperson maycoordinate
multilateral consultations aimed atdeveloping proposals forresolving suchissues.
10. TheSecretariatshouldprepareanannualreporttotheCommitteeonthetradeproblemsidentified
byMembers andtheircomments regarding theuseoftheidentified international standards, guidelines
andrecommendations. TheCommittee willtransmit thisreport totheinternational organizations
responsible fordeveloping therelevant sanitary andphytosanitary standards, guidelines and
recommendations. Itisexpected thatMembers willtakethisinformation intoaccount, through their
participation inthese international organizations, inestablishing those organizations 'work priorities.
Absence ofanInternational Standard, Guideline orRecommendation
11. Members mayalsousetheabove procedure toidentify where thereisamajor impact ontrade
resulting fromtheabsence ofarelevant international standard, guideline orrecommendation. Insuch
cases, thecomments ofMembers andanyappropriate suggestions should bereflected intheannual
report described above.G/SPS/W/82
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Further Action
12. Asnoted inparagraph 3,inreviewing theoperation ofthisprovisional monitoring procedure,
theCommittee maywantatalaterstagetoconsider theneedforamore focused monitoring procedure.
Inparticular, theCommittee maywishtoconsider using those standards which havebeenidentified
ashavingamajorimpactoninternationaltradeandareofwidespreadconcerntoMembers(paragraph10
refers) asthebasisforapilotproject toascertain howMembers aredealing withmeasures pertaining
tothestandards ofconcern.