. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/NZL/259
 9 September 2003
(03-4703)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   NEW ZEALAND
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:   Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF)
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):  Cicer  (chickpea) seed for sowing
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:
All countries.
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Cicer  (chickpea) seed for
sowing, (available in English, 2 pages).
6. Description of content: The import health standard stipulates the requirements for the
importation into New Zealand of Cicer (chickpea) seed for sowing.
Currently seed can only be imported from areas free from the quarantine pest, Aschochyta
rabiei .  New Zealand intends to amend these requirements to allow seed to also be imported
from pest free places of production, free from A. rabiei , as defined by the International
Standards for Phytosanitary Measures, Food & Agriculture Organisation, publications No. 10
"Requirements for the establishment of pest free places of production and pest-free
production sites".
The amendment will facilitate the trade of ch ickpea seed and therefore the import health
standard will be adopted on 22 September 2003.  However, New Zealand will consider anycomments after this date and amend the import health standard if appropriate.
7. Objective and rationale:  [    ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [ X ] plant protection,
[  ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or di sease,  [   ]  protect territory from other
damage from pests
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[ X ] International Plant Protection Convention, [   ] None
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:   ISPM No. 10 "Requirements for the
establishment of pest free places of production and pest-free production sites".
9. Relevant documents and language(s ) in which these are available:  None
10. Proposed date of adoption:   22 September 2003
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   22 September 2003G/SPS/N/NZL/259
Page 2
12. Final date for comments:  1 December 2003
Please note New Zealand intends adopting the revised import requirements for Cicer
(chickpea) seed for sowing on 22 September 2003.  However, New Zealand will consider any
comments after this date and amend the import health standard if appropriate.
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification
authority, [   ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (ifavailable) of other body:
Plant Imports – Consultation on Cicer  (chickpea) seed for sowing
Plants Biosecurity
Biosecurity Authority
Ministry of Agriculture and ForestryPO Box 2526
Wellington
New Zealand
Fax:  +64 4 474 4257
Email:  plantimports@maf.govt.nz
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notification authority,  [   ]  National enquiry point,
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Ms Sally Griffin, Coordinator, SPS New Zealand, PO Box 2526, 101-103 The Terrace,
Wellington, New Zealand.  Tel:  + 64 4 474 4140;  Fax:  +64 4 470 2730;
E-mail:  sps@maf.govt.nz
Website:  www.maf.govt.nz/biosecurity/sps/transparency/notifications/index.htm