. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/L/592
13 November 2002
(02-6265)
REPORT (2002) ON TH E ACTIVITIES OF THE
COMMITTEE ON SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES
The present report is being circulated by the Chairperson of the Committee on Sanitary and
Phytosanitary Measures on her own responsibility.  This report provides a summary of the activities
and decisions of the Committee through 8 November 2002.
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1. The Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (the "SPS Committee") held three
regular meetings in 2002:  on 19-21 March, 25-26 June and 7-8 November.1  At the March meeting,
Mrs. Maria Fe Alberto-Chau Huu (Philippines) was appointed Chairperson for the period 2002/2003.
2. In line with the directive from the Fourth Session of the Ministerial Conference2, at its
meeting in March the Committee adopted a Programme for Further Work regarding the
implementation of Article 4 of the Agreement (equivalence).3  Informal meetings on equivalence were
held prior to each of the Committee's regular mee tings.  As agreed in the Programme for Further
Work, information was provided by Members and by the observer organizations regarding their
experiences with respect to equivalence.  In addition, at its November meeting the Committee agreedon clarifications of paragraphs 5 and 6 of the Decision on the Implementation of Article 4 of the
Agreement.
4
3. Also at its meeting in March, the Committee adopted revised Recommended Procedures for
Implementing the Transparency Obligations of the SPS Agreement (Article 7).  These recommended
procedures address all aspects of the transparency obligations, including notifications, publication and
the operation of enquiry points.  An addendum to  the Recommended Procedures was adopted at the
June meeting of the Committee, and provides a format and instructions for notification ofDetermination of the Recognition of Equivalence of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.
5
4. At its regular meetings, the SPS Committee considered a wide range of specific trade
concerns, including many related to individual notifications.  The issues discussed included, inter alia ,
measures taken in response to foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks, maximum levels for certain food
contaminants (notably aflatoxins), and measures taken by Members affecting trade in beef, pork,poultry, fishmeal, fresh fruit, gelatine and genetically modified products.  The Secretariat revised its
document summarizing all specific trade concerns raised in the Committee.
6
                                                     
1 The report of the March meeting is contained in G/SPS/R/26 and corrigendum, that of the June
meeting in G/SPS/R/27 and corrigendum, and the report of the November meeting will be circulated asG/SPS/R/28.
2 WT/MIN(01)/17, paragraph 3.3.
3 G/SPS/20.
4 The Decision is contained in G/SPS/19, the agreed clarifications in G/SPS/19/Add.1.
5 G/SPS/7/Rev.2 and G/SPS/7/Rev.2/Add.1.
6 G/SPS/GEN/204/Rev.2.G/L/592
Page 2
5. Members informed the SPS Committee about the recognition of disease-free areas and about
their use of international standards.  The Secretariat circulated updated lists of National Enquiry
Points and National Notification Authorities.7  Over 581 notifications were submitted in accordance
with the SPS Agreement in the period 1 January through 31 October 2002, bringing the total number
of SPS notifications submitted since the entry into force of the Agreement to 3211.
6. The SPS Committee continued its examination of the SPS Agreement and the concerns of
developing countries.  In particular, Egypt suggested inclusion of information on special and
differential treatment in the notifications of SPS measures.  Other ways to effectively address these
concerns were discussed by the Committee at each of its meetings in 2002, and Canada submitted a
proposal in this regard at the November meeting.8
7. Members, the Secretariat and the observer organizations provided information regarding their
technical assistance activities at each meeting of the Committee.  By the November meeting of theCommittee, 27 Members had submitted responses to the questionnaire regarding their technical
assistance needs.
9  An informal meeting on technical assistance preceded the March Committee
meeting, and a seminar on SPS-related capacity-building was organized by the Secretariat
immediately preceding the November meeting of the Committee.
8. The SPS Committee continued to monitor the use of international standards, following the
provisional procedure adopted in October 1997.10  The Fourth Annual Report on the Procedure to
Monitor the Process of International Harmonization was adopted by the Committee in June.11
9. The SPS Committee continued to grant ad hoc observer status on a meeting-by-meeting basis
to the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), the Latin American Economic System (SELA), the
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Regional InternationalAgricultural Health Organization (OIRSA), the ACP Group and the OECD.  A request for observer
status was received from the Convention on Biologic al Diversity (CBD) and its Cartagena Protocol on
Biosafety.  Consideration continued of requests for observer status from the International
Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) and th e Asian Pacific Coconut Community (APCC).
10. At its November meeting, the Committee conducted a transitional review under Paragraph 18
of the Protocol of Accession of the People's Republic of China.
12  Several Members submitted
questions in writing regarding implementation by China, and China responded to these questions and
to others raised in the course of the meeting.
11. The SPS Committee maintained its close working relationships with the IPPC, the OIE and
Codex.  The Committee received regular updates on activities from the IPPC, OIE and Codex .13
Other observer organizations also provided information on their activities, including technicalassistance activities, particularly IICA, OIRSA and the ITC.
14
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7 G/SPS/GEN/ENQ/14 and G/SPS/NNA/4, respectively.
8 G/SPS/W/127.
9 The questionnaire is contained in G/SPS/W/113, and the responses to the questionnaire have been
circulated as addendum to G/SPS/GEN/295.
10 G/SPS/11.
11 G/SPS/21.
12 The report by the Chairperson to the Council for Trade in Goods is contained in G/SPS/22.
13 G/SPS/GEN/305/Rev.1, G/SPS/GEN/306/Rev.1, G/SPS/GEN/327, G/SPS/GEN/328; and
G/SPS/GEN/308.
14 G/SPS/GEN/310, G/SPS/GEN/333 and G/SPS/GEN/350;  G/SPS/GEN/307;  and G/SPS/GEN/335.